Aruba Instant On Access Points vs Cisco Wireless comparison

Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Cisco are both solutions in the Wireless LAN category. Hewlett Packard Enterprise is ranked #11 with an average rating of 8.5, while Cisco is ranked #3 with an average rating of 8.6. Hewlett Packard Enterprise holds a 0.8% mindshare in Wireless LAN, compared to Cisco’s 12.1% mindshare. Additionally, 96% of Hewlett Packard Enterprise users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 88% of Cisco users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 8, 2024

Cisco Wireless and Aruba Instant On Access Points compete in the wireless networking category. Cisco Wireless may seem to have the upper hand with advanced features that enhance its performance and security.

Features: Cisco Wireless offers CleanAir technology, seamless roaming, and DNA technology which boost network performance and security, making it ideal for complex environments. Its integration with Cisco's products is robust. On the other hand, Aruba Instant On Access Points focus on ease of use with compact designs and cloud-based management, catering to smaller, simpler deployments without extensive technical expertise.

Room for Improvement: Cisco Wireless is often criticized for its high cost and complex licensing, with users wanting better interfaces and third-party integration. Aruba Instant On Access Points struggle with handling high user densities and could improve management features, though simplicity and cloud management options are appreciated despite scalability limits.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco Wireless relies on on-premises deployments suitable for large organizations but may limit flexibility; its customer service is mixed, praised for expertise but with variable response times. Aruba Instant On Access Points offer both on-premises and cloud options, with highly rated, prompt customer service and user-friendly setup supporting rapid deployment.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco Wireless is seen as expensive yet valuable for reliable connectivity and robust features, though its pricing model poses a barrier for budget-constrained buyers. In contrast, Aruba Instant On Access Points are competitively priced with a straightforward pricing structure appealing to cost-sensitive users, making them attractive for small to medium-sized businesses.

To learn more, read our detailed Aruba Instant On Access Points vs. Cisco Wireless Report (Updated: December 2024).

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Instant On Access Points vs. Cisco Wireless

December 2024

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Categories and Ranking

Juniper Mist Wireless Acces...

Mindshare comparison

As of December 2024, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points is 5.7%, up from 2.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Aruba Instant On Access Points is 0.8%, down from 1.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Wireless is 12.1%, down from 16.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Wireless LAN

Featured Reviews

Gyan Sharma

Assistant Programmer at Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha

Offers good performance, good solution and smooth implementation

I do have a suggestion: it would be helpful to have even stronger security features to help protect against interference from other nearby access points that aren't part of our network. If there are access points from other brands installed nearby; they can cause interference and disrupt the range of our Mist access points. So, the security features could be stronger, especially in terms of authentication. The connectivity is excellent, but security needs improvement. In future releases, integrating more AI features would be beneficial. If Mist had stronger AI features, it could provide better security against network threats and cyberattacks. So, this solution still needs to improve its AI capabilities. It would be great if the AI could improve the range of the access points, and auto-protect functionality should be there to avoid interference by other nearby access points and enhance threat detection. In the future, I'd like to see stronger threat detection features integrated with Mist, as well as better detection of nearby access points that might cause interference.

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Hernan Garribia

IT Manager at Quinto Centenario Hotel

Reliable management , easy to set up, and good performance

In general, we have a good experience with Unifi switches in our conference rooms. However, we have faced several issues in the last year. We tried changing the cabling, switch, and power injector, but the problems persisted. We also use Unifi in hotels and conference rooms, but only one…

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Michael Lees

Production Director at Whitespider

Affordable, resilient, and performs better than other solutions in the market

Assurance capabilities must be improved. There should be more Assurance features on the Wireless LAN Controller. A lot of it is bundled into the DNA Center. Having a little more Assurance regarding what the RF Spectrum looks like will be good. Juniper Mist has a lot of analytical data on the dashboard. The customers would be compelled to look at DNA Center as a longer-term and more comprehensive solution if Cisco were to give them an insight into some of the Assurance capabilities that might be available in DNA Center. The tool must provide something like RF Neighbor. It must enable organizations to receive signal strength and signal-to-noise ratio and see how clients perform in their wireless network. It must have a cap. If we want additional functionality to see our entire network, that's where DNA Center fits in.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The most valuable feature of Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series) is the ability to troubleshoot ports on the network. Additionally, when there is an update on the APs they are able to reboot quickly reducing downtime. Other solutions have a longer downtime when updates are done."

"It's well-detailed in terms of troubleshooting logs."

