Aruba Instant On Switches vs Cisco Catalyst Switches comparison

Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Cisco are both solutions in the LAN Switching category. Hewlett Packard Enterprise is ranked #3 with an average rating of 8.3, while Cisco is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.4. Hewlett Packard Enterprise holds a 10.2% mindshare in LS, compared to Cisco’s 30.2% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of Hewlett Packard Enterprise users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of Cisco users who would recommend it.

Aruba Instant On Switches

Read 29 Aruba Instant On Switches reviews

2,090 Views
1,074 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

Cisco Catalyst Switches

Read 175 Cisco Catalyst Switches reviews

7,429 Views
3,764 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

Aruba Instant On Switches

Cisco Catalyst Switches

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Aruba Instant On Switches and Cisco Catalyst Switches based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two LAN Switching solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed Aruba Instant On Switches vs. Cisco Catalyst Switches Report (Updated: January 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Instant On Switches vs. Cisco Catalyst Switches

January 2025

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Helped 838,713 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

8.2

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

175

Ranking in other categories

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

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2025, in the LAN Switching category, the mindshare of Aruba Instant On Switches is 10.2%, up from 8.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Catalyst Switches is 30.2%, down from 31.9% 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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Joshua Odunsi

I.T INFRASTRUCTURE/SECURITY ADMINISTRATOR at Haggai Mortgage Bank Ltd

Ensures efficient performance and supports network growth with optimal speed

Catalyst Switches are efficient and swift, which is valuable for my organization. I experience optimal speed and effective configuration, making them stand out compared to other switches. The PoE switches offer more ports on SFP, and it is efficient in use. Overall, the switches provide me with the value I expect in terms of speed and efficiency.

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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

"Setup is easy."

"The solution provides GUI control, making it particularly suitable for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and small office/home office (SOHO) networks."

"Aruba Central provides various AI features that we can use. It collects data on health and performance issues for wireless and wired clients."

"The dashboard for clients is very nice."

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

"Instant On Switches' best feature is the 1930, which is stackable."

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

"The tool's best part is the commercials. Its pricing is lower compared to other enterprise products. We pitch the product to customers who have budget constraints. Its implementation is plug-and-play."

More Aruba Instant On Switches pros

"The stability and Cisco's support are the most valuable features."

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

"It uses many protocols to ease operations, such as CDP and the interoperability of other Cisco products."

"This solution has a pretty good rate of not causing unexpected behavior or failing. We're using maybe 900 switches right now. And, rarely, if ever, something fails, it's dependable."

"The new series has lots of great features, it's really lovely. From a management perspective, or a policy creation perspective, which we are seeing in the Catalyst 9000 series it is great."

"It is a pretty good product. I don't see a problem with this product. Cisco Catalyst Switches fit the best for the type of systems that we deploy. Our customers usually are happy with Cisco equipment. Many partners and third parties have ordered this solution."

"The solution is extremely flexible."

"It is very reliable."

More Cisco Catalyst Switches pros

Cons

"The pricing is competitive but could be improved."

"Tracking with instant switches needs improvement."

"The price has room for improvement."

"We would like to see more documentation."

"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."

"The solution’s initial setup is very complex."

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

"It could have an MSP portal version."

More Aruba Instant On Switches cons

"We would like the solution to be more stable."

"Their price should be improved. They are a little bit expensive."

"The security of the solution could be improved, it is really important to us."

"First of all, there are some features that take a long time to get implemented, and other vendors have them for a long time before them. For example, it took a long time to have a way to commit change with the timer, so it gets undone if the user doesn't accept the change after it's done. Like, having to say the changes be done, and everything works fine. In the end, everything works fine, but it didn't exist. That's just an example of stuff that came late to Catalyst."

"In terms of performance, Juniper switches have a more user-friendly interface and more features than Cisco switches."

"The pricing could be better. Cisco is quite expensive."

"If they worked on lowering the price, they would be able to attract more customers."

"The product's high price is an area of concern where improvements are required."

More Cisco Catalyst Switches cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing is cheap."

"I give the price seven out of ten."

"The product is not cheaply priced, especially when compared to the other vendors in the market."

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

"Pricing is competitive, and there are no supplementary fees."

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

"We pay an annual licensing fee."

"It is an expensive solution."

More Aruba Instant On Switches pricing and cost advice

"It has a very high cost, but understandably, due to its very good quality."

"We had to pay for the product’s licenses."

"The solution provides a good balance between the features and the cost structure"

"The cost could be reduced."

"Licensing is on a yearly basis. We usually spend up to $20,000."

"The price is in an affordable range and everything is included."

"It's very pricey. Compared to competitors, it's a lot more expensive."

"We are on an annual license to use this solution and the price of the solution could be reduced. We have spent hundreds of thousands on our Wi-Fi network."

More Cisco Catalyst Switches pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

19%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Comms Service Provider

Educational Organization

66%

Computer Software Company

Financial Services Firm

Government

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.

See all answers

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.

See all answers

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...

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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 ...

See all answers

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...

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

Cisco Catalyst Switches are quite pricey.

See all answers

Comparisons

HPE ProCurve vs Aruba Instant On Switches

Compared 41% of the time

NETGEAR Switches vs Aruba Instant On Switches

Compared 14% of the time

More Aruba Instant On Switches Competitors

Arista Networks Platform vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 22% of the time

HPE ProCurve vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 14% of the time

ExtremeSwitching vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 10% of the time

Cisco Nexus vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 7% of the time

NETGEAR Switches vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 6% of the time

More Cisco Catalyst Switches Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Instant On Switches

February 2025

Download Aruba Instant On Switches product report

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Catalyst Switches

February 2025

Download Cisco Catalyst Switches product report

Also Known As

Aruba Instant On 1930 Switches

Cisco Catalyst, Catalyst

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.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

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.

Cisco

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

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Instant On Switches vs. Cisco Catalyst Switches

January 2025

Free Report: Aruba Instant On Switches vs. Cisco Catalyst Switches

Find out what your peers are saying about Aruba Instant On Switches vs. Cisco Catalyst Switches and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.

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