Aruba Instant On Switches vs Cisco Catalyst Switches comparison

Aruba Instant On Switches vs. Cisco Catalyst Switches

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Helped 831,158 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

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

Categories and Ranking

Aruba Instant On Switches

Ranking in LAN Switching

3rd

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Cisco Catalyst Switches

Ranking in LAN Switching

1st

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

173

Ranking in other categories

Ethernet Switches (7th), Data Center Networking (1st), AV Over IP Switching (1st)

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2025, in the LAN Switching category, the mindshare of Aruba Instant On Switches is 10.2%, up from 8.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Catalyst Switches is 30.6%, down from 31.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

LAN Switching

Featured Reviews

MashukThakur

Senior Wireless Engineer at FASTtelco

A centrally managed switches ideal for small and medium businesses but does not have any console access

The solution does not have any console access. For example, if you do not have internet access on your side and you need to configure anything, you should at least have CLI access to do something or manage the solution to put to some IP. It will only work if we have a TSCT on the network. We can port and configure the initial settings before we get the Instant On Switches. I am not working deeply on Instant On devices. I have only installed it in a couple of accommodation sites. Even today, one customer has ordered to install 80 pieces of Instant On. I’ve to order additional 94 access points. I was confused about whether to go with Aruba Instant On or AP-505. Instant On has limited accessibility but AP-505 have cloud or local access on normal infrastructure. This would be better and easier to configure. So, there are further improvements in regard to console access and some limitations with access.

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SameerBali

Network Architect at Syriatel Mobile Telecom

Reliable and stable catalyst switch; can be easily installed

I like Cisco Catalyst Switches because most of the time, we can do what we want with the product. Cisco has good guidelines that enable us to implement anything, so we can have a multiple ability product on most of the network equipment worldwide. Cisco has communities or forums that help us implement more complicated areas in terms of network, so in addition, Cisco is not just a network equipment company, because they provide us most of the solutions, development, protocols, and new technologies, more than any other company in the world. I also like the availability of Cisco Catalyst Switches, including scalability and reliability. You can find all these in this product.

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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

"We use Aruba Instant On Switches for general communication, sending files, and going to the internet."

"The product's initial setup phase is very simple."

"Aruba's management solutions, like Aruba Central are valuable."

"Its customer service is good."

"The solution's pricing is slightly cheaper than that of Cisco."

"The stability is fine. I would rate the stability a nine out of ten. Almost a ten on a ten."

"The online monitoring tool and the configuration of the application with the tool are valuable features."

"The dashboard for clients is very nice."

More Aruba Instant On Switches pros

"The configuration is easy."

"The benefit of the tool is that it is a stable product."

"As there are many who are knowledgeable of this technology, this translates into extensive support for it."

"We have dealt with Cisco's technical support in the past. They were especially helpful and very polite. They are always there if we need them and their insights are always excellent. I would say that we have been satisfied with the level of support we've gotten so far."

"Cisco Switches are more stable in terms of hardware and firmware, rather than Juniper Switches."

"It is a stable and good product. It is also easy to install."

"It is easy to use."

"The scalability is excellent."

More Cisco Catalyst Switches pros

Cons

"The product's startup speed is very bad, as it is very slow."

"It is not a very scalable solution."

"They could provide additional uplink ports, such as eight instead of four. It will be beneficial for our use case."

"The solution’s GUI should be improved a bit."

"The price has room for improvement."

"The support needs improvement."

"Instant On Switches' layer 3 and visibility could be improved."

"The product must be integrated with Aruba Central for better management."

More Aruba Instant On Switches cons

"Its price can be improved. Some devices can be very expensive."

"We have configurations for port channels between two facilities, and we cannot communicate between these two buildings. An SFP configuration uses one wire to send and receive the signal. It's opt-in. We cannot use it after the upgrade. What can we do in this situation? We already bought it."

"They need to implement sFlow."

"The solution could improve by having a video IP feature."

"Reporting could be improved as well as integration possibilities with other platforms."

"The technical response could be faster in the future."

"The GUI should be addressed."

"Their centralized management could be better. There should be some kind of software for centralized management so that I don't need somebody else to manage it."

