Aruba Instant vs SonicWall SonicWave Access Points comparison

Hewlett Packard Enterprise and SonicWall are both solutions in the Wireless LAN category. Hewlett Packard Enterprise is ranked #11 with an average rating of 8.6, while SonicWall is ranked #25. Hewlett Packard Enterprise holds a 2.3% mindshare in Wireless LAN, compared to SonicWall’s 1.0% mindshare. Additionally, 97% of Hewlett Packard Enterprise users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of SonicWall users who would recommend it.

Aruba Instant

Read 52 Aruba Instant reviews

2,219 Views
2,130 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

SonicWall SonicWave Access ...

Read 4 SonicWall SonicWave Access Points reviews

637 Views
637 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Aruba Instant

SonicWall SonicWave Access ...

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 31, 2024

Aruba Instant and SonicWall SonicWave Access Points compete in wireless network solutions. While Aruba Instant has advantages in pricing and customer support, SonicWave Access Points offers robust features, making it a worthwhile investment.

Features: Aruba Instant supports seamless scalability, intelligent app visibility, and integrated security features. SonicWall SonicWave provides advanced threat prevention, superior Wi-Fi signal strength, and compatibility with various security standards.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Aruba Instant is easy to deploy with auto-configuration and has user-friendly support. SonicWave Access Points requires more setup but offers extensive documentation and reliable service.

Pricing and ROI: Aruba Instant offers competitive pricing with lower setup costs, appealing to budget-conscious buyers. SonicWall SonicWave, while more expensive, offers a comprehensive feature set that may justify the investment.

To learn more, read our detailed Aruba Instant vs. SonicWall SonicWave Access Points Report (Updated: February 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Instant vs. SonicWall SonicWave Access Points

February 2026

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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

6.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

SonicWall SonicWave Access ...

Ranking in Wireless LAN

25th

Average Rating

10.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Aruba Instant is 2.3%, up from 2.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SonicWall SonicWave Access Points is 1.0%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Wireless LAN Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Aruba Instant	2.3%
SonicWall SonicWave Access Points	1.0%
Other	96.7%

Wireless LAN

Featured Reviews

SreejeshSoman

Technical Consultant at Vertex Techno Solutions (B) Pvt Ltd

Has supported mid-market deployments with cloud-based centralized management and reliable wireless performance

I faced challenges earlier with a limitation of 50 APs in single sites, but that has enhanced to 100 numbers, eliminating that challenge for Aruba Instant On team. Additionally, some features are not listed in the cloud management platform and still require offline access, so enhancing the cloud management features would be better for us.

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Winsley De Oliveira

Owner at ANOC

An industry-leading security and wireless solution packaged in one box

We make our customers SonicWall clients. We have a solution package: If you have a contract to network with us, we will deliver SonicWall firewalls, access points, VPN clients, and all the other equipment with the SonicWall solution. We have been selling this solution for the past 30 years. We had a customer three months ago struggling with a Fortinet solution. We convinced them that the Fortinet solution would not work perfectly during renewal. We made a bet and delivered SonicWall equipment for free for one week, and if they had no more issues, they would buy it. That's precisely what happened. The customer ended up purchasing an $80,000 SonicWall solution. The SonicWall SonicWave Access Points are a good product compared to Cisco, Sophos, and Fortinet. In Brazil, Ruckus is taking market share in some key areas, such as hotels and hospitals. They are into big solutions with thousands of access points. Overall, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.

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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

"I like the Instant On switches and the AP22"

"The central management of multiple devices is the solution's most valuable aspect."

"The stability of the solution is very good."

"In terms of stability, Aruba Instant is the best on the market."

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

"The most valuable feature of Aruba Instant is security."

"The deployment guides that we get from Aruba are excellent."

"The integration with ClearPass is the most valuable feature."

More Aruba Instant pros

"Unlike the Cisco solution that needs a dedicated wireless controller outside of a firewall, SonicWall has everything in one box. Fortinet is close to it."

"I rate SonicWall a nine out of ten."

"The platform's most valuable feature is the ability to provide cloud access to configure and manage devices."

"A good management tool that can be managed through the cloud or firewall."

"The security features of SonicWall are highly valued."

Cons

"The only issue we've had is getting equipment supplies. The availability of the APs that I want to use has been an issue. It took almost two months to get them the first time. I've ordered a few more for another client, and they're still on back order. It has been over a month now."

"There is a problem in the preferred portal access points when I'm using the portal."

"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."

"Aruba Instant should not have a limit on users for future releases."

"The reach of the solution could be improved. It could be a bit stronger."