"Juniper Mist offers valuable features like comprehensive network insight, granular policy control, fast device setup, strong security, and efficient SSL traffic management."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is Marvis, the AI-driven network management system."

"Mist AI is a very powerful feature. Juniper is the only company that has introduced AI into networking."

"You can easily monitor, manage, and cover all your IT equipment."

"In terms of reporting, in terms of all the user reports, it's very rich."

"The solution is pretty generic and easy to use."

More Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points pros

"The initial setup is very simple."

"The solution has fast deployment and easy setup. There is no security PIN for this account."

"The product is incredibly stable and meets our needs excellently."

"The product's initial setup phase is too easy."

"The solution is scalable."

"The configuration is very simple."

"Regarding access points, the customer typically considers low-cost plans, and Ruckus Unleashed Access Points are commonly used. These access points are managed through the Microsoft console and can be accessed either with or without ports. The management is done through a controller. The main benefits customers see include cost-effectiveness, especially for those with budget constraints. Aruba, in particular, provides a good user experience. Some customers might choose Huawei, but enterprise access points are also considered. Additionally, the unified access point capabilities are valuable, allowing management from the same account. However, there is a limitation of twenty-five access points, and if a customer requires more, they need to create another site or account. If the customer exceeds twenty-five access points, they need to generate another site or virtual business to manage additional access points, as the external number is limited to twenty-five."

"It's a good solution and a good technology."

More Aruba Instant On Access Points pros

"Cisco Wireless solutions are easy to use."

"The main features are that it's secure and it's easy to distribute the SSID and control it. I also like the controller."

"We've found the technical support to be helpful and responsive."

"The solution offers very good application visibility and control integration for other analysis software."

"Cisco Wireless technology allows us to logically segregate networks, to segregate the traffic between multiple types of endpoint devices, connected to the network. For example, corporate laptops are connected to one network, corporate iPhones will go through a different network."

"The features that I have found most valuable with Cisco Wireless is that the average connectivity for this WIFI access point is 2.5 gigabytes. That's the highest technology and highest connectivity. They started using the new technology and WIFI to get you a faster connectivity."

"Support is fantastic. They are helpful and responsive."

"The most valuable features of this solution are the Cisco CleanAir and Cisco RRM."

More Cisco Wireless pros

Cons

"Juniper Wireless AP can improve by continually improving its reporting and integration with other systems."

"It would be helpful to have even stronger security features to help protect against interference from other nearby access points that aren't part of our network."

"The pricing should be made cheaper."

"Improvement is needed in the user-friendliness of Juniper Mist, particularly in enhancing the interaction with AI features."

"Enrolling into the tool is a tedious process."

"Supporting multiple protocols would be beneficial."

"Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points’ support services need improvement."

"Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series) could improve if the MIST platform had a built-in master key. This would be an advantage."

More Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points cons

"In terms of financial benefits, the Aruba project is a high-cost solution, and I haven't seen specific financial returns."

"The solution should include higher speed and lesser cost."

"It would be good to integrate some marketing features into Aruba Instant On Access Points, like heat maps. This would allow deployment in warehouses or malls to see how people move from one point to another, helping to locate the original fit."

"If there's a way to get a floor map of our office space so we can place the access points on a map to be able to see what's what, where everything is going, where the most traffic is being connected, that would be a nice feature."

"The security aspect needs improvement."

"The customer service and support are terrible."

"The Unifi Controller is slower compared to other options like Aruba."

"The pricing could be a little cheaper."

More Aruba Instant On Access Points cons

"The pricing of the solution is expensive if you compare it to other competitors."

"No product can be a ten out of ten and there are some security issues."

"It's very scalable, but when you shift gears sometimes, you have to do more work than people anticipate."

"Its licensing has been very frustrating. There is also the complexity of managing the product. These are probably the two reasons why we're looking at Aruba. The way they license this product is not simple. There are some good features in the latest version, but there are additional license costs as well, which is frustrating for us. It is not really a feature issue for us. It really comes down to cost and licensing. They should make it a bit simpler to manage. We find the overall solution a little bit more complex than we would like to deal with. Its troubleshooting is a bit difficult, and it does require a high skill set. Comparatively, Aruba seems quite simple. One of the benefits of the Aruba product is that it is cloud-managed. We don't have to manage the management platform itself, whereas Cisco is on-premise. Its user interface could also be better."

"The pricing could be reduced."