More Cisco Catalyst Switches cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"If one is very bad, and ten is a very good price, I rate the tool's price as a six."

"The pricing is cheap."

"It is an expensive solution."

"Aruba Instant On Switches is slightly cheaper than Cisco."

"The license for Instant On Switches is free."

"The solution is the cheapest A-class switch."

"The pricing is quite low compared to other products, which is good for the customer."

"We pay an annual licensing fee."

More Aruba Instant On Switches pricing and cost advice

"The price of Cisco equipment is very expensive and you have to pay extra for support."

"The pricing of Cisco Catalyst Switches could be better in general. There is an annual license required."

"The price of the solution is expensive compared to other products from America or Europe. They should have more competitive pricing."

"We pay the licensing fees annually because we have an enterprise license agreement."

"The general price of the solution could be cheaper."

"Cisco Catalyst Switches is an affordable solution."

"Catalyst Switches are costly. When I started working with them 25 years ago, prices were a problem too."

"It is overpriced. Some devices can be very expensive. Most of the clients have a contract with Cisco for two or three years."

More Cisco Catalyst Switches pricing and cost advice

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831,158 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

18%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Educational Organization

Comms Service Provider

Educational Organization

64%

Computer Software Company

Government

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Aruba Instant On Switches?

The solution has a simple deployment and zero border.

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

If one is very bad, and ten is a very good price, I rate the tool's price as a six.

What needs improvement with Aruba Instant On Switches?

The difficulty with the tool is in the area of troubleshooting. The problem that we have in our company is that the switches don't get connected properly. In the future, I want to see AI in the too...

Would you recommend replacing a Cisco Catalyst Switch by a D-link one?

Hello Mesfin It depends on the real scenario, the cisco 2960 is a very good device and they usually have routing functions but there are many different models within the same 2960 line, and on the ...

What do you like most about Cisco Catalyst Switches?

We are a vendor for the healthcare sector, especially hospitals, and normally, we use a full Cisco solution for stability, especially for the stability of the Access Points and the security of swit...

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Catalyst Switches?

Cisco Catalyst Switches are quite pricey.

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Comparisons

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HPE ProCurve vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 16% of the time

ExtremeSwitching vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 11% of the time

Cisco Nexus vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 8% of the time

NETGEAR Switches vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 6% of the time

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Product Reports

Aruba Instant On Switches

Download Aruba Instant On Switches product report

Cisco Catalyst Switches

Download Cisco Catalyst Switches product report

Also Known As

Aruba Instant On 1930 Switches

Cisco Catalyst, Catalyst

Learn More

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Cisco

Overview

The Aruba Instant On 1930 switches features advanced, smart-managed, fixed configuration Gigabit switches designed for small businesses that are easy-to-deploy and affordable. They’re made to handle today’s bandwidth-heavy applications like voice and video conferencing, enabling consistent connectivity to enhance performance. Using either the Instant On mobile app or the cloud-based web portal, you can quickly set up, monitor and manage the 1930 switch series from anywhere at any time. What’s more, up to 30 W PoE power delivery is available out-of-the-box for your class 4 PoE devices, like access points, surveillance cameras and VoIP phones, all easily managed from the same platform.

Cisco Catalyst Switches are a reliable and scalable network switching and routing solution, focusing on VLANs and VLAN switching. They are used as access switches, distribution switches, and core switches in various environments, deployed on-premises, and used for long connections. The switches are easy to configure, install, and upgrade and offer good pricing.

The most valuable features include warranty and firmware support, stability, security, good performance, flexibility, etc. The Cisco Catalyst Switches have provided a stable solution for the organizations and are widely used, trusted, and well-known in the networking industry.

Sample Customers

KEMET, Vestavia Hills City Schools, Dropbox

Afni, Anilana Hotels and Resorts, Baylor Scott & White Health, Beachbody, Bellevue, Del Papa Distributing, Explorer Pipeline, Mindtree, Omaha World Herald, Radio 538, Sony Corporation, Telecom Italia, Telenor Arena

Aruba Instant On Switches vs. Cisco Catalyst Switches