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Manager IT at a recreational facilities/services company with 11-50 employees
Real User
Jul 5, 2020
Great monitoring, an easy setup and capable of scaling
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution's most valuable aspect is its monitoring capabilities."
  • "The element of security always can be improved. If the solution continues to improve its security functionality, it will continue to be a great product."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution for our company, in the office. We use it for its monitoring capabilities.

What is most valuable?

The solution's most valuable aspect is its monitoring capabilities. It works great for our organization.

What needs improvement?

Overall, it's a very good product. There isn't really a feature that needs to be simplified or improved.

The element of security always can be improved. If the solution continues to improve its security functionality, it will continue to be a great product.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for around five years.

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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable. We haven't had any issues with the reliability at all. It doesn't crash. There aren't bugs and glitches that affect the way it works.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable. If an organization needs to expand it out, they should be able to do so easily. The saying is quite good.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Although we've heard of Cisco, we never use it. We wouldn't recommend the solution above Aruba.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was not complex at all. It was fairly straightforward.

What other advice do I have?

We're only an Aruba customer. We don't have any special relationship with Aruba.

I recommend the product. It's very good. I'd rate the solution nine out of ten. If the security was just a little bit better, I would give it full marks. As it is right now, the security could always be improved upon.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1372257 - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Security Engineer at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Jul 2, 2020
The command line interface is very useful and has good scalability
Pros and Cons
  • "We have found that the command line interface is very useful and very similar to Cisco devices."
  • "I would say that the customization of the switches could be easier to configure."

What is our primary use case?

We use and sell the 800 series switch. We compare the Aruba switches to the comparable Cisco switches as they have a similar feature set. We can sell them primarily because they cost less than Cisco. We use the Virtual Switching Extension feature that Aruba has for better performance and high availability. Aruba switches can be used in small and large businesses.

What is most valuable?

We have found that the command line interface is very useful and very similar to Cisco devices. We have also found that the Aruba switches are very easy to use.

What needs improvement?

I would say that the customization of the switches could be easier to configure.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using Aruba Switches for the last six to seven years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Aruba switches are a stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Aruba switches are very scalable. It can be integrated with other solutions. They can be used with either ClearPass or Cisco ICE.

How are customer service and technical support?

Aruba technical support is very useful. you can contact them with a global number. They answer very quickly, in a few minutes we have the engineer on the call. So the technical support seems better than Cisco from a support perspective.

How was the initial setup?

This initial setup of Aruba switches is very simple. The length of the deployment depends on how many switches are, and what type of switches you're doing, access switches versus the distribution switches. With a larger deployment, we need to take the time to take appropriate order, depending upon the client, location, and all that.

What about the implementation team?

We deploy the Aruba switches for our clients.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Aruba switches are cheaper than Cisco for a similar feature set. The licensing costs are also cheaper than Cisco.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We have also used Cisco switches and they provide a similar feature set.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate Aruba switches at a nine out of a scale of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
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reviewer1193910 - PeerSpot reviewer
Network and Security Engineer at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Nov 20, 2019
Easy to use, good GUI, and good technical support
Pros and Cons
  • "Aruba is very easy to use, the GUI is very good and the command line is quite similar to Cisco, so it is very easy to configure."
  • "I think that the performance is getting better but they need to have more powerful switches on the market so that they can capture medium and large businesses."

What is our primary use case?

We provide networks with antennae switches and Wi-Fi switches for small to medium-sized businesses for customers in the UAE.

What is most valuable?

Aruba is very easy to use, the GUI is very good and the command line is quite similar to Cisco, so it is very easy to configure.

What needs improvement?

I think that the performance is getting better but they need to have more powerful switches on the market so that they can capture medium and large businesses.

They don't have any data center switches.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for approximately five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's quite stable. After Cisco HPE Autobus, it's the best on the market.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It's scalable and expandable to some extent.

Fifty to sixty percent of the customers we meet normally use Aruba. They are IT, managers, and administrators.

How are customer service and technical support?

I have not had much interaction. Their knowledge base is quite good, so normally we don't need to call them.

We have only contacted them a few times.

If you need an RMA, then it would be required, and it is also quite good.

We are happy with the technical support, they are good.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward. It's easy.

What other advice do I have?

For small businesses, it is the best on the market right now.

The recognition is still new.

Aruba is easy to expand and easy to configure.

I would recommend Aruba Switches.

I would rate this solution a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1033491 - PeerSpot reviewer
Networking Consultant at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Real User
Nov 20, 2019
Stable, scalable, easy to install, and we like the framework for virtual switching
Pros and Cons
  • "We like the framework of fabric virtual switching."
  • "Technical support response time could be better."