"Improvements can be made to the telemetry. The licensing gets in the way here. It makes it impossible to record the different flows across the wireless network."

"It's expensive."

"The flexibility on the controllers isn't that great."

More Cisco Wireless cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I rate Juniper Mist's pricing a ten out of ten since it is expensive."

"Juniper Wireless AP's price is a little more expensive than other solutions, but you get what you pay for."

"The pricing is fair."

"The pricing is too high."

"If a customer has a budget of around five lakhs in Indian currency, they can afford Juniper products."

"I rate the product price as a six on a scale of one to ten, where one is inexpensive, and ten is expensive. It is a reasonably priced tool."

"The pricing is something Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series) can work on. The pricing is very high compared to the competition."

"The solution is expensive."

More Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points pricing and cost advice

"It is expensive."

"There is a need to make yearly payments towards the standard licensing charges associated with the product. There are some additional costs associated with the product since I have seen customers who purchase three-year or five-year plans."

"It's a cost-effective solution."

"You buy it for $165 an AP, which is what we paid."

"Its price is fair. It is not really cheap, and it is also not expensive. It is in the middle."

"I rate the product's pricing a six on a scale of one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive."

"I would rate the solution's pricing an eight out of ten."

"It needs a license."

More Aruba Instant On Access Points pricing and cost advice

"It's expensive because a lot of the controls come with licenses."

"Cisco WiFi 1572 is very expensive locally and our budget for this year is used."

"Because the Cisco architecture is quite complex, you may end up having to add more components and licenses. So, the cost could go up."

"I rate the tool's pricing a seven out of ten."

"The licensing system is very rigid. I work for a school and we are just treated like big companies. At some point, there's a limit to what we can do about that."

"The price for this product is a little bit high, which is why I am not using the most recent version."

"The price of Cisco Wireless could be adjusted down, it is a bit expensive. The solution is worth it for the name and the brand. However, there are more products now in the market that give you the same quality, but at a cheaper price."

"Cost is one of the reasons why we are switching to Aruba. Aruba is significantly lower than Cisco in price. We do the licensing on a three-year basis. Cisco makes licensing very difficult."

More Cisco Wireless pricing and cost advice

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Comparison Review

it_user212721

President at a tech services company with 51-200 employees

Mar 24, 2015

Cisco vs. Aruba Wireless Solutions

Cisco or Aruba Networks? If you are considering wireless access solutions, this is a common question that you are probably asking. You probably have sales people knocking at your door. How do you make sense of all the stories that you are presented with. If you have done any research, you are…

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

17%

Manufacturing Company

Educational Organization

Comms Service Provider

Educational Organization

62%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Government

Computer Software Company

17%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Educational Organization

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series)?

The solution is very secure.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series)?

Juniper Mist is cheaper than Meraki, placing it in the middle of the pack.

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What needs improvement with Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series)?

Supporting multiple protocols would be beneficial.

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What do you like most about Aruba Instant On Access Points?

It's really easy to set up. And, you don't have to pay for the cloud solution. That's really interesting for our clie...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Aruba Instant On Access Points?

Costs are proportional to your requirements. Discounts may be discussed with the distributor.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Aruba Instant On Access Points?

I cannot provide concrete areas that need improvement on a global scale since my experience is local. However, Aruba ...

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Which is better - Cisco Wireless or Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN?

Cisco Wireless is very robust, very rugged, and can handle indoor and outdoor coverage extremely well. We found it to...

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Which is better - Ruckus Wireless or Cisco Wireless?

Ruckus Wireless offers users the benefit of being both easy to set up and get running as well as being very user frie...

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How does Cisco Wireless compare with Aruba Wireless?

On the most basic level, Cisco Wireless can offer a rather straightforward initial setup. In the span of about three ...

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Comparisons

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points

Compared 44% of the time

Aruba Wireless vs Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points

Compared 18% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points

Compared 15% of the time

Fortinet FortiAP vs Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points

Compared 4% of the time

Cambium Networks Wireless LAN vs Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points

Compared 1% of the time

More Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points Competitors

Cambium Networks Wireless LAN vs Aruba Instant On Access Points

Compared 23% of the time

Fortinet FortiAP vs Aruba Instant On Access Points

Compared 16% of the time

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs Aruba Instant On Access Points

Compared 14% of the time

Aruba Instant vs Aruba Instant On Access Points

Compared 11% of the time

NETGEAR Insight Access Points vs Aruba Instant On Access Points

Compared 6% of the time

More Aruba Instant On Access Points Competitors

Aruba Wireless vs Cisco Wireless

Compared 37% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs Cisco Wireless

