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Aruba Airwave Reviews

Vendor: Hewlett Packard Enterprise
4.1 out of 5
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What is Aruba Airwave?

Offering granular visibility into wired and wireless networks, AirWave is the only management platform designed with mobile devices and apps in mind. By proactively monitoring the health and performance of all things connected, AirWave lets IT gain the insights they need to support the digital workplace.
Get the Aruba Airwave Buyer's Guide and find out what your peers are saying about Aruba Airwave, Cisco DNA Center, Fortinet FortiManager and more!
Aruba Airwave is the #2 ranked solution in top Network Management Applications. PeerSpot users give Aruba Airwave an average rating of 8.2 out of 10. Aruba Airwave is most commonly compared to Cisco DNA Center: Aruba Airwave vs Cisco DNA Center. Aruba Airwave is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 60% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a computer software company, accounting for 12% of all views.
Buyer's Guide
Aruba Airwave
August 2025
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Aruba Airwave mindshare

As of August 2025, the mindshare of Aruba Airwave in the Network Management Applications category stands at 5.6%, down from 8.9% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Network Management Applications Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Aruba Airwave5.6%
Cisco DNA Center23.5%
Cisco Catalyst Center8.9%
Other62.0%
Network Management Applications

PeerResearch reports based on Aruba Airwave reviews

TypeTitleDate
CategoryNetwork Management ApplicationsAug 29, 2025Download
ProductReviews, tips, and advice from real usersAug 29, 2025Download
ComparisonAruba Airwave vs Cisco DNA CenterAug 29, 2025Download
ComparisonAruba Airwave vs Cisco Catalyst CenterAug 29, 2025Download
ComparisonAruba Airwave vs Fortinet FortiManagerAug 29, 2025Download
Suggested products
TitleRatingMindshareRecommending
Cisco DNA Center4.023.5%89%42 interviewsAdd to research
Fortinet FortiManager4.05.3%94%69 interviewsAdd to research
 
 
Key learnings from peers

Valuable Features

Aruba Airwave offers valuable features including multivendor support, error and intrusion logs, live heat maps, device management, and VisualRF for enhanced visibility and monitoring. Its capabilities allow for real-time analysis, report creation, and seamless network management with end-to-end visibility. The orchestration feature facilitates quick, efficient deployments. Clarity provides intuitive dashboard insights while centralized control and zero-touch provisioning simplify operations, making it a top choice for organizations seeking robustness and ease of use in network management.
  • "The powerful features we can put forward in Aruba Airwave are clarity, report creation, and VisualRF."
  • "The feature that proved most beneficial for our organization's network monitoring is the virtual four, which we use frequently when working with Aruba."
  • "One of the main advantages is its ability to draw building floor plans and analyze Wi-Fi signal behavior in real-time."

Room for Improvement

Aruba Airwave requires better integration with other systems, enhanced pricing, and increased troubleshooting capabilities. Users seek improved synchronization between the GUI and CLI, clearer error messages, and a more user-friendly interface. Monitoring, device compatibility, scalability, and integration with Aruba Central are also areas for enhancement. The need for cost-effective licensing, faster support, and innovative features comparable to competitors like Cisco and HPE servers is emphasized.
  • "The biggest problem for not using Aruba Airwave extensively now is that HP is not upgrading this tool. They're not investing money and time into it, which is why we're not using it."
  • "My general opinion on Aruba Airwave is that it's acceptable, but it's not ideal because we are accustomed to Cisco."
  • "When attempting to copy a floor plan, it does not copy well, so I often have to redraw the walls. It's somewhat annoying since other Wi-Fi design software we use is easier for drawing walls and including floor plans."

ROI

Aruba Airwave enhances efficiency and reduces troubleshooting time, lowering costs and increasing productivity. Many report cost savings up to 50 percent. It allows seamless integration for diverse customers, minimizing the need for extensive staff training. Users experience fewer technical issues, enhancing return on investment. Achieving ROI takes about three years due to hardware costs. Some users see good cost-value and investment return, while others have not observed a significant return due to using an older version.

Pricing

Aruba Airwave pricing is considered high yet competitive compared to Cisco, with flexibility in licensing but often requiring separate licenses per device. Users highlight the need for additional costs to scale, emphasizing device-based and yearly licenses. Some find the cost manageable due to lifetime warranties, while others cite affordability issues, particularly for smaller institutions. The ability to conduct a 90-day free proof of concept aids in evaluating the solution's pricing and functionality.
  • "Aruba Airwave is an expensive solution."
  • "The tool is expensive. If one is bad or expensive, and ten is very good or cheap, I rate the product's price as a six."
  • "The licensing is on an yearly basis."

Popular Use Cases

Aruba Airwave is used for network management, monitoring, and controlling access points across various sectors like education, healthcare, and finance. It manages Wi-Fi solutions, providing detailed insights and statistics, enabling configuration and control of multiple brands. Popular among larger deployments, it aids in managing high-density environments, generating reports, and offering a centralized view of network health. Users include solution providers, educational institutions, and financial organizations, leveraging its powerful features for comprehensive management.

