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PeerSpot user
Network Administrator at a educational organization with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Top 20
Mar 13, 2018
The biggest selling point was the ability to create two different SSIDs to control public versus private wireless networks
Pros and Cons
  • "The biggest selling point was the ability to create two different SSIDs to control public versus private wireless networks."
  • "Installation is relatively easy.​"
  • "​Stability and its ability to handle more devices has been an improvement for our organization.​"
  • "We have had no issues deploying the access points, and look forward to years of service from these products, which is a strength that we are seeing."
  • "There is so much licensing, you literally pay for every solution, add-on, or cool feature."

What is our primary use case?

We use wireless for all testing (on Apple, Chrome, and even tablets). We moved our school over to having a managed wireless network. This was my first time doing something like this and my colleague nor myself had any issues with the software or hardware. 

We have a large investment in Aruba Networks WiFi technology. We have recently deployed a mix of Aruba 225 and Aruba 335 units to provide complete and full coverage over multiple floors. We like the automatic hand-off of a connection to the access point with the strongest connection. We have had no issues deploying the access points, and look forward to years of service from these products, which is a strength that we are seeing. 

How has it helped my organization?

It has great equipment for wireless AP needs. We purchased 1000 units for each floor of our schools. They have a ton of useful business-related features and security features, but the biggest selling point was the ability to create two different SSIDs to control public versus private wireless networks. 

What is most valuable?

AirWave (monitoring tool)

If there is a network issue, there are so many ways to access the monitoring application. Also there are maps and labels to tell you exactly where an issue may be. The TAC Service is very responsive and persistent.

What needs improvement?

There is so much licensing, you literally pay for every solution, add-on, or cool feature. Compared to others, we were in the middle with pricing, but as you start to invest more into features it will get very pricey.

Buyer's Guide
Aruba Wireless
March 2026
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For how long have I used the solution?

One to three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Stability and its ability to handle more devices has been an improvement for our organization.

How was the initial setup?

Installation is relatively easy.

Configuration was not all that complicated, but there were some forums online that helped us just in case. They shed light on the deep config options.

We only had a summer to deploy.

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

We will be buying the ClearPass solution, which will be pricey. However, in the trial version, it has even more tools to manage a busy network.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
it_user656106 - PeerSpot reviewer
Principal with 201-500 employees
Real User
Mar 8, 2018
Basic initial setup is very easy when it comes to a new user on-premise
Pros and Cons
  • "Basic initial setup is very easy when it comes to a new user on-premise.​"
  • "Aruba is outstanding, especially when it comes to the hospitality sectors.​"
  • "Aruba is outstanding, especially when it comes to the hospitality sectors."
  • "Needs improvement in point-to-point deployment products."
  • "Needs improvement in point-to-point deployment products."

What is our primary use case?

We are the one of the official distributors of this product in Middle East.

What is most valuable?

ClientMatch technology and Air Monitor features of Aruba Wireless are special and classy.

What needs improvement?

  • Point-to-point deployment products
  • More varieties in Outdoor Access Points

For how long have I used the solution?

Three to five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Very Rarely.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Scalability has been one of the best features in which we can make our customers happy.

How are customer service and technical support?

I would rate technical support as 10 out of 10.

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

We use a previous solution, but we switched due to stability and the possible integration with different products.

How was the initial setup?

Basic initial setup is very easy when it comes to a new user on-premise.

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

Pricing support has always been cost-effective. Licensing is a one time purchase (only the cloud license has to be renewed, which is worth trying out).

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

It is always in comparison with Cisco Meraki and Ruckus, but Aruba is outstanding, especially when it comes to the hospitality sectors.

What other advice do I have?

Try it out. You will enjoy the hard-core concept put behind Aruba Wireless.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. We are the one of the official distributors of this product in Middle East.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Aruba Wireless
March 2026
Learn what your peers think about Aruba Wireless. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2026.
884,933 professionals have used our research since 2012.
PeerSpot user
Network Administrator at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
Vendor
Mar 5, 2018
The access points support a high number of connected clients
Pros and Cons
  • "The initial setup was very easy and intuitive."
  • "The access points support a high number of connected clients."
  • "The APs has a very competitive price and the functionality is really good."

    How has it helped my organization?

    The APs has a very competitive price and the functionality is really good. I have installed them in buildings made of stone and the signal goes through the walls with no problem. I also use this equipment for very big classrooms and it works great.

    What is most valuable?

    • The antenna’s gain: It is really powerful. 
    • The access points support a high number of connected clients. 
    • It has an easy configuration wizard.

