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Aruba Switches vs D-Link Ethernet Switches comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 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 Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
2nd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
85
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
D-Link Ethernet Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
11th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
29
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Aruba Switches is 11.3%, down from 12.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of D-Link Ethernet Switches is 6.0%, up from 5.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Eunice Thirikwa - PeerSpot reviewer
Stable hotel networking enhances return on investment with valuable modular features
There are issues with the distribution side of Aruba Switches. For instance, the distributor in our country cannot sell to neighboring countries, creating complications in project execution. Improving the distribution network across regions would be beneficial. Also, the SFP modules are significantly more expensive than industry peers, which affects cost-effectiveness.
MichaelNdwiga - PeerSpot reviewer
Enhanced network efficiency through features and demonstrate minimal downtime
One of the issues is the range of their products. They need to increase it. For example, if I want a 12-port switch that is fully managed, it's not easy to find. So, I have to opt for a 24-port switch that is fully managed, which might not be necessary as I only need 12 ports. So if they could increase the range of the switches in regards to the features, and the number of ports, that would be beneficial. So, that's the only potential improvement. The switches are perfect otherwise. Ideally, I'd like to see a central management system included as part of their license, not as a separate purchase. Currently, we have to manage switches independently. A central portal for managing all switches and providing visibility would be great.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"We didn't experience any stability or scalability issues until now with Aruba Switches"
"I rate the stability of Aruba Switches a ten."
"The solution is easy to use and quick to deploy."
"In the hotel sector, IGMP 3 is particularly valuable for IPTV."
"Very easy and quick to setup and provide a nice dashboard providing a view of everything."
"We can scale as needed."
"The most valuable feature is the Aruba Smart Rate Port."
"The most valuable features of Aruba Switches are the routing protocol and the basic functionality."
"The main selling point for me was the pricing. Moreover, the performance is good. I haven't had any issues so far."
"These switches are very easy to install because there is no configuration."
"D-Link has a good VPN feature and quality of service."
"The tool's fault frequency is very less."
"The management interface makes network management very easy."
"The initial setup of D-Link Ethernet Switches is very easy."
"I have no complaints about the stability or reliability of D-Link Ethernet Switches."
"It's plug-and-play. There is no configuration necessary."
 

Cons

"Aruba is still losing out to Cisco, which continues to dominate the space. Aruba needs to continue to improve its product range in order to compete with Cisco's dominance."
"We would like to see centralized, cloud-based management."
"The delivery time for this product is slow and is something that needs to be improved."
"Aruba Switches cover lots of areas and support automated and IOPS and with the central products, but I think when we look at the solutions overall, IOPS devices are not covered so much in Aruba Central. We are in Croatia and it is a small country, I don't know how its situation is in Europe, America, or Asia."
"It's an expensive product."
"It would be good if I could get a 24-port, 10 gig module."
"The licensing model could be improved."
"The main issue we had with the Aruba Switches was that they would heat up easily when placed outside. We have two locations with no cover in the corridor and it's a historical building. We experienced outages on the first batch of Aruba Switches we received, which we never had with the Dell Switches, for example, even though Dell Switches are not as well-known. However, the Dell Switches had been outside for a few years and we never had any issues with them. In contrast, we encountered an issue with the Aruba Switch after only one week of being outside when it shut down in security mode."
"They need to enhance stability."
"The availability could be improved."
"It should be more stable, and it should have good integration with the cloud. It should support configuration, supervision, and control through the cloud."
"I would like an option to create different networks within the switch."
"The solution needs to improve layer 2 switches."
"In future releases, I would like to see improved security and an improved CLI (Command-Line Interface)."
"They could be more stable. They were not as resistant as Cisco. After some time, some of them failed. This could be because we import quite a lot of products from different horizons, so there is no guarantee of quality. In Africa, these products don't always directly come from the manufacturer. We get these products from the Middle East or Asia. Therefore, you cannot be sure that the quality is exactly similar to what you have in Europe or America."
"For high-end switches, the price could be 5% to 10% cheaper."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Aruba switches work without a license."
"Aruba Switches are cost-effective."
"The tool is a little expensive for customers from other countries."
"Aruba Switches are quite cost-effective."
"Aruba Switches are very expensive."
"Cost-wise, you get some good savings as compared to Cisco."
"The pricing was still affordable compared to Cisco, which is usually less affordable for most companies. We are using the solution in a school, we need the price to be affordable."
"It is expensive compared to the competition."
"D-Link Ethernet Switches' price is good."
"D-Link Ethernet Switches are cheap products for homes and small offices."
"It is an affordable solution."
"It has a good return on investment. It has indeed saved us resources significantly."
"These units vary in price from $200 to one thousand dollars. They're available for a one-time purchase."
"This product is very affordable, especially compared to Cisco."
"The solution is budget-friendly"
"They were cheap. We were not paying for any license."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Educational Organization
8%
Government
7%
Computer Software Company
15%
Healthcare Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Aruba Switches?
Aruba lives up to the expectations of the tech giant hewlett packard enterprise providing excellent networking capabilities at a very affordable price compared to the equivalent from another tech g...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Aruba Switches?
I find it to be middle to high. It's not always affordable, but they're losing the pricing market against Huawei, let's just put it like that.
What needs improvement with Aruba Switches?
There isn't much room for improvement. A more granular breakdown in debugging would be beneficial. Apart from that, not much is needed.
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 D-Link Ethernet Switches?
D-Link has a good VPN feature and quality of service.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for D-Link Ethernet Switches?
D-Link Ethernet Switches are 30% cheaper than Cisco switches. Pricing has not been a concern since it is already included in the capex.
 

Also Known As

8400 Series, 8320 Series, 5400R Series, 3810 Series, 2930M Series, 2930F Series, 2920 Series, 2540 Series, 2530 Series
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Purdue University
George Mason University, Somerville House, Hiperwall, New Brunswick School District 16, The Fulcrum Group, Bremond Independent School District, University of Texas Health Science Center, Grand Canyon Skywalk, SUN Area Career & Technology Center, Abington Senior High School
Find out what your peers are saying about Aruba Switches vs. D-Link Ethernet Switches and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
848,716 professionals have used our research since 2012.