Aruba Instant On Access Points Reviews

I've provided support for around five or six customers. One notable use case involves a customer with a small branch looking to cover their building. Due to budget constraints, we recommended Ruckus Unleashed for its cost-effectiveness, and it proved suitable for small offices. Another customer engaged in a proof of concept for access points to cover a specific site. I've offered support for approximately five or six customers. This year, I collaborated with around five customers, and I'm uncertain about the number from last year. In one instance, a customer with a limited budget opted for Ruckus Unleashed, especially suitable for small offices due to its cost-effectiveness. Another customer engaged in a proof of concept for access points to cover a specific site.

Regarding access points, the customer typically considers low-cost plans, and Ruckus Unleashed Access Points are commonly used. These access points are managed through the Microsoft console and can be accessed either with or without ports. The management is done through a controller.

The main benefits customers see include cost-effectiveness, especially for those with budget constraints. Aruba, in particular, provides a good user experience. Some customers might choose Huawei, but enterprise access points are also considered. Additionally, the unified access point capabilities are valuable, allowing management from the same account. However, there is a limitation of twenty-five access points, and if a customer requires more, they need to create another site or account.

If the customer exceeds twenty-five access points, they need to generate another site or virtual business to manage additional access points, as the external number is limited to twenty-five.

I believe there's room for improvement in the validation process, especially for customers facing compliance issues when managing access points from the cloud. It would be beneficial if the access points could also be managed from an on-premises controller.

Regarding additional features, customers express interest in enhancing the controller, specifically improving the capability to manage a higher number of access points from the same controller. This feature is crucial for better scalability. Another feature that customers would appreciate is the ability to increase the number of access points. However, the current process for obtaining this permission can be time-consuming, and customers would like to see improvements in this regard.

I have been using Aruba Instant On Access Points for past two years.

It is stable. 

I've got a technical support case.

Positive

I'm familiar with the solution, and I believe it's widely used in the business sector. However, I think the organization is involved in much more. But I don't recall having the analytical details on that solution.

It is necessary to connect the instant access points with NGINX. The serial number is a standard identifier, and it's considered more standard than an enterprise access point. Regarding the deployment, the controller is in the cloud, and the appliances are on-premises.For the deployment of instant access points, as a partner, our engineers handle the implementation. Customers typically provide information about the environment, such as the location of access points. Documentation is not frequently requested, and the deployment time varies based on factors like the number of access points. The initial configuration of the controller takes about 30 minutes, and adding access points afterward typically takes 2 to 5 minutes each.

There is a challenge related to resetting access points, especially when dealing with repeated access points. The process involves obtaining the access point from PeerSpot or another source and performing a hard reset. This issue is a common aspect in various solutions.

Prior to the inquiry, we had a substantial customer who exclusively preferred Aruba's solution for their extensive file-sharing needs. The customer insisted on sticking to Aruba and didn't consider alternative solutions from other vendors. Consequently, we recommended the Enterprise Access Point. However, upon realizing the high cost associated with this option, we engaged in discussions with the IT manager to explore ways to reduce costs. 

Prior to recommending Aruba as our distribution partner, I engaged in discussions with various teams, including the business team, to understand the diverse needs of our customers. Our customers span across different industries, including HVAC, performance, and enterprise security. Each customer segment has its unique set of requirements and questions. Some are focused on home security, while others are concerned with enterprise-level solutions.

In particular, Aruba's cloud offerings have features and technologies that set them apart. The vendor landscape is competitive, and Aruba stands out in terms of the unique features it offers. One notable feature is the integration of sensors in access points, which enhances the solution's capabilities. However, I also inquired about Aruba's compatibility with external devices and sensors, such as those used for Central Scale Effect. This information is crucial for understanding the overall performance and integration capabilities of Aruba's solutions.

For medium and small businesses, the rating would be eight out of ten for Ruben Incident Intelligence. The consideration is based on the fact that each customer, particularly those with small branches, may require approximately eight or nine devices from Verizon. It's important to note that this evaluation pertains to the pricing solution, not Ruben software specifically.

We have a lot of examples of use cases, but the greatest project is with the Sao Paulo government and the Brazilian government. It’s the biggest project using this kind.

It's easy to manage and install. For the customer, it improves connectivity, the wireless experience, and speed. It improves the overall wireless connection experience.