What is our primary use case?

Our customer's infrastructure is based on the AKPA solution and we suggested Aruba Switches replace the AKPA Switches.

What is most valuable?

We like the framework of fabric virtual switching. It is the only virtual link between two switches, particularly with the co-switching environment. The link helps us to avoid issues with the findings tool. 

What needs improvement?

I think that the environment for our clients should be simplified.

Technical support response time could be better.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using this solution for between two and three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This solution is stable, we have not had any issues.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This solution is scalable.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support is available in English and Italian, but they are slow to respond.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Previously we used Ubiquiti, it is cheaper but we went with Aruba and Cisco.

Cisco is stable and we don't have to worry about it not working. Aruba is still new to us, so we don't know it well, or all of the benefits yet.

How was the initial setup?

With documentation and reference points, it's easy. It is easier than Cisco.

It took two to three days to deploy. We had a technician from our company to deploy the solution for our customer. 

What about the implementation team?

We did not implement this solution through a vendor. It was done through our Technicians.

What other advice do I have?

We are system integrators and we propose solutions for our clients.

From what I read in Gartner Magic Quadrant, Aruba Switches rank highly. 

It's a good solution.

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1218558 - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Director at a government
Real User
Nov 19, 2019
Very reliable and easy to use but could have a better dashboard
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is very reliable. It's easy to use with other solutions."
  • "The interface could be more user-friendly and the dashboard could be improved."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution for our IT infrastructure.

What is most valuable?

The solution is very reliable. It's easy to use with other solutions.

What needs improvement?

The pricing could be adjusted.

The interface could be more user-friendly and the dashboard could be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for six years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Now and then there tend to be issues if we have a virtual stack. If there's a power failure, the switches come up at different times. This means we have to shut down the stack and then put them up in a proper way. Otherwise, we will have issues with the IP and those kinds of things. I should note that I've only seen this issue with the virtual stack.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable enough. The product itself is fantastic; I've had no issues with scalability. Currently, we have about 700 people using the technology.

How are customer service and technical support?

The solution's technical support is okay. I would prefer more engagements around new products and roadmaps, however.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I've never used a different solution. At a previous company, we worked with Cisco switches, which I thought were good until I came to this job and saw you could get a cheaper solution that was just as good.

How was the initial setup?

My network is segmented, however, it's not too complex. The last refresh we did was 2016 and that took us two days over a weekend.

What about the implementation team?

We had a provider that assisted us with the implementation.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The pricing is decent. It's less expensive than Cisco.

What other advice do I have?

We use both the cloud and on-premises deployment models.

I would recommend the solution, especially if you are on a tight budget and are looking for a no-nonsense product.

I'd rate the solution seven out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
AmrIssa - PeerSpot reviewer
Chief Information officer at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Nov 18, 2019
Good GUI, easy to configure and use, and offers a good transfer rate
Pros and Cons
  • "Aruba access points have a good transfer rate."
  • "They should provide training courses for certification, and have it available on the internet."

What is our primary use case?

The primary use case of this solution is for access points. You can look at any site and take the static ID, or the real ID. It's similar to VPN.

With the access point, you take the real ID and install it in the controller, you then access the site with this access point.

We are interior designers and we have many showroom sites, we use the Aruba controller. We have twenty-five Aruba Switches with fifteen to twenty access points.

We are using the 205 and 215 series. The bandwidth is 1gHz.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features are the controller and the access points. Aruba access points have a good transfer rate.

It is powerful for the internet, the GUI is good, the configuration is very good, and it is very easy to use. In contrast, the Cisco configuration does not have a GUI.

Aruba has many features that are very good.

What needs improvement?

Managing Aruba Switches is not as good as Cisco Controller.

The switch needs to be bigger than it is now. Increasing the number of gigabytes in the switch would improve the switch interacting. You can download the DBS or the datasheet to see the switch interacting.

The switch interacting is the transfer of data from the port to the switch.

They should provide training courses for certification, and have it available on the internet.

They need to increase marketing for their products, especially for the solutions that are stable and very hard working. They should plan an event to market this solution.

Aruba could consider opening a training center for engineering, or IT students.

A suggestion would be to see the unit have a configuration switch like SMTP to send an email to the users if the performance is delayed or down. That would be very useful.

In the command line, we can configure in SMTP to send an email alert to the user and the support worldwide, so that they can know about the problem before it happens.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for approximately four years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This solution is very stable.

We have two ways to do the configuration. There are the standard way and Care. If you configure Care, we have a controller and things are fine.

