Aruba Instant vs D-Link Wireless comparison

Hewlett Packard Enterprise and D-Link are both solutions in the Wireless LAN category. Hewlett Packard Enterprise is ranked #10 with an average rating of 8.5, while D-Link is ranked #15 with an average rating of 7.9. Hewlett Packard Enterprise holds a 2.0% mindshare in Wireless LAN, compared to D-Link’s 2.1% mindshare. Additionally, 97% of Hewlett Packard Enterprise users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 93% of D-Link users who would recommend it.

Aruba Instant

Read 52 Aruba Instant reviews

2,065 Views
1,982 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

D-Link Wireless

Read 17 D-Link Wireless reviews

2,003 Views
2,003 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

Aruba Instant

D-Link Wireless

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 31, 2024

D-Link Wireless and Aruba Instant are competing products within the wireless networking market. D-Link Wireless has the upper hand in customer satisfaction due to its pricing and effective support services, while Aruba Instant leads with its advanced features that justify its higher cost.

Features: D-Link Wireless emphasizes user-friendly connectivity, reliable performance, and affordability. Aruba Instant offers cutting-edge technology, sophisticated network management, and robust security features, making it appealing to users seeking advanced technical capabilities.

Room for Improvement: D-Link Wireless could enhance its feature set to better compete with higher-end solutions, improve scalability options for larger deployments, and expand integration capabilities. Aruba Instant could offer more competitive pricing, simplify its setup process for less tech-savvy users, and provide basic features without requiring additional costs.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: D-Link Wireless provides straightforward setup and responsive support, ideal for basic deployments. Aruba Instant offers a comprehensive deployment experience with in-depth support, catered to complex networking environments, and excelling in customer service for demanding needs.

Pricing and ROI: D-Link Wireless offers a budget-friendly initial investment with a solid ROI for basic network requirements. Aruba Instant, while initially more expensive, provides higher ROI over time due to its enhanced capabilities and resilience, which are attractive to those seeking long-term value through advanced functionality.

To learn more, read our detailed Aruba Instant vs. D-Link Wireless Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Instant vs. D-Link Wireless

September 2025

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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

10th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

D-Link Wireless

Ranking in Wireless LAN

15th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Aruba Instant is 2.0%, up from 2.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of D-Link Wireless is 2.1%, down from 2.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Wireless LAN Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Aruba Instant	2.0%
D-Link Wireless	2.1%
Other	95.9%

Wireless LAN

Featured Reviews

SreejeshSoman

Technical Consultant at Vertex Techno Solutions (B) Pvt Ltd

Has supported mid-market deployments with cloud-based centralized management and reliable wireless performance

I faced challenges earlier with a limitation of 50 APs in single sites, but that has enhanced to 100 numbers, eliminating that challenge for Aruba Instant On team. Additionally, some features are not listed in the cloud management platform and still require offline access, so enhancing the cloud management features would be better for us.

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NadirShahzad

System Engineer at a tech services company with 201-500 employees

Wireless projects run smoothly with more access point support and competitive pricing

D-Link Wireless offers more supported APs to the WLC with the default license compared to other brands like Cisco. With Cisco, only four to five APs are connected with the default license, but D-Link Wireless provides more flexibility. Local support in Pakistan is necessary for those with limited budgets, creating a reach in the market.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"I can implement it at small sites, and I can also implement it at mid-sized locations. It is very flexible. It is really nice and useful for customers who have many small sites."

"The tool's most valuable feature is Captive Portal, which we employ for our guest network. It enables us to create a separate virtual subnet for guests, ensuring their network traffic remains isolated from our office network. Another valuable feature is its role-based access control. This functionality allows us to assign different access privileges to users based on their roles within the organization."

"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."

"The deployment guides that we get from Aruba are excellent."

"The installation is very simple. We've limited the security feature, which I found valuable, and that allows two separate networks, one for the company and one for a guest network. During installation, it is very easy at that point to divide it."

"Aruba Instant's best feature is the ability to manage it in the cloud."

"We like being able to merge Aruba Instant to mobile via Bluetooth. You are also able to perform a lot of functions remotely such as creating an SSID IP."

"The most beneficial features for network management are the price and the cloud console."

More Aruba Instant pros

"The system simplifies network management."

"The connectivity is good."

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

"I like the product's signal continuity and range. We can receive the signal up to 20-30 meters from the wireless antenna."

"The tool supports new technologies."

"D-Link is a good product that is quite affordable and I recommend it."

"The setup process is very easy."