Compared 25% of the time

Huawei Wireless vs Cisco Wireless

Compared 7% of the time

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs Cisco Wireless

Compared 6% of the time

Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar vs Cisco Wireless

Compared 1% of the time

More Cisco Wireless Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points

December 2024

Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points report

Download Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points product report

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Instant On Access Points

December 2024

Download Aruba Instant On Access Points product report

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Wireless

December 2024

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Also Known As

Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series), Mist Access Points

No data available

Cisco WLAN Controller

Learn More

Juniper

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Cisco

Overview

Juniper Wireless Access Points work in conjunction with Juniper Mist Cloud Services and Mist AI to deliver premier wireless access capabilities. The Juniper Mist Edge extends microservices to the campus to bring agility and scale while enabling new applications at the edge.

Ingredients for success.

Fast 802.11ac Wave 2, secure employee and guest access, easy-to-use web, and mobile app management.

Say yes to secure Wi-Fi access.

Pre-built access control lists (ACLs) and built-in firewall in the access points prevent malicious traffic from entering your network – we call it “hassle-free” security.

Never drop an important call.

With Instant On, voice and video business applications are automatically prioritized, so you stay connected with your peers.

Cisco Wireless is a comprehensive suite of wireless solutions designed to deliver secure, high-performance connectivity for enterprises of all sizes. Offering a range of access points, controllers, and advanced management tools, Cisco Wireless ensures seamless and reliable network access, enhancing mobility and productivity.

Cisco Wireless solutions provide robust, scalable wireless networks capable of supporting high-density environments and diverse applications. With features such as seamless roaming, advanced security protocols, and detailed analytics, Cisco Wireless addresses the needs of modern businesses. The solutions include the Cisco Catalyst and Aironet series access points, wireless LAN controllers, and the Cisco DNA Center for centralized management and automation.

What are the key features of Cisco Wireless?

High-Density Performance: Optimized for environments with a high number of devices, ensuring reliable connectivity and performance.
Advanced Security: Incorporates robust security measures such as WPA3, Secure Boot, and segmentation to protect data and devices.
Seamless Roaming: Enables uninterrupted connectivity as users move across different areas within the network.
Centralized Management: Cisco DNA Center provides a single pane of glass for managing and automating wireless networks, enhancing operational efficiency.
Flexible Deployment Options: Supports various deployment models, including on-premises, cloud-managed, and hybrid solutions.

What benefits should users look for in reviews when evaluating Cisco Wireless?

Improved Mobility and Productivity: Users often highlight how Cisco Wireless enhances user mobility and productivity through reliable and consistent connectivity.
Scalability: Reviews frequently mention the scalability of Cisco Wireless, making it suitable for growing businesses.
Ease of Management: Many users appreciate the centralized management capabilities, which simplify network administration and troubleshooting.
Enhanced Security: The advanced security features are often noted for providing peace of mind and compliance with industry standards.
User Experience: The overall user experience, including ease of use and seamless integration with other Cisco products, is a common point of praise.

Cisco Wireless solutions are implemented across various industries, including healthcare, education, retail, and manufacturing. In healthcare, they support critical applications like patient monitoring and electronic health records. Educational institutions use Cisco Wireless to provide reliable internet access for students and staff. Retailers benefit from enhanced customer experiences through in-store connectivity, while manufacturers use wireless networks to improve operational efficiency and automation.

Pricing and licensing for Cisco Wireless solutions are typically based on the scale of deployment and specific product selections. Cisco offers various support plans, including 24/7 customer service, technical support, and access to software updates and patches.

In summary, Cisco Wireless provides robust, scalable wireless networking solutions that enhance connectivity, security, and management for diverse enterprise environments.

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Aegean Motorway, Baylor Scott & White Health, Beachbody, Bellevue, Brunel University London, Bucks County Intermediate Unit , Chartwell School, Children's Hospital Colorado, Cisco Live Milan, City of Biel, City of Mississauga, Dundee Precious Metals, Electricity Authority of Cyprus, Erickson Living, Goldcorp, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Grupo Industrial Saltillo (GIS)

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Instant On Access Points vs. Cisco Wireless

December 2024

Free Report: Aruba Instant On Access Points vs. Cisco Wireless

Find out what your peers are saying about Aruba Instant On Access Points vs. Cisco Wireless and other solutions. Updated: December 2024.

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