Aruba ClearPass Reviews

We have network access control in our field and a contract with a local company that supports many implementations and makes changes, not that we start from scratch. Having local support makes it much easier.

They are really good. Whatever we have thought can be done, they have done it. And we had a lot of extra requests. 

We are interacting with CrowdStrike and On Guard, and we have integrated too. 

ClearPass from Aruba is easier to understand compared to Cisco, which has more features but is more complicated. Cisco also has much more expensive prices, based on my checks.

We have local support, so it's much easier. I always request that it's certified. They are really good.

Positive

I am more of a Cisco person, and I would like to have Cisco ISE. However, Cisco is more complicated compared to Aruba ClearPass.

We have a contract with a local company that supports implementation and everything that needs to change.

We cannot mix in prices, and of course, prices are going higher. We didn't have any complaints till now.

I considered Cisco, which may have more features, however, it's more complicated and expensive compared to Aruba ClearPass.

Security is a big issue nowadays. I'd rate the solution ten out of ten.

Three passes work better than other NAC products on identifying the VoIP devices and IoT devices with built-in features. On Guard and agent-based On Guard features are included under the use case.

The ClearPass solution includes role and role-based user and machine access, and they handle network segmentation using wired and wireless access methods.

We cannot onboard IoT devices such as printers, cameras, and some smaller devices. Although we can onboard larger devices such as Android, iOS, Apple, Mac, Windows, and Linux, this limitation is noted. It is also better to improve threat intelligence for built-in threat detection and prevention.

I have been working with ClearPass for no more than two years.

I have not noticed any stability or performance issues with ClearPass. It is better than other NAC solutions.

In our environment, ClearPass handles up to 100,000 users, which is better than some other NAC solutions like Fortinox that scale up to 25,000.

We have escalated questions to tech support, and I would rate the technical support an eight out of ten.

Positive

We deployed the solution under a VM-based ClearPass appliance in a cluster mode, adding devices such as wireless and switches.

I was involved in the deployment process. We followed a strategy where we deployed in cluster mode, adding devices such as wireless switches.

I don't compare pricing with other products. That said, it is moderate.

I recommend ClearPass for other users because it is a stable and consistent solution.

I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.

From a pricing perspective, even though the initial procurement was costly, the renewals were not that costly. From an OpEx perspective, considering that the renewals were not that costly, the cost is very much under control. I am not talking about the initial CapEx, but from an OpEx perspective, the tool's cost is very much under control, which is the most important feature. If I don't consider the fine-tuning part and take into consideration the implementation method, I would describe it as something that has a straightforward process. The fine-tuning part takes time.

The support offered for the solution has certain concerns, making it an area where improvements are required. Regarding the solution, the integration issues are hardly a problem. It is important to have a good support partner who knows about the solution so that the product's users don't face any integration-related issues. My company's main problem was related to the tool's support.

I have been using Aruba ClearPass for a year and a half. My company is a customer of the product.

The stability of the solution was okay.

My company has around 1,200 to 1,300 users of the product.

I have experience with Fortinet. In terms of the functionalities that my company is able to achieve, Fortinet was much better than Aruba ClearPass. Fortinet also used to provide good support. Though the features provided by Fortinet and Aruba ClearPass were the same, the ease of use and the support provided by the former were important.

It is easy to look at the deployment phase in two parts. If you are looking at the base installation, then it was a very straightforward process, which I would rate an eight or nine out of ten. If you look at the tool's deployment phase from a fine-tuning perspective, I feel it was very complex.

The solution can be deployed in three months. Three to four people in my company were involved in the deployment process.

In terms of your fixed cost, it is much less than a lot of other solutions in the market. The initial cost is very high.

The main reason my company started to look for alternate solutions against Aruba ClearPass was that we faced some issues in terms of the levels of integration that we were able to achieve and the support offered by Aruba.

Speaking about my experience with integrating Aruba ClearPass with some multi-vendor environments, I would say that my company had faced issues in terms of the support that we received for Aruba ClearPass, specifically when it came to the area of the configuration changes or any part involving reimplementation. My company did some reference checks related to Aruba's partners, and we saw that we were not getting very positive feedback regarding how the solution is implemented in some organizations.

I haven't reached the level where I can comment about how the product's guest access functionality has improved visitor management for our business. When my company was involved in the reimplementation phase of the tool, we wanted to implement guest access, Wi-Fi access, and other advanced functionalities but didn't reach that level.

In terms of real-time functionalities, my company was not able to access such features, considering the support-related issues we were facing. My company was not able to make good use of it.

If you plan to use the solution, it is important to ensure that you have very good support in terms of both the OEM product and the partner.

I rate the tool a seven out of ten.

It provides network access management.

It supports AAA and offers a range of features, including guest authentication for visitors and 802.1X authentication for employees. ClearPass provides options for customized authentication methods, such as SMS and social media authentication, which customers are effectively utilizing.

I found the internal authentication policy and user authentication problematic. I was facing issues with user authentication, but we eventually resolved these problems.

I have been using Aruba ClearPass as a partner for three years.

All customers are satisfied with the performance overall. I encountered a technical issue with a couple of customers. After integrating CPKN with LDAP, users need to reconnect via cable to update their password, as many companies have policies requiring password changes every 40 or 60 days. After updating the password, users can then reconnect via Wi-Fi. We resolved this issue for some customers, but one still faces difficulties.

400 users are using this solution.

Support was slightly delayed. In one case, resolving all the issues took almost two months. However, in the end, everything worked out. Technical support could benefit from more detailed training to better assist end users.

Positive

I have used Cisco ISE with other solutions but found some limitations in integrating it with other systems. For instance, one of my customers has successfully integrated their old Cisco devices with ClearPass. Integration-wise, ClearPass is much easier and less complex than other vendors.