We can deploy the configuration by the controller appliance. The access point can be made into a controller.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable.

With many ports, we blended for the first time and we did not face any problems.

You have to have a plan to expand or increase to a table or other devices.

How are customer service and technical support?

The technical support is okay, I would rate them a four out of five.

We had some issues with resetting the password, it requires a special technique, there is some reconfiguration involved. 

The guide on the internet is very helpful and easy. You can do a specific search on the internet describing the error or the problem and you will get a very simple, easy, and quick answer.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We have a client who has a nine-story apartment building and in our design, and we researched the internet for different access points. 

We presented the client with Cisco and TriCom, but our customer was not satisfied. We then introduced Aruba to the client and he was satisfied with the performance and our design.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward. It only took fifteen minutes to deploy.

It depends on the number of VLAN, or if there are any rules in the switch. This is all according to the configuration and the settings.

We have three engineers helping with the deployment.

What about the implementation team?

We did not use a vendor team to implement this solution. We did it ourselves.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

This solution is not cheap and they don't have a plan to certify it as Cisco does. Cisco is a famous vendor with options for certification.

Aruba does not have a certified license in ARC and CNV. Their certification is for the marketing of the device in Cisco.

The license is annual. If you purchase a switch, you get a one-year free subscription.

Aruba has better pricing than Cisco.

What other advice do I have?

We used and configured Tricom Switches. HP merged with Tricom and the company after that Aruba merged with HP.

The switch became very different, it is good and has a different configuration.

We have had a few problems in our company, we have had some conflicts in the configuration.

Aruba was the first company to introduce access points, as far back as ten years ago.

It's a good product, but it's not equal to Cisco. It's better. I compare it with Cisco and Aruba is a better switch. With Cisco,  you buy the name, history, and global branding.

If an engineer or any company ask me about network solutions, I recommend Aruba.

I have some concerns because not many engineers write on the command line in Aruba. Not many engineers know the solution, unlike Cisco, which is well known in the education industry and on the market.

If you can configure the Aruba Switch for the very first time without any issues, then you are a very good engineer, you know the solution.

Aruba Access points, controller, and performance are the best!

I would rate this solution a ten out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
it_user1081542 - PeerSpot reviewer
Solutions Consultant at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Nov 13, 2019
It is now even more scalable than before, and the setup is easy and straightforward
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is very stable."
  • "I would like to see the data center area improving by some added features in the future."

What is most valuable?

I find all the special switches really valuable.

What needs improvement?

I would like to see the data center area improving by some added features in the future.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is very stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Well, now with the new switches it's even more scalable than before. So with the 6400 switches it's one complete set of switches these days.

How was the initial setup?

The setup was done by our engineering department, but I have heard that it's easy.

What other advice do I have?

I will rate this solution an eight out of ten at least. I would like to see some additional features to be included in the next release, and I would like more data center functionality for our data center people.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Sr. Security Network Engineer at a wellness & fitness company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Nov 5, 2019
A Stable Access Point Solution with Smart Rate Ports
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature is the Aruba Smart Rate Port."
  • "The templates to automate our switches need improvement."

What is our primary use case?

We use four Aruba Switches, in one stack, for 802.1X.

We use Aruba Switches mainly as access points.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is the Aruba Smart Rate Port.

What needs improvement?

The templates to automate our switches need improvement.

We apply a template using Bison or ANSI C to automate our tasks daily.

We are using Bison and ANSI C programming language to automate our work for shutting down ports, and if the support has locked our shutdown with port security.

Cisco has Nexus Switches for the Data Center solutions. These switches are very powerful. In my research, I haven't found anything that is comparable.

In the next release or the near future, I would like similar Data Cente switches included.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for one year.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Aruba Switches are very stable when you are using the full solution. 

Aruba Switches are still in the testing phase.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We haven't tested the scalability for this solution yet, but there is another building that we are expanding to and we expect it to scale there.

We have approximately one thousand users.

How are customer service and technical support?

We have not had any issues with this solution so we have not opened any tickets with technical support.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We were using other switches by Aruba prior to these. We stayed with Aruba to maintain compatibility.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of this solution is very simple.

What about the implementation team?

When we implemented the solution, we called a vendor to support us.

We have an in house assistant who configured the solution, but we had a vendor here to support us if we needed it.

We configured all of our switches to gain the experience.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I have also used Cisco switches and they are harder to set up.

What other advice do I have?

I received training on this solution from HP, here in Egypt.

I strongly recommend Aruba Switches with Aruba products for compatibility. If you use Cisco or other solutions, it may cause some issues with the stability of the environment.

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
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