Aruba Instant vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN comparison

Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Cisco are both solutions in the Wireless LAN category. Hewlett Packard Enterprise is ranked #11 with an average rating of 8.4, while Cisco is ranked #3 with an average rating of 8.3. Hewlett Packard Enterprise holds a 2.0% mindshare in Wireless LAN, compared to Cisco’s 12.9% mindshare. Additionally, 97% of Hewlett Packard Enterprise users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 92% of Cisco users who would recommend it.

Aruba Instant

Read 51 Aruba Instant reviews

2,729 Views
2,098 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Read 119 Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN reviews

15,495 Views
12,588 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

Aruba Instant

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 9, 2025

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN and Aruba Instant compete in the wireless networking space. Cisco Meraki may have an edge with its ease of use and rich feature set for organizations with diverse networking needs, complemented by a centralized cloud-based management. However, Aruba Instant appeals to smaller and mid-sized businesses with its cost-effectiveness and simplicity.

Features: Cisco Meraki offers centralized cloud-based management through an intuitive dashboard, simplifying configuration, monitoring, and reporting. It provides excellent network visibility and security with Layer 7 protections and is known for straightforward deployment. Aruba Instant is notable for its ease of setup and management without needing a controller, strong mobility support, and the ability to integrate easily with other tools, making it suitable for smaller IT teams.

Room for Improvement: Cisco Meraki could benefit from more detailed error logs, better technical support, and increased integration with other Cisco products. Enhancements in customization and advanced routing features are also desired. Aruba Instant faces challenges with IoT compatibility and requires more robust troubleshooting tools and comprehensive documentation. Improving technical support response times would also be beneficial.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco Meraki excels in its easy deployment process with cloud management, providing flexibility for various environments. Customer service is strong, although technical support receives mixed reviews. Aruba Instant offers straightforward deployment, appealing to small to medium businesses, and supports both hybrid and on-premises setups. Customer service is reliable, although technical support proficiency could be improved for complex issues.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco Meraki is perceived as expensive due to licensing that can terminate service if not renewed, although it provides solid ROI with advanced features and management ease. Aruba Instant is more cost-effective, praised for its affordable pricing and lack of licensing fees, delivering significant ROI for organizations prioritizing straightforward solutions and minimal operating costs.

To learn more, read our detailed Aruba Instant vs. Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN Report (Updated: March 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Instant vs. Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

March 2025

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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

Ranking in Wireless LAN

11th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Ranking in Wireless LAN

3rd

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

5.1

Number of Reviews

119

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Aruba Instant is 2.0%, down from 2.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is 12.9%, up from 12.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Wireless LAN

Featured Reviews

Prashant-Patel

Senior Presales Consultant - Networking Solutions at Mannai

A highly stable and easy-to-deploy solution that is free and provides excellent deployment guides

The setup is very straightforward. There is no complexity at all. It took us 15 minutes. We need IP address details, DNS, a gateway, DHCP servers, and SSIDs. Single access points can act as controller-based, controller-less, and cloud-based solutions. That is the beauty of Aruba. If I have an on-premise solution and want to move to the cloud, I don't need separate hardware. The same hardware can be utilized in the cloud. The deployment guides that we get from Aruba are excellent. We have every piece of detail.

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RezaPradipta

Sr. Officer Network Managed Service Product Management at PT. Indosat Tbk

Streamline network management with a unified dashboard for seamless device integration

The primary use case for Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is mostly for enterprise wireless, including guest Wi-Fi and enterprise Wi-Fi. I use it across various industries with a focus on retail Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN offers a single pane of glass management. It only comes with a controller on the…

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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

"The most valuable features of the solution are in the areas like routing and VLAN."

"The most beneficial features for network management are the price and the cloud console."

"It's a good solution for small businesses because it's easy to figure out. It's simple to set Aruba up in any configuration, like link aggregation or static loads. It's suitable for less complicated configurations, whereas Cisco devices are bigger and more difficult to implement."

"Aruba's mobility features, which facilitate seamless switching between wireless access points, are also quite impressive. Users don't even notice the transition, ensuring a smooth and uninterrupted experience."

"The solution is stable, and we are satisfied."

"The most valuable feature of Aruba Instant is its cloud capability, which allows us to manage it through the cloud."

"The deployment is easy."

"The installation is very simple. We've limited the security feature, which I found valuable, and that allows two separate networks, one for the company and one for a guest network. During installation, it is very easy at that point to divide it."

More Aruba Instant pros

"The settings of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN can be very granular. You can lock down and block devices with the controls. For example, we have four different wireless settings, such as guest, employee, security, and backup. For example, the settings for the employees, if they use laptops, they're required to have certain settings, such as an antivirus installed. If they do not then Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN will not let them connect. This is very good protection because the network works on the bringing your own device(BYOD) principle. It's a BYOD environment now, and you also don't want them to bring infection into the environment because these people are connecting to the LAN via wireless connections. We have to be careful because we're managing it, we have to be very strict with regards to the rules and policies."

"Meraki is a decent solution for a small company, and we use it in a pretty typical way. We need Teams and Zoom to work, and we need a high level of security because we want our business to remain confidential."

"It is easy to set up. You can do everything on the GUI. You don't need to trace cables. You don't need to connect to the switch. Everything is there, right in front of you."

"The most valuable feature of this solution is the application visibility, which is one of the main features."

"Its management is most valuable. It is the major feature of Meraki."

"For Meraki, the ease of deployment and management is most valuable."

"Its ease of use and flexibility are most valuable. It is cloud-based software."

"The most amazing part is that their Access Points have the ability to connect to multiple conference devices at different times, and it shows you the very in-depth Wi-Fi analytics through their dashboard."

More Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN pros

Cons

"This solution would be improved if they supplied free software controllers."