The radio frequency coverage area is not good. The number of users that can connect at the same time and the user density on a single AP is not good in Aruba. 

Also, Aruba has a lot of switch solutions, and they use a lot of CLI (Command-Line Interface) language. One type of switch might use one language, while another might use an older language. Even within the same product line, you have different languages.

It's not easy to manage everything because even though all the products are within the same system, everything is different.

I have been working with it for two years.

The scalability with Aruba Central, we have a limited capacity. 

Instant On is very limited. There's a limit of 2,000 users and 120 APs in the same cluster. This is very difficult. I don't know how to resolve this. I think the only way is to change to a cloud solution.

The customer service and support are terrible. The global technical support is really bad. It's not good.

Negative

From the partner's perspective, it's easy to install and manage. It's a good solution, a good technology to improve the partner's experience.

It takes three minutes to set it up and deploy it from start to finish. It is pretty easy. 

The deployment model can be both on-premises and cloud. We use Aruba Central in the cloud, and also Instant On app. The most difficult is when they use the Mobility Controller, the on-premises controller solution from Aruba.

The maintenance is easy. 

The return of investment lies in the good experience of the customer. The best way to justify the expensive cost is the good wireless connection experience.

Instant On Access Points are expensive. Compared to other solutions like Ubiquiti and Extreme, they're very expensive.

Overall, I would rate it a nine out of ten. So the product is pretty good, but the technical support is terrible.

The tool's pricing is not good. 

Aruba Instant On Access Points are stable. 

The product is scalable. It has 20 users. 

The tool's deployment is easy. You need to log in to the portal and scan the QR code to add the device. You can complete the deployment in four hours. You need one person to handle it. 

I rate Aruba Instant On Access Points a seven out of ten. I recommend it for the SMB market. 

We use the solution for Wi-Fi solutions.

The solution is stable and easy to manage.

The solution’s scalability and autonomous part could be improved.

I have been using Aruba Instant On Access Points for two years.

The product is stable.

The solution is scalable but up to a limit. It is not for enterprise. Aruba has made the Instant On for a separate range.

10-15 people are using this solution.

We cater the solution to smaller customers, like small hotels, clinics, or hospitals. It is deployed where the customer is budget-constrained.

The initial setup is easy and takes one to two days to complete.

One or two technically qualified would be sufficient for managing Instant On.

We’ve achieved ROI.

One doesn’t need a license to use Instant On. You can install and plug and play. It is an affordable solution.

I recommend the solution because it is stable and easy to manage.

Overall, I rate the solution an eight to nine out of ten.

Regarding the product's use cases, the solution is good, or else people would have reached out to us complaining about its performance or faulty equipment.

Aruba Instant On Access Points is one of the better types of equipment in terms of entry-level access points though there are not many advanced features that are being used in it. Aruba Instant On Access Points is used in retail, cafeterias, or campus networks to provide access points to provide Wi-Fi.

From an improvement perspective, I hope to see lesser limitations in Aruba Instant On Access Points.

I have been using Aruba Instant On Access Points for less than two years. I use Aruba Instant On AP25 Access Points.

Stability-wise, I rate the solution a seven out of ten. We haven't had many complaints coming in from the customers regarding the performance or the equipment, so I think they are a little above average.

Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a four out of ten.

The product's machine or equipment can cater to around 20 connections and cannot go beyond 50 simultaneous connections, because of which I think the tool's scalability is limited.

In my company, around 200 users are there for Aruba Instant On Access Points.

Aruba Instant On Access Points is suitable for small businesses.

I haven't specifically used the solution's technical support and have always opted for general HPE support. I rate the technical support an eight out of ten.

Positive

I use Cisco.

I rate the initial setup a three on a scale of one to ten, where one is easy, and ten is difficult.

The solution is deployed on-premises.

The tool can be deployed in a day.

Two people from my company are needed for deployment.

I rate the product's pricing a six on a scale of one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive. Solutions from some brands are cheaper than Aruba Instant On Access Points, while others, like Cisco, are expensive.

The product is easy to set up, providing value for time since it is very quick.

Overall, I rate the solution a seven and a half out of ten.

The tool is priced high. 

I have been working with the solution for one to two years. 

I would rate the tool's stability a nine out of ten.

The solution is scalable. I would rate the tool's scalability an eight out of ten. 

The product's deployment is simple and took around two weeks to complete. 

I would rate the solution's pricing an eight out of ten. 

