Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN and Aruba Instant compete in the WLAN market. Cisco Meraki seems to have the upper hand due to its centralized management and robust analytics, appealing to large organizations; however, Aruba's affordability and controller-less architecture make it attractive for small to medium-sized businesses.
Features: Cisco Meraki offers comprehensive cloud management, robust security features, and advanced analytics, providing extensive visibility. Its user-friendly dashboard allows for easy configuration, SSID segmentation, and detailed user tracking. Aruba Instant focuses on flexibility with its controller-less architecture, easy SSID creation, and comprehensive network health monitoring. It offers straightforward cloud management and seamless integration capabilities at a lower cost.
Room for Improvement: Cisco Meraki could improve its error logging, routing features, and support consistency. Its rigid subscription model is a notable drawback. Enhancements in integrating third-party security solutions are also needed. Aruba Instant would benefit from better documentation, improved IoT support, and features like user limits on access points. Managing large networks can also be limited with its current setup.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco Meraki is favored for its ease of deployment in varied environments due to efficient cloud-based management. While customer service is generally positive, some users mention inconsistencies. Aruba Instant is known for quick deployments and easy management, although there is feedback for improvement in its cloud management via Aruba Central. The documentation quality needs enhancement compared to Meraki.
Pricing and ROI: Cisco Meraki is seen as expensive because of its licensing, but delivers high-quality features that justify the cost for many enterprises. Its strong management capabilities contribute to ROI despite premium pricing. Aruba Instant is known for its competitive pricing, offering cost-effective solutions, particularly appealing to small to medium-sized businesses. Its simple deployment directly translates into ROI with a straightforward cost model.
The technical support from Aruba is of high quality, and I would rate it a ten.
It would be better if the SLA of technical support was less than four hours.
I find Aruba Instant to be highly scalable.
Meraki is not scalable enough since it straightforwardly maps its products to segmented specifications.
We have experienced many instances where we have experienced a lag in our network, and I am not sure if it is due to their devices or our network.
Stability is not an issue for me because it comes with Cisco's proven manufacturer quality.
An important missing feature is the console port, which allows direct management without the cloud.
The most important improvement needed is to eliminate the limitation of uplinks.
Some of the newer models of the Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN access point have encompassed the new wireless protocols and increased the strength of their antennas.
We do not sell very expensive devices as we move to other products.
However, when compared to entry-level market segments, the price is higher.
Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is on par with other devices in that category, offering competitive pricing.
The pricing of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is not competitive enough for the SMB market compared to other brands.
I highly value Aruba Instant for its ClearPass feature, which is an exceptional product for network access control and works as a NAC solution.
The most beneficial features for network management are the price and the cloud console.
It also manages security clients and switches, providing a single dashboard to manage multiple network infrastructures.
The ability to program all access points from the Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN dashboard, view the status of all of them, and examine the individual devices connected to each access point is very valuable.
| Product | Market Share (%) |
|---|---|
| Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN | 11.5% |
| Aruba Instant | 2.0% |
| Other | 86.5% |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 29 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 8 |
| Large Enterprise | 14 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 68 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 26 |
| Large Enterprise | 31 |
Aruba Instant delivers the only controllerless Wi-Fi solution that is easy to set-up, and loaded with security and smarts needed to accelerate your business without breaking your budget.
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