    What needs improvement?

    Price.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    One to three years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    Not really.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    Not really, it has supported all the protocols that I have needed.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    Technical support is very good.

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

    I have used Cisco, Ruckus, D-Link, and Proxim. Aruba is equal or better than Cisco. The price and performance were the reason for the change.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup was very easy and intuitive.

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

    Pricing is very competitive.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    I tried Cisco, Ruckus, Proxim, and Juniper.

    What other advice do I have?

    Try it. It works fine.

    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    Jovan Jovanovic - PeerSpot reviewer
    Security Team Lead at a outsourcing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
    Reseller
    Top 5
    Oct 25, 2017
    It has lowered our partner's costs for managing their branch offices
    Pros and Cons
    • "Aruba Central."
    • "Customer Service: Excellent."
    • "Initial setup was complex."
    • "Initial setup was complex, but when you finally set up the whole network, there are no problems."

    What is most valuable?

    In the Aruba 2540 Switch Series portfolio, it is very important that these switches have advanced security and management tools, such as the following:

    • Aruba ClearPass Policy Manager
    • Aruba Central
    • Aruba AirWave

    How has it helped my organization?

    It has not made improvements for my company, but from our partner company. They have a list of branch offices across country, and use Aruba cloud-based central support and for remote manage of equipment.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    Our partner has been using this solution for a year.

    What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

    They haven't found any issues yet.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    They didn't found any issues yet.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    They didn't found any issues yet.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    Customer Service:

    Excellent.

    Technical Support:

    They are very good responsive and very good knowledgeable.

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

    Partner had been using Cisco. They switched to Aruba, because of price and functionality, also with an option for adding a SW, like AirWave, Meridian, ClearPass, and Central.

    How was the initial setup?

    Initial setup was complex, but when you finally set up the whole network, there are no problems.

    What was our ROI?

    ROI is that cost for managing a branch offices which are far away from the main building. Now, it is very low.

    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    it_user472203 - PeerSpot reviewer
    Solutions Architect with 501-1,000 employees
    Vendor
    May 15, 2017
    I'm most interested in combining the HPE and Aruba product sets.
    Pros and Cons
    • "Clearpass solution from Aruba."
    • "To be able to combine those product sets, the traditional wire line and the wireless, and then the Clearpass solution from Aruba, is what I'm most interested in; the enterprise security and to have the whole picture."
    • "The enterprise controller. I'm planning on getting more information on that."
    • "I'm very interested, and I've heard really good things about, the SDN solution; the enterprise controller."

    What is most valuable?

    HPE acquired Aruba. I think that was a really interesting acquisition. To be able to combine those product sets, the traditional wire line and the wireless, and then the Clearpass solution from Aruba, is what I'm most interested in; the enterprise security and to have the whole picture.

    How has it helped my organization?

    We're a reseller, so for us, it's another option to present to our customers. We've traditionally had a lot of Cisco networking in our background, so to be able to provide that to our customers is important. We think there are a lot of things changing in the industry right now, in IT, so we want to make sure we're staying ahead of that and helping our customers find the best solutions for things. A lot of things are changing.

    What needs improvement?

    I'm very interested, and I've heard really good things about, the SDN solution; the enterprise controller. I'm planning on getting more information on that.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I've been in networking for over 20 years, and I've dealt with some of the traditional HPE ProCurve stuff a while ago. Just recently, my company signed up to do more HPE networking, so I was planning to learn more. Our recent experience is limited with the products; that's in one training class.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    It's stable.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    I know that we actually have a very large organization that's doing a full HPE rollout right now. We're going to assist with that. It definitely seems very scalable.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    So far, so good. I haven't really opened a lot of support cases. I don't do a lot of production support. The pre-sales folks I've talked to so far have been knowledgeable. I've attended a training class and the instructor was good.

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

    We're switching from Cisco. It was an executive decision, that's what I'll say. In those large organizations, that's how that works out sometimes. We're definitely going to help with that.

    What other advice do I have?

    The product seems pretty good so far.

    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    it_user485724 - PeerSpot reviewer
    Network Analyst at a local government with 501-1,000 employees
    Vendor
    Mar 29, 2017
    It allows me to monitor and block employees as needed.
    Pros and Cons
    • "Aruba gives me the security that I need because we have WiFi for employees and the public, and it allows me to monitor them and block them or do whatever I need to to keep them in check."
    • "It's a little bit over-complicated. They could simplify the interface."

    What is most valuable?

    Aruba's good. It's almost over-complicated for what we need it for.