"It is not powerful enough and lacks features recommended for larger dimensions, making it unsuitable for big companies with requirements like 100 access points."

"I think that the next release should offer IP phone security/firewall."

"The solution should be able to support more users on the access points."

"They should enhance reporting and add more features."

"The tool's support quality has changed since HPE acquired it. It is also impossible to tell the log dates."

"The network planner could be improved. You should be able to import a floor plan, and the application should suggest the optimal placement of your devices."

"The captive portal through Facebook doesn't work."

More Aruba Instant cons

"Some of their first level support staff does not seem to be well-versed in the solution, so support for Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN needs improvement."

"The commercial version of the solution could be cheaper."

"The stability could be better. 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."

"We face a bottleneck on the gateway while using the solution for large enterprises."

"In the next release, I would like to see a third-party high tech center to connect multiple users to a particular network."

"The solution should be more secure."

"The signal coverage radius could be extended."

"if there is a better feature, they write it as beta so you have to be careful."

More Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"In my region right now, Aruba Instant comes with a default two-year cloud access license."

"Two years ago, I paid INR 12,000 for access points, but now, I will have to pay double the amount, which comes up to INR 24,000, making it a costly product."

"The product has increased its pricing by at least 30 percent."

"I would rate the pricing a five out of ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive."

"The pricing is reasonable."

"Some aspect of the price of Aruba Instant is very economical because if the customer is requiring more features the customer needs to pay a higher amount."

"Aruba Instant is affordable."

"I rate the product’s pricing a two out of ten."

More Aruba Instant pricing and cost advice

"As is always the case, the price could be better, although I do not recall exactly how much this comes out to."

"It's not super expensive and it's not super cheap."

"At this price point, I would not mind seeing a four-way channel, instead of a 3x3 or a 4x4, like they do in the Cisco Aironet system with their other brand. For the same price point in this other Cisco brand, it is a lot cheaper, and you can get a slightly better throughput than you can with these."

"If you are wondering if Meraki can work for you, contact one of their representatives because they will do onsite trials where you can set up their system. If it does not work, you can send it back to them for no charge."

"It's a pretty good value, but not great. Pricing is on a yearly basis for the Meraki solution."

"The cost is not so much for Wireless LAN, but when you have to get the security license, it costs a lot."

"The price is on the high side when compared to Aruba."

"Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is expensive."

More Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Construction Company

Computer Software Company

19%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Educational Organization

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

Which is better - Ubiquiti WLAN or Aruba Instant?

We researched Ubiquiti and Aruba when looking for a WLAN solution. Ubiquiti offers good WLAN access both indoors and outdoors. It provides an enterprise-level WIFI while remaining cost-effective. U...

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What do you like most about Aruba Instant?

I find network management features related to monitoring Wi-Fi usage and visited sites particularly valuable. Content filtering is also important to prevent access to malicious or inappropriate web...

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

The licensing costs depend on the product. The smaller switch is around one hundred and twenty euros. We do not sell very expensive devices as we move to other products.

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What are pros and cons of Aruba 515 Series AP vs. Cisco Meraki or Extreme Networks?

Depends. I have personally used both Cisco and Aruba so I am familiar with them. Extreme I am not, so unless they have some feature that I need or want, I wouldn't consider them. Do you have expe...

See all answers

Which is better - Cisco Wireless or Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN?

Cisco Wireless is very robust, very rugged, and can handle indoor and outdoor coverage extremely well. We found it to be very reliable and to consistently run very efficiently. Cisco Wireless helpe...

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How does Ruckus Wireless compare to Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN?

Cisco’s Meraki Virtual MX is a virtual instance of the Meraki SD-WAN appliance. We liked the Meraki. The Wifi APs are a great feature. The dashboard is a simple interface and easy to learn. It feat...

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Comparisons

Omada Access Points vs Aruba Instant

Compared 40% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs Aruba Instant

Compared 13% of the time

Huawei Wireless vs Aruba Instant

Compared 11% of the time

ExtremeCloud IQ vs Aruba Instant

Compared 5% of the time

Ubiquiti WLAN vs Aruba Instant

Compared 4% of the time

More Aruba Instant Competitors

Aruba Wireless vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Compared 31% of the time

Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Compared 16% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Compared 11% of the time

Ubiquiti Wireless vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Compared 7% of the time

Fortinet FortiWLM vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Compared 2% of the time

More Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Instant

March 2025

Download Aruba Instant product report

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

March 2025

Download Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN product report

Also Known As

No data available

MR18, MR26, MR32, MR34, MR66, MR72, Meraki Wireless LAN, Meraki WLAN

Overview

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.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Cisco Meraki access points are built from the highest grade components and carefully optimized for a seamless user experience. The outcome: faster connections, greater user capacity, more coverage, and fewer support calls. The Cisco Meraki dashboard gives visibility into the network users, their devices, and their applications. Armed with rich analytics, administrators can quickly create access control and application usage policies, optimizing both the end-user experience and network security.

Cisco

Sample Customers

Purdue University, Orlando Magic, Brussels Airport Company, Molecaten Holiday Parks

Advanced Medical Transport, Banco de Guayaquil, Baylor Scott & White Health, BH Telecom, Bowling Green State University, Calligaris, Children's Hospital Colorado, City of Biel, Del Papa Distributing, Department of Justice, Dimension Data, Dualtec Cloud Builders, Electricity Authority of Cyprus, Grupo Industrial Saltillo (GIS), Hertz, K&L Gates , LightEdge, Lone Star College System, Management Science Associates, Mindtree, NBC Olympics, Quest, Sony Corporation, The Department of Education in Western Australia, Valley Proteins

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Instant vs. Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

March 2025

Free Report: Aruba Instant vs. Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

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