"The most valuable feature of D-Link Wireless is its durability."

More D-Link Wireless pros

Cons

"For some people, price is a concern."

"Some features are not listed in the cloud management platform and still require offline access, so enhancing the cloud management features would be better for us."

"Aruba Instant does not currently offer a multi-gig switch or product, making it an area that requires improvement. Aruba Instant's competitors have multi-gig switches or products."

"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 restart time should be improved."

"Aruba Instant should not have a limit on users for future releases."

"Aruba Instant is a simple and scalable solution that works well, but the costs you incur from access points could be cheaper."

"The management component is difficult to understand and not very user-friendly which increases deployment time."

More Aruba Instant cons

"Sometimes we configure the SSID with a password but the same AP shows two WiFi connections with the same SSID name (one is protected by a password and another one give access without a password)."

"Sometimes, the solution needs to be restarted."

"In future, it would also be good to have a switch within D Link that works as well as the Cisco 9200 Switch."

"In future releases, it can keep improving on countering the new patterns of security attacks."

"D-Link Wireless should include the 'cleaner' feature similar to Cisco's APs. This feature reduces signal interference with access points."

"It would definitely help if we had more advanced features for distributing bandwidth."

"The tool's technical support can get difficult sometimes. We got a technician only after complaining for 10-15 days. The tool's technicians need to be made available everywhere."

"The solution's performance could be improved."

More D-Link Wireless cons

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."

"The product is reasonably priced."

"I rate the product’s pricing a two out of ten."

"The pricing is reasonable."

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

"There’s no licensing required to use the tool."

"The tool's pricing is neither cheap nor expensive."

"The setup cost varies based on each organization's requirements but it is within reason."

More Aruba Instant pricing and cost advice

"D-Link Wireless' price is the same as Aruba's. You need to pay one-time costs for the product."

"There is no licensing fee for the solution."

"The cost can range from $100 to $400."

"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."

"D-Link Wireless is cheaper than Ruckus or Cisco."

"The product is affordable."

"D-Link pricing is very competitive when you consider other OEMs."

"This solution is more affordable than others on the market."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

13%

Comms Service Provider

11%

Manufacturing Company

Construction Company

Comms Service Provider

11%

Construction Company

11%

Educational Organization

11%

Computer Software Company

10%

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	31
Midsize Enterprise	7
Large Enterprise	14

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	8
Midsize Enterprise	7
Large Enterprise	2

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...

See all answers

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...

See all answers

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

In my experience, Aruba Instant's price is reasonable compared to premium products like Ruckus, Cisco, or Juniper. However, when compared to entry-level market segments, the price is higher. Overal...

See all answers

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...

See all answers

What do you like most about D-Link Wireless?

The tool supports new technologies.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for D-Link Wireless?

D-Link Wireless is notably more affordable than Cisco and Juniper. It suits SMB needs without the financial burden of purchasing additional licenses for extended APs.

See all answers

Comparisons

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Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs Aruba Instant

Compared 15% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs Aruba Instant

Compared 11% of the time

Aruba Instant On Access Points vs Aruba Instant

Compared 11% of the time

Huawei Wireless vs Aruba Instant

Compared 9% of the time

More Aruba Instant Competitors

Huawei Wireless vs D-Link Wireless

Compared 51% of the time

Aruba Wireless vs D-Link Wireless

Compared 11% of the time

Ubiquiti WLAN vs D-Link Wireless

Compared 9% of the time

Omada Access Points vs D-Link Wireless

Compared 9% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs D-Link Wireless

Compared 7% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Instant

October 2025

Download Aruba Instant product report

Buyer's Guide

D-Link Wireless

October 2025

Download D-Link Wireless product report

Also Known As

No data available

D-Link WLAN

Overview

Aruba Instant delivers the only controllerless Wi-Fi solution that is easy to set-up, and loaded with security and smarts needed to accelerate your business without breaking your budget.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

D-Link Wireless offers a wide range of robust wireless Access Points (APs) operating in both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands, supporting the latest wireless standards including 802.11ac and 802.11n. These access points can be managed independently as standalone devices, or collectively by using Central Wi-Fi Manager, a free centralized controller software that can be installed on a Windows server or PC.

D-Link

Sample Customers

Purdue University, Orlando Magic, Brussels Airport Company, Molecaten Holiday Parks

Metropolitan Public Defender, Mission Motorcycles

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Instant vs. D-Link Wireless

September 2025

Free Report: Aruba Instant vs. D-Link Wireless

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