"The restart time should be improved."

"For on-premises, I would rate the scalability a seven out of ten. For on-prem, if I want to integrate two more controls, and I want to extend my network , and add a couple of access points that need to be integrated with my network, I have to do the configurations and all. So that will be each and every time, as and when the users expand, the Wi-Fi solution expands; I need to do the configuration settings on all other controllers."

"My biggest problem with Aruba Instant was the DHCP implementation. The DHCP server needs to ping an IP address to connect to the internet. In some cases, we don't have a DHCP server in the network, and it was really a problem."

More Aruba Instant cons

"The product's pricing is high and could be improved."

"Integrating with the firewall and management console was a little complex."

"They are sometimes difficult to manage from the end-user side because they are not yet familiar with the configuration."

"The main issue is the management of the access points. They are sometimes difficult to manage from the end-user side because they are not yet familiar with the configuration."

"We have a lot of overlapping wireless networks with a lot of cheap equipment that does not run on any rules or regulations. The best way to improve the wireless network, like in SonicWaves, is to defeat these networks by isolating, preventing them, or overcoming their wireless signal. We try to do that, but I live near an airport, and the AirPortRadar glitches my wireless network every nine seconds."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is not expensive. Its price is fair. You get many features with the normal licensing. If I look at Cisco, it is very expensive if I need similar things."

"We only pay for the support and the contract licenses from Aruba Instant."

"Aruba Instant is affordable."

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

"The solution's pricing is reasonable."

"The pricing is reasonable."

"The tool's pricing is neither cheap nor expensive."

"There’s no licensing required to use the tool."

More Aruba Instant pricing and cost advice

"The platform offers yearly licenses."

"The pricing of the SonicWave Access Points solution is different in the US and Brazil. In the US, the solution is priced more competitively than other vendors. In Brazil, the exchange rate is a problem. To address this, SonicWall managers in Brazil are running several sales promotions and improving the price of new units."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Comms Service Provider

11%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Healthcare Company

Computer Software Company

13%

Manufacturing Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

University

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	31
Midsize Enterprise	7
Large Enterprise	14

No data available

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?

In my experience, Aruba Instant's price is reasonable compared to premium products like Ruckus, Cisco, or Juniper. However, when compared to entry-level market segments, the price is higher. Overal...

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What needs improvement with SonicWall SonicWave Access Points?

The main issue is the management of the access points. They are sometimes difficult to manage from the end-user side because they are not yet familiar with the configuration.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for SonicWall SonicWave Access Points?

I am using the SonicWall SonicWave Access Point for our Proof of Concept (POC) to our customers.

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering SonicWall SonicWave Access Points?

I rate SonicWall a nine out of ten. It should provide training to end users to enhance their knowledge.

See all answers

Comparisons

Omada Access Points vs Aruba Instant

Compared 19% of the time

Aruba Instant On Access Points vs Aruba Instant

Compared 13% of the time

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs Aruba Instant

Compared 11% of the time

Huawei Wireless vs Aruba Instant

Compared 8% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs Aruba Instant

Compared 8% of the time

More Aruba Instant Competitors

Ruckus Wireless vs SonicWall SonicWave Access Points

Compared 20% of the time

Ubiquiti WLAN vs SonicWall SonicWave Access Points

Compared 17% of the time

Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar vs SonicWall SonicWave Access Points

Compared 11% of the time

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs SonicWall SonicWave Access Points

Compared 10% of the time

Cisco Wireless vs SonicWall SonicWave Access Points

Compared 9% of the time

More SonicWall SonicWave Access Points Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Instant

February 2026

Download Aruba Instant product report

Buyer's Guide

Wireless LAN

January 2026

SonicWall SonicWave Access Points report

Download SonicWall SonicWave Access Points product report

Also Known As

No data available

SonicWave 200 Series, SonicWave 200 Series Access Points, SonicWave 400 Series, SonicWave 400 Series Access Points

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

SonicWall SonicWave series wireless access points (APs) combine high-performance IEEE 802.11ac Wave 2 wireless technology with flexible deployment options. These APs can be managed via the cloud using SonicWall WiFi Cloud Manager (WCM) or through SonicWall's industry-leading next-generation firewalls.

SonicWall

Sample Customers

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

St. Dominic's School for Girls

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Instant vs. SonicWall SonicWave Access Points

February 2026

Free Report: Aruba Instant vs. SonicWall SonicWave Access Points

Find out what your peers are saying about Aruba Instant vs. SonicWall SonicWave Access Points and other solutions. Updated: February 2026.

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