Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN and Aruba Wireless are competitors in the wireless networking space. While Cisco Meraki is known for its easy cloud-based management, Aruba's advanced security and high-density performance features give it an edge for enterprise-level deployments.
Features: Cisco Meraki offers cloud-managed networking with centralized control, making it suitable for organizations with basic wireless needs. It is easy to scale and provides robust security features with real-time updates. Aruba Wireless is distinguished by its advanced security features, seamless integration with other devices, and optimal network performance, especially in high-density environments.
Room for Improvement: Cisco Meraki could improve its dashboard security, offer more customization options, and better integrate with third-party IoT sensors. Improvements in the support system and licensing model are also suggested, along with enhanced troubleshooting tools. Aruba Wireless users seek improvements in stability and simplified configurations. Better integration between the controller and ClearPass portal, along with improved documentation and GPS integration, are recommended.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco Meraki boasts a simple setup and remote management features that excel in smaller setups, though support quality varies. Aruba Wireless, while providing solid support across various environments, faces occasional difficulties in technical support accessibility. Cisco's cloud services offer more flexibility for diverse deployment needs, while Aruba provides comprehensive coverage.
Pricing and ROI: Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is noted for its higher costs and strict subscription model, making it challenging for budget-conscious customers. Despite higher upfront costs, its quality and reliability yield a positive ROI for small to medium businesses. Aruba Wireless is considered cost-effective, especially with its perpetual license models, offering good long-term value for larger organizations.
There is no need to buy additional controllers for managing access points.
There are significant time savings, around thirty to forty percent, due to minimal disconnections.
I only needed support once or twice for a replacement, and it was handled smoothly without any difficulty.
I would rate their technical support nine out of ten.
The customer support is good.
I would rate Cisco support a 10, as the response time and process via the dashboard are easy, and response times are always within the SLA.
It would be better if the SLA of technical support was less than four hours.
The solution is scalable, as multiple sites connect seamlessly.
It is easy to adapt and very scalable.
Meraki is not scalable enough since it straightforwardly maps its products to segmented specifications.
I have been using the product for the last nine years without facing any issues post-installation.
I don't remember it going down during the years it existed.
Aruba Wireless is stable.
Stability is not an issue for me because it comes with Cisco's proven manufacturer quality.
We have experienced many instances where we have experienced a lag in our network, and I am not sure if it is due to their devices or our network.
The product should be more affordable, especially the cloud and console for the Aruba product as it is currently very expensive.
While the technical specifications are satisfactory, the access points are expensive.
At the time of purchase, the prices were moderate, but now they are quite expensive.
The most important improvement needed is to eliminate the limitation of uplinks.
Some of the newer models of the Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN access point have encompassed the new wireless protocols and increased the strength of their antennas.
The pricing seems reasonable compared to other brands; however, it is too expensive for smaller businesses.
The pricing can be expensive.
The initial prices were more affordable compared to the current high prices.
The pricing of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is not competitive enough for the SMB market compared to other brands.
Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is on par with other devices in that category, offering competitive pricing.
My experience with the pricing of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is that it is competitive with other providers offering paid subscriptions.
I do not need to buy a controller for the access point since the Aruba Access Point has a built-in virtual controller.
The Aruba Wireless solution has excellent roaming capabilities, ensuring seamless connectivity.
It has many features and is integrated with Azure AD and multiple active directories, making authentication easy.
It also manages security clients and switches, providing a single dashboard to manage multiple network infrastructures.
Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN has helped optimize network traffic very effectively, as we do prioritization for streaming and web conferencing apps, resulting in a clear, visible improvement in performance.
The ability to program all access points from the Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN dashboard, view the status of all of them, and examine the individual devices connected to each access point is very valuable.
| Product | Market Share (%) |
|---|---|
| Aruba Wireless | 13.9% |
| Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN | 10.5% |
| Other | 75.6% |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 77 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 47 |
| Large Enterprise | 74 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 69 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 26 |
| Large Enterprise | 31 |
Aruba Wireless is a secure, high-performance, multi-user wireless LAN supporting Wi-Fi 6. As workplaces and user expectations change, users can now maintain hybrid workplaces and IoT without compromising performance, reliability, or security. Aruba Wireless delivers better performance and capacity and greater AIOps visibility throughout all devices and users. In addition, through built-in network intelligence, network operations are made simpler while keeping everything secure through user and guest encryption.
Aruba Wireless, offered through Aruba Networks, is helping achieve digital transformation and IoT with seamless connectivity through multiple Wi-Fi access points. For the user’s convenience, Aruba Wireless provides indoor, outdoor, and remote access points to help boost faster and safer connectivity.
Choosing Aruba Wireless can help improve your organization’s user experience with wireless LAN in many ways, including:
Aruba Gateways and Controllers
Small organizations as well as large enterprises require excellent performance and security for cloud, mobility, and digital transformation. Therefore, in addition to the access points, Aruba Wireless also offers a variety of gateways and controllers, including:
Reviews from Real Users
Aruba Networks is aiding organizations in transforming to a hybrid work environment with Aruba Wireless. Users especially love its ability to work with many devices and its ability to group and manage access points.
A senior IT solutions architect at a manufacturing company says, "The most valuable feature is the fact that it can work with many devices. It supports everything that we need it to."
Gary F., a network administrator at wireless at Abilene Christian, notes, "I like the way it groups and manages access points."
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