When I first worked on it, I encountered some challenges, but I successfully upgraded and installed the software on the server. It’s normal to face issues the first time you handle something, but with continued work, you learn and improve.

If the customer's site is not ready or the infrastructure is incomplete, such as lacking switches or servers, it can significantly delay the process. For one customer, it took about fifteen days to get everything in order, while for another, it took over a month and a half. However, once the site and infrastructure are prepared, setting up ClearPass typically takes only three to four days.

If you follow the user guide guidelines, integration is very easy.

We have both a cloud-based client and an on-premises client, and both are used for employees and visitors. Implementing these two approaches, cloud-based and on-premises controller-based works well. I have experience with both methods.

I recommend using ClearPass because the customer needed user authentication through LDAP. Although the DataSheet indicates that IAP can integrate with LDAP, having ClearPass simplifies the entire process, including authentication, accounting, and authorization. Whenever I visit customers, and they request solutions, I always advise them to consider ClearPass. Aruba products are generally more cost-effective than other vendors, offering the same performance, facilities, and features.

Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

We use Aruba ClearPass for network access control, managing authentication, authorization, and policy enforcement. It ensures secure and compliant access across diverse organizational environments and supports integration with existing network infrastructures.

The platform offers comprehensive policy enforcement, supports multiple authentication methods, and integrates seamlessly with various network security solutions.

The product's technical support services need improvement. 

The product is stable.

Currently, ClearPass supports approximately 3,000 students and 500 researchers, staff, and administrators, totaling around 3,500 users in our current deployment. It is scalable, accommodating flexible licensing options.

Aruba's support for ClearPass is generally good, though improvements in responsiveness, especially for international users, could enhance overall customer satisfaction.

The product's policy management capabilities enable precise control over user access and device compliance, significantly bolstering network security by enforcing tailored policies across the organization.

I rate it a nine out of ten. 

ClearPass has been the best NAC product and market leader for a decade. It is a robust product.

The pricing policy could be more flexible. Additionally, ClearPass can be integrated with the Aruba cloud solution because many companies are moving to the cloud.

We use Aruba ClearPass for authentication purposes.

I rate the product's stability an eight out of ten.

It is a very high-end product. Its scalability is an eight or nine out of ten.

I used Cisco before. ClearPass supports multi-vendor products. On the other hand, Cisco is limited to being designed, configured, and managed for a specific device. ClearPass configures any products for authentication, device sharing, security, etc.

The configuration was very complex. It is not a product that normal users can use. A bunch of technologies are involved. There are a lot of other policies, which also include device posturing and management. There are many features involved in this product, best used by experts.

If you implement all of the modules, deployment will be perfect. Otherwise, it is not possible because it is very complex. You need to understand the entire system. Since we are just starting with this product, we need to redirect our switching and wireless traffic to the NAC solution. We need to know the network controller features and infrastructure.

The product is very costly, starting at a minimum of 500 users. No small or medium-sized business can go with it as a standard organization has more than 500 users.

Overall, I rate Aruba ClearPass a nine out of ten.

I use the solution for automatic authentication. We purchased access license 1K and use it with our WiFi networks and user LANs. Our company domain uses authentication through Active Directory. We also have a central MSP account from where we are managing 53,000 devices.

I like the stability and the GUI, which is always improving.

Because some users use OS 10, it would be good if the solution could group its functions better. Also, the processing time taken while onboarding needs to be reduced.

I've been using Aruba ClearPass for two to three years.

The solution is stable.

We have 300 to 400 people using Aruba ClearPass at our office.

The solution was easy to set up. There was a feature that needed 15 to 30 minutes to load. This is a concern when there are hundreds of projects because it wastes time. The onboarding time still needs to be considered.

When deploying the solution, we do the pre-configuration at our office, so every device should be configured. Afterward, we send the devices to many customers' locations. That's why we need onboarding time to be reduced because we are not dealing directly with the deployment. We are using panels.

We had three to four staff members handling the configuration and the deployment.

The solution is priced per user. There are three types of licenses.

The last version of the Aruba Central portal only opened connections to Amazon and Azure, making integrating with those platforms easier. Authentication was simple, so the portal and the cloud were well-integrated.

I recommend Aruba ClearPass to anyone planning on using it and rate it a seven to eight out of ten.

I've used the solution in the retail industry. We use it in hospitality as well. It's very secure in terms of authentication. 

The authentification is great. We're able to separate guests from employees on wireless. 

It's stable.

Support is decent.

The solution can scale well. 

The setup of ClearPass can be a bit convoluted at times. It needs to be simplified a bit more. 

It is a very expensive product.

I've used the solution for six or seven years. 

The stability is great. There are no bugs or glitches. It's pretty robust. It doesn't crash or freeze. 

The solution is extremely scalable. It's capable of growing as the environment changes. 

Aruba support is okay. 

Neutral

The deployment is a challenge. Some of it is environmental and specific to the end-user. It can be hard to get all of the information together and pre-check the environment. Depending on the size and complexity o the environment, it can be a bit easier or harder. 

From an implementation perspective, about one to three people are needed depending on the size. One would need to be really experienced. You'd need a pre and post-sales engineer working hand in hand.

From a maintenance perspective, it's mostly set and forget. You might need to check it from a firmware perspective or if there are changes in the environment. 

There is an ROI from an end-user perspective, depending on the vertical. For example, for retail, when presenting guests with a splash page that tells them about sales and deals available to them, it could lead to increased sales.

The solution is not cheap. My understanding is that it is expensive and an investment. 

I am using the updated version of the solution. 

We're resellers. 

I'd rate the solution six out of ten. There are a lot of different manufacturers that do it a little bit differently and a little bit better.