Service and Support

Aruba Airwave's customer service and support are generally considered good, with technical support rated highly by users. Customers appreciate quick escalation to experienced personnel, but some feel it lags behind Cisco in speed and escalation ease. Communication is praised, particularly for language versatility. While most find the service effective, a few users note challenges in ticket handling and integration assistance. Support ratings vary, with some rating it as high as nine or ten, while others suggest improvement.

Deployment

Aruba Airwave's initial setup is considered straightforward by many. Experienced users find it user-friendly, often taking just a few hours to deploy. Some suggest reading the manual first. Deployment time varies, with reports ranging from 30 minutes to two days, depending on device count and user expertise. The process is simplified by virtual machine templates and ZTP setup. Multiple users point to the ease of installation and configuration.

Scalability

Users find Aruba Airwave highly scalable, often rating its scalability between eight and ten. Licensing aids flexibility, supporting anywhere from hundreds to thousands of users. Enterprise businesses and medium-sized organizations appreciate its scaling capabilities, though some note scalability depends on hardware resources. While many find it efficient for large deployments, others migrate to solutions offering broader WiFi coverage. Maintenance typically requires a small team, with some reaching maximum device limits yet considering future expansion.

Stability

Users generally find Aruba Airwave stable, rating its stability between six and ten out of ten. Most report no issues, though some encounter minor glitches and performance problems in crowded environments. It is described as reliable, hands-off, and works smoothly, though some report connection issues with the AWS cloud. Users stress the importance of accuracy and integration in monitoring solutions, and they appreciate its performance reliability with existing configurations.
These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.
Download our Aruba Airwave Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Review data by company size

By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business11
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise11
By reviewers
By visitors reading reviews
Company SizeCount
Small Business76
Midsize Enterprise34
Large Enterprise164
By visitors reading reviews

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
9%
Educational Organization
7%
University
5%
Energy/Utilities Company
5%
Comms Service Provider
4%
Transportation Company
4%
Financial Services Firm
4%
Retailer
3%
Healthcare Company
3%
Pharma/Biotech Company
3%
Real Estate/Law Firm
3%
Construction Company
3%
Media Company
2%
Logistics Company
2%
Insurance Company
2%
Renewables & Environment Company
2%
Performing Arts
2%
Recreational Facilities/Services Company
2%
Photography Company
2%
Non Profit
2%
Hospitality Company
2%
Outsourcing Company
1%
Legal Firm
1%
Marketing Services Firm
1%
Consumer Goods Company
1%
Mining And Metals Company
1%
Wholesaler/Distributor
1%

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Aruba Airwave customers

Henkel, University of Findlay, University of Minnesota Duluth, University of Iowa

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Product Categories

Product Categories
Network Management Applications

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Aruba Airwave Reviews Summary
Author infoRatingReview Summary
Senior Network Engineer at Auckland University of Technology3.5I use Aruba Airwave minimally due to our predominant Cisco setup, mostly as a proof of concept. It offers beneficial network monitoring features, but troubleshooting is challenging. Integration with Aruba Central and AI improvements could enhance its utility.
Senior Network Consultant at Data Market3.5I've used Aruba Airwave for years, but we now rely on it mainly for reporting due to limited updates and support, favoring Aruba Central despite its higher cost and challenges with license migration from on-premises.
IT Network Operations Manager at KEDS4.5We use Aruba Airwave primarily for troubleshooting our wireless network and find it efficient, especially with the capability to monitor Cisco switches and create templates. We haven't encountered significant issues, although I'm not extensively familiar with all features.
TI at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees4.5I manage Aruba products using Aruba Sense from version 2.5 to 8.10, finding its real-time monitoring and troubleshooting valuable. While supportive of multiple models, hardware upgrades posed technical issues. We also used SolarWinds for network management alongside Airwave.
Senior Presales Consultant - Networking Solutions at Mannai5.0We use Aruba Airwave for network management due to its valuable multivendor support, allowing us to manage different products seamlessly. Improvement is needed in manageability and device onboarding. While it requires three years for ROI, it was chosen over SolarWinds and Cisco DNA.
Executive at a government with 201-500 employees3.5I use Aruba Airwave to manage our Wi-Fi network for around six thousand users, providing real-time analysis and visibility of access points and signal behavior. However, copying floor plans is cumbersome, requiring redrawing compared to other design software.
Project Manager at a tech consulting company with 51-200 employees4.0I find Aruba Airwave easy to manage as a virtual controller and appreciate its user-friendly NMS. Its valuable features include usage tracking, bandwidth existence, and device utilization, but I feel the pricing could be better.
Solutions Architect Infrastructure and Security Manager at Jumbo Electronics Co. Ltd. LLC.5.0Aruba Airwave effectively manages devices via SNMP, offering a live heat map for network monitoring and efficient device management. While it's costly, it significantly reduces troubleshooting time, enhancing productivity. Transition planning is vital as its replacement is anticipated.