I would rate the product an eight out of ten. 

The solution is excellent and reliable.

The solution's range could be better. Presently, it reaches up to a 40-50 ft. radius. It would be helpful for enterprise customers if it covers a 70-80 ft. radius.

The solution's technical support is excellent.

Positive

The solution's initial setup process is easy with Aruba switches. In comparison, it is time-consuming if you use third-party switches.

If you want a reliable and easy-to-implement solution, go for Aruba. I rate it an eight out of ten.

Our primary use case is to give users access to WiFi in the office.

Aruba Instant on Access Points is easy to manage, has a very nice interface, and looks nicer on the ceiling. 

The coverage Aruba provides across the physical area is much better. Most probably because of the new technology, the 4x4 antenna, and everything around it. It's just a much better, easier to use, and easier to manage product.

The cloud-based solution is very easy to set up and easy to manage. You get reporting on it, alerts, and everything.

There is no need to have any physical buttons on the devices, when it's done through the cloud interface, everything is perfect. The full functionality of doing changes on it automatically gets applied to the access points.

It's just a perfectly working product.

If there's a way to get a floor map of our office space so we can place the access points on a map to be able to see what's what, where everything is going, where the most traffic is being connected, that would be a nice feature. We had it on Ruckus Access Points. But it's not a must, based on the trade-off of price versus functionality, there's nothing that I would expect to be better than what it is.

We have been using Aruba for a month or so. 

I didn't run a stress test because we don't have that many users, but it definitely works perfectly for the amount of users we have. We have up to 20 to 25 users at a time, we never had more than 25 users. Everything looks very good.

Everything works perfectly as expected, with no drop in usage or connectivity. By 20 users you don't see a difference.

We're going to have a big conference. We're going to have probably 100 users using it. This will be the first time we're going to have that many users. And I will have more input on the reliability when it comes to a lot of users.

It's always on. Everything is perfect.

We only have four access points. I don't see a reason why doing more should make a difference.

We went away from the FortiAP to Aruba Instant On and it's much smoother in transitioning, going from one access point to another and the speed on it is much better.

We moved to a new location, so instead of taking Fortinet along, we decided to buy new access points, to try out the new equipment and the new technology. It has better beamforming for the WiFi signal. And it's just a better product.

The initial setup was pretty straightforward for these devices. You just put in the serial number online and power on the device. It finds it and everything is instantly on.

It's very easy to manage. There's almost no manageability to it.

You need much less IT experience or knowledge to set up and manage this solution than I have. I have a lot of experience and a lot of knowledge. You could give it to a new graduate IT person or even no IT knowledge, once it's set up, everything is extremely easy to manage. Maybe to set it up you need a little bit of knowledge, but that's it.

The deployment took ten minutes. 

It's not expensive and it comes with everything included. There's no need to buy extra stuff on both, like hardware and software support.

It's very well priced. I can't see that anyone could be cheaper or better.

It is important to us that there are no extra costs for the solution's security features.

You buy the product with all the features. Security-wise and manageability, you don't have any extra costs out of pocket. You pay below $200 for an access point. It's a very good price and everything's included, there's nothing extra.

I reached out to our vendor to ask about the cheapest and best solution. If I would need to go with a new WiFi solution, something that wouldn't require us to have an extended payment plan in order to use it. Meraki and other places use cloud management where you need to pay an annual fee in order to use it. They recommended Aruba and I decided to go ahead.

It seems like Aruba is the best product out there at this point for a small business.

Based on my experience, this should be the easiest to use with the least overhead in order to run it because you don't need to have the Cloud Management included. There is no extra equipment onsite or services to run onsite in order to manage it. There are no extra costs to continue using the cloud for how long you want, based on what Aruba is claiming.

At this point in time, I see this for small to medium businesses that don't have in-house IT or a lot of extensive knowledge IT people on-premise. This should be the easiest and most cost-effective WiFi solution to deploy.

I would rate it a ten out of ten. The only reason I would have gone down to nine is because of the phone support. I didn't have a chance to check that the phone support is only for the first 90 days. And the hardware warranty is only for a year. I didn't know that they only have 90 days.

It seems like a solid product. I don't see a real reason why I will need even support but if I could extend the hardware warranty on it for a longer period of time because I didn't use it that long, I don't know maybe in three years from now it will fail, I want to be able to get that replacement if needed.