Aruba Instant On Switches vs Cisco Catalyst Switches comparison

Aruba Instant On Switches vs. Cisco Catalyst Switches

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Aruba Instant On Switches

Ranking in LAN Switching

2nd

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Cisco Catalyst Switches

Ranking in LAN Switching

1st

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

175

Ranking in other categories

Ethernet Switches (7th), Data Center Networking (1st), AV Over IP Switching (1st)

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the LAN Switching category, the mindshare of Aruba Instant On Switches is 10.5%, up from 8.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Catalyst Switches is 29.4%, down from 32.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

LAN Switching

Featured Reviews

MashukThakur

Senior Wireless Engineer at FASTtelco

A centrally managed switches ideal for small and medium businesses but does not have any console access

The solution does not have any console access. For example, if you do not have internet access on your side and you need to configure anything, you should at least have CLI access to do something or manage the solution to put to some IP. It will only work if we have a TSCT on the network. We can port and configure the initial settings before we get the Instant On Switches. I am not working deeply on Instant On devices. I have only installed it in a couple of accommodation sites. Even today, one customer has ordered to install 80 pieces of Instant On. I’ve to order additional 94 access points. I was confused about whether to go with Aruba Instant On or AP-505. Instant On has limited accessibility but AP-505 have cloud or local access on normal infrastructure. This would be better and easier to configure. So, there are further improvements in regard to console access and some limitations with access.

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Joshua Odunsi

I.T INFRASTRUCTURE/SECURITY ADMINISTRATOR at Haggai Mortgage Bank Ltd

Ensures efficient performance and supports network growth with optimal speed

Catalyst Switches are efficient and swift, which is valuable for my organization. I experience optimal speed and effective configuration, making them stand out compared to other switches. The PoE switches offer more ports on SFP, and it is efficient in use. Overall, the switches provide me with the value I expect in terms of speed and efficiency.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"Regarding the feature, my clients are currently favoring it because it enables them to switch back to phone functionality."

"The product's initial setup phase is very simple."

"The cost and simplicity of the product are its most valuable features."

"The simplicity of the tool's GUI is good."

"The solution is plug-and-play and auto-configured."

"It is quite easy to maintain from the software point of view."

"The solution's pricing is slightly cheaper than that of Cisco."

"The most valuable features I find in Aruba Instant On switches include the access list and VLANs, along with other features such as security and cloud capabilities."

More Aruba Instant On Switches pros

"Easy to manage, with a long lifespan."

"The product is reliable."

"It's easy to configure."

"I think it is a reliable and scalable solution."

"Overall top of the line solution."

"The solution is good for computation and backup."

"It is easy to use."

"It is a very scalable solution. Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."

More Cisco Catalyst Switches pros

Cons

"Its scalability needs improvement."

"In the next version, they should add a firewall from a single source."

"We would like to see more documentation."

"The product's startup speed is very bad, as it is very slow."

"Tracking with instant switches needs improvement."

"Some L3 features could be included in the solution."

"The pricing is competitive but could be improved."

"Some customers have made complaints about Aruba Instant On Switches' stability."

More Aruba Instant On Switches cons

"Cisco needs to improve compatibility with other solutions and other vendors like SolarWinds. We've had problems using Catalyst with SolarWinds. Some devices can't be put on SolarWinds due to some ID Values and so on."

"When you compare it with HPE and Aruba, it should be fancier."

"The price of the product is very expensive."

"The product must improve its security."

"The configuration process is hard."

"The biggest issue we are having is with bugs and memory loss, which occurs when developing the IOS."

"In terms of what could be improved, more integration is the main thing they should be focused on."

"Their price should be improved. They are a little bit expensive."

More Cisco Catalyst Switches cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing is quite low compared to other products, which is good for the customer."

"If one is very bad, and ten is a very good price, I rate the tool's price as a six."

"The solution is the cheapest A-class switch."

"Pricing is competitive, and there are no supplementary fees."

"Aruba Instant On Switches is cheaper than Cisco and expensive compared to some Chinese brand products."

"The license for Instant On Switches is free."

"We pay an annual licensing fee."

"The product has good pricing."

More Aruba Instant On Switches pricing and cost advice

"It is very pricey. You have to pay for support."

"We love Cisco, but the price is very prohibitive."

"Pricing of Cisco equipment is high, but I think these switches are worth the price."

"The price should go down instead of up. "

"The price of Cisco Catalyst switches is reasonable."

"It's overpriced and should be cheaper."

"It's expensive."

"I would rate the features-to-pricing ratio at six out of 10. My advice about licensing is that you should have a perpetual license, not one that is subscription-based."

More Cisco Catalyst Switches pricing and cost advice

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845,040 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

18%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Comms Service Provider

Educational Organization

67%

Computer Software Company

Government

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Aruba Instant On Switches?

The solution has a simple deployment and zero border.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Aruba Instant On Switches?

I think the pricing for the switches is reasonable.

What needs improvement with Aruba Instant On Switches?

I have run into a couple of problems with the switches. Recently, one of the newer stacks stopped working and had to be rebooted individually. They don't have a lot of diagnostics tools, which coul...

Would you recommend replacing a Cisco Catalyst Switch by a D-link one?

Hello Mesfin It depends on the real scenario, the cisco 2960 is a very good device and they usually have routing functions but there are many different models within the same 2960 line, and on the ...

What do you like most about Cisco Catalyst Switches?

We are a vendor for the healthcare sector, especially hospitals, and normally, we use a full Cisco solution for stability, especially for the stability of the Access Points and the security of swit...

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Catalyst Switches?

Although Juniper is cheaper, Cisco provides unique features that justify their pricing.

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Product Reports

Aruba Instant On Switches

Download Aruba Instant On Switches product report

Cisco Catalyst Switches

Download Cisco Catalyst Switches product report

Also Known As

Aruba Instant On 1930 Switches

Cisco Catalyst, Catalyst

Overview

The Aruba Instant On 1930 switches features advanced, smart-managed, fixed configuration Gigabit switches designed for small businesses that are easy-to-deploy and affordable. They’re made to handle today’s bandwidth-heavy applications like voice and video conferencing, enabling consistent connectivity to enhance performance. Using either the Instant On mobile app or the cloud-based web portal, you can quickly set up, monitor and manage the 1930 switch series from anywhere at any time. What’s more, up to 30 W PoE power delivery is available out-of-the-box for your class 4 PoE devices, like access points, surveillance cameras and VoIP phones, all easily managed from the same platform.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Cisco Catalyst Switches are a reliable and scalable network switching and routing solution, focusing on VLANs and VLAN switching. They are used as access switches, distribution switches, and core switches in various environments, deployed on-premises, and used for long connections. The switches are easy to configure, install, and upgrade and offer good pricing.

The most valuable features include warranty and firmware support, stability, security, good performance, flexibility, etc. The Cisco Catalyst Switches have provided a stable solution for the organizations and are widely used, trusted, and well-known in the networking industry.

Cisco

Sample Customers

KEMET, Vestavia Hills City Schools, Dropbox

Afni, Anilana Hotels and Resorts, Baylor Scott & White Health, Beachbody, Bellevue, Del Papa Distributing, Explorer Pipeline, Mindtree, Omaha World Herald, Radio 538, Sony Corporation, Telecom Italia, Telenor Arena

Aruba Instant On Switches vs. Cisco Catalyst Switches