    How has it helped my organization?

    Aruba gives me the security that I need because we have WiFi for employees, and the public. It allows me to monitor them and block them or do whatever I need to to keep them in check.

    What needs improvement?

    It's a little bit over-complicated. They could simplify the interface. Also, the update procedure from their website could be a little better. Finding the firmware the first time is a pain.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    They're good. As long as you have the right controller in place to have enough APs for your business, then it's great. You can stack them. They're just a good product.

    How was the initial setup?

    You just plug them in, and once you get them configured, they're great from there.

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

    The licensing could always be a little bit cheaper. Everybody complains about that, but you just plug them in and I rarely have to think about it and that's the product I want.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    I looked at Cisco and I can't remember the other vendor. Once again, Cisco was price-point was higher. Aruba gave me every feature I needed and more so they were a good fit for us.

    What other advice do I have?

    Make sure you know how many APs you want to throw up there. Remote APs, stuff like that, and size your controller properly, but not for now but five or six years in advance because you don't want to replace it every other year so that'll be my biggest piece of advice.

    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    PeerSpot user
    Network Design and Delivery at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
    Real User
    Oct 17, 2016
    Its Access Points are like plug-and-play devices that you just turn on and leave there and will automatically speak with its controller.
    Pros and Cons
    • "From a person who tried managing multiple wireless device platforms, there were little to no incidents that we receive for Aruba devices for a specific period of time."
    • "I worked on getting the root cause of multiple alarms of wireless access points in our management platform and found it to be caused by a software bug of the current version in the wireless controller."

    What is most valuable?

    As a network engineer, the feature that I value with Aruba is the management of the devices, like the one-touch provisioning of a wireless network.

    How has it helped my organization?

    Aruba Access Points are like plug-and-play devices that you just turn on and leave there and will automatically speak with its controller! It just makes the network administrator's work easier.

    What needs improvement?

    I worked on getting the root cause of multiple alarms of wireless access points in our management platform and found it to be caused by a software bug of the current version in the wireless controller. While doing this task, I found that the TAC support people I worked with have limited knowledge or comprehension of the what's going on as I was passed around to other engineers a few times.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I used to troubleshoot these devices for six years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    Due to the software bug I encountered (forgot the version), it appeared like that multiple access points were unstable, software speaking, but were not down physically.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    Just slightly above the middle rating because not all technical support have the same caliber of troubleshooting an issue.

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

    I also worked with the Cisco wireless solution as I manage several enterprise networks that use different solutions. I would say that managing Aruba products is easier than Cisco.

    How was the initial setup?

    For a person who has been brought up with Cisco devices, I could say it was complex when I started working in Aruba's CLI.

    What about the implementation team?

    We just used the cheat sheets we have in our SharePoint, following what the previous engineers did when setting up.

    What other advice do I have?

    From a person who tried managing multiple wireless device platforms, there were little to no incidents that we receive for Aruba devices for a specific period of time. Though the biggest contender of this product line has been setup to majority of our customers, it appeared that Aruba devices are more stable.

    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    PeerSpot user
    Senior Network Engineer/Mobility Specialist at CCSI - Contemporary Computer Services, Inc.
    Real User
    Top 20
    May 16, 2016
    Review about Aruba Wireless
    Pros and Cons
    • "Aruba has a very scalable product with different hardware, software and complementary products such as AirWave and ClearPass."
    • "Lots of flexibility but with flexibility comes complexity."

    What is most valuable?

    Aruba is the only other wireless vendor besides Cisco that offers the flexibility of using AP's in any combination of the 3 controller-based architectures.

    How has it helped my organization?

    Lots of Flexibility but with flexibility comes complexity. Flexibility is great for large organizations but the Aruba instant AP may be good for smaller organizations.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have worked with Aruba gear for 4 years.

    What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

    Any issues I encountered were resolved quickly with an excellent TAC.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    Aruba has a very scalable product with different hardwar, software and complementary products such as AirWave and ClearPass.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    TAC is really a 9+

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

    I have worked with other great vendors like Cisco, Meraki, Motorola, etc.

    How was the initial setup?

    There are ways to sidestep the complexity available with Aruba, but if you do not need the advanced features of Aruba then Aruba instant or another vendor may suit your needs best.

    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    it_user375078 - PeerSpot reviewer
    it_user375078Senior Network Engineer/Mobility Specialist at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
    Top 20Real User

    I just took the latest refresher course on product and architecture and Aruba is even better now. Exciting stuff happening!

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    Updated: March 2026
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