Aruba Instant vs SonicWall SonicWave Access Points comparison

Aruba Instant vs. SonicWall SonicWave Access Points

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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

11th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

SonicWall SonicWave Access ...

Ranking in Wireless LAN

19th

Average Rating

10.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

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 SonicWall SonicWave Access Points is 0.4%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Wireless LAN

Featured Reviews

Prashant-Patel

Senior Presales Consultant - Networking Solutions at Mannai

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.

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Winsley De Oliveira

Owner at ANOC

An industry-leading security and wireless solution packaged in one box

We make our customers SonicWall clients. We have a solution package: If you have a contract to network with us, we will deliver SonicWall firewalls, access points, VPN clients, and all the other equipment with the SonicWall solution. We have been selling this solution for the past 30 years. We had a customer three months ago struggling with a Fortinet solution. We convinced them that the Fortinet solution would not work perfectly during renewal. We made a bet and delivered SonicWall equipment for free for one week, and if they had no more issues, they would buy it. That's precisely what happened. The customer ended up purchasing an $80,000 SonicWall solution. The SonicWall SonicWave Access Points are a good product compared to Cisco, Sophos, and Fortinet. In Brazil, Ruckus is taking market share in some key areas, such as hotels and hospitals. They are into big solutions with thousands of access points. Overall, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.

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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

"I like that the solution is not complex."

"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."

"I would rate the stability a ten out of ten."

"The integration with ClearPass is the most valuable feature."

"The technical support from Aruba is of high quality, and I would rate it a ten."

"Aruba Instant is a cloud-managed solution that can be managed from the cloud."

"The product's initial setup phase was straightforward, considering that the tool offers a ZTP feature."

"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."

More Aruba Instant pros

"Unlike the Cisco solution that needs a dedicated wireless controller outside of a firewall, SonicWall has everything in one box. Fortinet is close to it."

"The security features of SonicWall are highly valued."

"A good management tool that can be managed through the cloud or firewall."

"I rate SonicWall a nine out of ten."

"The platform's most valuable feature is the ability to provide cloud access to configure and manage devices."

Cons

"The meshing could use improvement but aside from that nothing else really needs improvement."

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

"The wireless coverage should be increased"

"There is a problem in the preferred portal access points when I'm using the portal."

"The product is a little expensive."

"It is a software characteristic, and it is during the reboot. During the startup of the AP, the AP tells you that you are using the wrong password. However, I have realized that this is not true."

"It is good as it is. If anything, its reporting could be improved."

"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."

More Aruba Instant cons

"We have a lot of overlapping wireless networks with a lot of cheap equipment that does not run on any rules or regulations. The best way to improve the wireless network, like in SonicWaves, is to defeat these networks by isolating, preventing them, or overcoming their wireless signal. We try to do that, but I live near an airport, and the AirPortRadar glitches my wireless network every nine seconds."

"Integrating with the firewall and management console was a little complex."

"The main issue is the management of the access points. They are sometimes difficult to manage from the end-user side because they are not yet familiar with the configuration."

"The product's pricing is high and could be improved."

"They are sometimes difficult to manage from the end-user side because they are not yet familiar with the configuration."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"In terms of costs, Aruba Instant is cheap because it doesn't require a license, but you'll incur charges for the access points. Access point charges could be more affordable."

"I would rate the pricing a five out of ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive."

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

"It is not expensive. Its price is fair. You get many features with the normal licensing. If I look at Cisco, it is very expensive if I need similar things."

"We only pay for the support and the contract licenses from Aruba Instant."

"Some aspect of the price of Aruba Instant is very economical because if the customer is requiring more features the customer needs to pay a higher amount."

"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."

"In my region right now, Aruba Instant comes with a default two-year cloud access license."

More Aruba Instant pricing and cost advice

"The pricing of the SonicWave Access Points solution is different in the US and Brazil. In the US, the solution is priced more competitively than other vendors. In Brazil, the exchange rate is a problem. To address this, SonicWall managers in Brazil are running several sales promotions and improving the price of new units."

"The platform offers yearly licenses."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Construction Company

Computer Software Company

17%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

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.

What do you like most about SonicWall SonicWave Access Points?

The platform's most valuable feature is the ability to provide cloud access to configure and manage devices.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SonicWall SonicWave Access Points?

The platform offers yearly licenses. We receive all the support services through our partners. Thus, there are no extra costs involved. However, some partners might charge for deployment services.

What needs improvement with SonicWall SonicWave Access Points?

The main issue is the management of the access points. They are sometimes difficult to manage from the end-user side because they are not yet familiar with the configuration.

Omada Access Points vs Aruba Instant

Comparisons

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Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs Aruba Instant

Compared 14% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs Aruba Instant

Compared 13% of the time

Huawei Wireless vs Aruba Instant

Compared 11% of the time

ExtremeCloud IQ vs Aruba Instant

Compared 5% of the time

More Aruba Instant Competitors

Ruckus Wireless vs SonicWall SonicWave Access Points

Compared 41% of the time

Ubiquiti WLAN vs SonicWall SonicWave Access Points

Compared 31% of the time

Aruba Wireless vs SonicWall SonicWave Access Points

Compared 28% of the time

More SonicWall SonicWave Access Points Competitors

Product Reports

Aruba Instant

Download Aruba Instant product report

Wireless LAN

Download SonicWall SonicWave Access Points product report

SonicWall SonicWave Access Points report

Also Known As

No data available

SonicWave 200 Series, SonicWave 200 Series Access Points, SonicWave 400 Series, SonicWave 400 Series Access Points

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

SonicWall SonicWave series wireless access points (APs) combine high-performance IEEE 802.11ac Wave 2 wireless technology with flexible deployment options. These APs can be managed via the cloud using SonicWall WiFi Cloud Manager (WCM) or through SonicWall's industry-leading next-generation firewalls.

SonicWall

Sample Customers

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

St. Dominic's School for Girls

Aruba Instant vs. SonicWall SonicWave Access Points