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Aruba Instant vs D-Link Wireless comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 31, 2024

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
Ranking in Wireless LAN
11th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
51
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
D-Link Wireless
Ranking in Wireless LAN
13th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
16
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Aruba Instant is 2.0%, down from 2.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of D-Link Wireless is 2.4%, up from 2.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Wireless LAN
 

Featured Reviews

Prashant-Patel - PeerSpot reviewer
A highly stable and easy-to-deploy solution that is free and provides excellent deployment guides
The setup is very straightforward. There is no complexity at all. It took us 15 minutes. We need IP address details, DNS, a gateway, DHCP servers, and SSIDs. Single access points can act as controller-based, controller-less, and cloud-based solutions. That is the beauty of Aruba. If I have an on-premise solution and want to move to the cloud, I don't need separate hardware. The same hardware can be utilized in the cloud. The deployment guides that we get from Aruba are excellent. We have every piece of detail.
Sivakumar V - PeerSpot reviewer
A tool that offers a good performance at a good price
Over a period of time, the technologies change, and users may not get the proper things. In general, there is a need to keep changing devices after a period of five years, especially considering that I operate in a university where we don't have closed offices, while the devices' performance level goes down in open spaces. Though in our institution, we tried to make some changes to the product, we know that nothing much is going to change. In our institution, we plan to have indoor and room-based APs, but even then, some of the rooms don't come in a dust-free environment, so there is a need for us to experiment with the product as the degrading of the devices and signals still keeps happening. In our institution, we are making some changes to adopt to an indoor-based system. For certain setups, D-Link Wireless works better and ensures that users get value for their money. If you know how to maintain a technology, then it can help you. I rate the overall tool an eight to nine out of ten.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The access it grants to wifi is the solution's most valuable feature."
"Has many advanced features: Built-in firewall, local radius, application visibility and control, not locked into support agreements."
"The most valuable feature of this product is that it is easily deployed."
"Works automatically in terms of setup with the product finding its master wifi access point."
"The simplicity of the dashboard is one of the most valuable features. It's easy to use, and manage and the security features are robust. We can block unauthorized connections and create secure SSIDs."
"What I like best about Aruba Instant is that it serves as a virtual controller, so you don't need to buy other equipment to manage all your access points. I also like that the solution is easy to use."
"Allows network monitoring through mobile devices"
"The most valuable feature of Aruba Instant is its cloud capability, which allows us to manage it through the cloud."
"The solution is extremely easy to install. You just add them and in a few clicks, they are ready to go."
"D-Link Wireless is a tool that is used since it is an easy and user-friendly product."
"This product is user-friendly and we can manage it as per the requirements of the user."
"The system simplifies network management."
"The product's initial setup phase is easy."
"It's scalable, user friendly, and easy to manage."
"The connectivity is good."
"D-Link is a good product that is quite affordable and I recommend it."
 

Cons

"The security features must be improved."
"The management component is difficult to understand and not very user-friendly which increases deployment time."
"It uses a different portal and has limitations from the customer side as it's not refined for MSP."
"The support offered by Aruba is slow."
"Aruba Instant is a simple and scalable solution that works well, but the costs you incur from access points could be cheaper."
"Aruba Instant should not have a limit on users for future releases."
"This solution would be improved if they supplied free software controllers."
"The Central cloud management (optional) is far behind the competition in features, ease of use, and dependability. I have tried Aruba Central a few times over the years and, in my option, it is not where it needs to be for serious consideration in production environments."
"The stability could be a bit better."
"It would definitely help if we had more advanced features for distributing bandwidth."
"The solution doesn't have hotspots. Users can't set it up so that visitors can log in via Facebook or social media as they can at, for example, airports. D-Link should include hotspots that offer integration with social media. That way, visitors don't need to be asking people for passwords. They can just use Facebook."
"Password restriction: Sometimes we set a password and it uses that password but, after some days/months, the password gets changed and a few laptops still use old the password while a few use the new password. The password restriction option needs to improve."
"In future releases, it can keep improving on countering the new patterns of security attacks."
"D-Link has some catching up to do in terms of advancing and improving its technology."
"Sometimes, the solution needs to be restarted."
"The cloud managed solution needs improvement, and they should focus on the SD-WAN segment with regard to integration."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Two years ago, I paid INR 12,000 for access points, but now, I will have to pay double the amount, which comes up to INR 24,000, making it a costly product."
"I rate the product's price a five on a scale of one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive."
"The product has increased its pricing by at least 30 percent."
"I purchased the hardware and there are no monthly or yearly licenses to buy."
"I would rate pricing six out of ten."
"Some in the hospitality industry use the solution because it's cheaper and doesn't require licenses."
"The setup cost varies based on each organization's requirements but it is within reason."
"We only pay for the support and the contract licenses from Aruba Instant."
"D-Link Wireless' price is the same as Aruba's. You need to pay one-time costs for the product."
"The product is affordable."
"D-Link Wireless is cheaper than Ruckus or Cisco."
"The cost can range from $100 to $400."
"This solution is more affordable than others on the market."
"D-Link pricing is very competitive when you consider other OEMs."
"On a scale of one to ten, where one is very cheap and ten is very expensive, I rate the pricing an eight out of ten."
"There is no licensing fee for the solution."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
15%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Construction Company
6%
Computer Software Company
16%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Educational Organization
9%
Manufacturing Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

Which is better - Ubiquiti WLAN or Aruba Instant?
We researched Ubiquiti and Aruba when looking for a WLAN solution. Ubiquiti offers good WLAN access both indoors and outdoors. It provides an enterprise-level WIFI while remaining cost-effective. U...
What do you like most about Aruba Instant?
I find network management features related to monitoring Wi-Fi usage and visited sites particularly valuable. Content filtering is also important to prevent access to malicious or inappropriate web...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Aruba Instant?
The licensing costs depend on the product. The smaller switch is around one hundred and twenty euros. We do not sell very expensive devices as we move to other products.
Which wireless solution would you choose - Huawei or D-Link?
Huawei wireless is a strong and solid product that has a lot of features - and for all that it offers, it happens to be very cost effective. As a wireless solution, it is simple and its user interf...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for D-Link Wireless?
The tool’s pricing is good for the functionality it provides. It is a one-time purchase. The cost can range from $100 to $400. The higher-end devices might cost $400.
 

Also Known As

No data available
D-Link WLAN
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Purdue University, Orlando Magic, Brussels Airport Company, Molecaten Holiday Parks
Metropolitan Public Defender, Mission Motorcycles
Find out what your peers are saying about Aruba Instant vs. D-Link Wireless and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
844,944 professionals have used our research since 2012.