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Aruba Switches vs Brocade Ethernet Switches comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

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 Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
2nd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
86
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Brocade Ethernet Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
24th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.8
Number of Reviews
11
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Aruba Switches is 9.7%, down from 12.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Brocade Ethernet Switches is 1.0%, down from 1.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Eunice Thirikwa - PeerSpot reviewer
Stable hotel networking enhances return on investment with valuable modular features
There are issues with the distribution side of Aruba Switches. For instance, the distributor in our country cannot sell to neighboring countries, creating complications in project execution. Improving the distribution network across regions would be beneficial. Also, the SFP modules are significantly more expensive than industry peers, which affects cost-effectiveness.
Youssef Ezzerouali - PeerSpot reviewer
Effective range, scalable, and simple implmentation
The most valuable feature of Brocade Ethernet Switches is the good range of access it provides Brocade Ethernet Switches could improve by having better compatibility with web management of older versions. I have been using Brocade Ethernet Switches for approximately three years. The solution is…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"I like how Aruba switches integrate with On."
"The solution helps us save costs."
"These switches have a good performance, and they are also quickly configurable."
"Aruba Switches are always innovating to bring new solutions to the market."
"I like the Aruba Central platform. It makes a lot of sense. The switches have a lot of great capabilities. Central can lockdown VLANs and control the apps and protocols. There are several built-in security features that I'm not utilizing. However, those capabilities are part of the reason I'm using enterprise switches in a small office. I like knowing that I can do these things when necessary."
"Aruba access points have a good transfer rate."
"Aruba Switches is stable."
"The most valuable feature is the switches are reliable and replaced for free if anything goes wrong."
"There's a zone for each server and services in the storage."
"The initial setup was really straightforward and easy."
"It is easy to configure and provides good technical support."
"The technical support is good."
"The reliability of Brocade is the most valuable feature. The solution has been up and running for over ten years without any fail, fixes required, or breakdowns. It is a very strong piece of equipment."
"The most valuable feature of Brocade Ethernet Switches is the good range of access it provides."
"It has good integration with HPE Primera. They have smart zoning in which the administration is very easy. You don't have to do anything. Zoning and other things are done automatically if you just enable the smart zoning. That's one very good thing in HP."
"The switches last for a very long time."
 

Cons

"They should provide training courses for certification, and have it available on the internet."
"The dashboard could be improved, especially for the CX Switches. It would help to push scripts and configurations via an easy to use dashboard, one which would give us complete visibility of all of our switches in one place. Right now, we have more than one dashboard for Aruba. It would be nice if it was centralized."
"I'm not sure if they have the core switch series as well."
"Aruba's management suite has some room for improvement."
"The port flexibility on the 54 series, specifically the 5406 for core usage, could be improved. When I want to upgrade to 10G, I don't have many options to choose from."
"I would prefer it if they reduced the cost of the switches and the access points."
"The only problem with Aruba Switches is the pricing."
"The interface could be more user-friendly and the dashboard could be improved."
"Brocade Ethernet Switches need a better interface and centralized management."
"The solution could be more secure."
"Brocade Ethernet Switches could improve by having better compatibility with web management of older versions."
"There are some performance issues."
"It could be made easier to configure with a graphical interface."
"No graphical interface."
"It should be simpler. There are still some things that can be simpler in the Brocade switches."
"These switches are no longer supported."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Cisco has a higher cost than Aruba Switches."
"I am paying for the hardware and Aruba Central licenses, but I would like a version of Aruba Central to come out with a light version with a few features turned off. Ubiquiti and other vendors have free tools. I believe they're looking at that, but it's not out yet. I hope they will release that to make it competitive because I'm using an enterprise-class switch for small businesses. We're looking for some of those capabilities, but not all of them."
"The price point was a big consideration for us and it is reasonable enough that we're able to standardize on Aruba for the networking pieces in our organization."
"It is a little bit expensive. It can be cheaper."
"Our customers may want better pricing but we are a reseller and a partner, and the pricing that we get is good."
"We pay for the clear pass and the controller."
"This is an affordable solution."
"There is not a switch that I would give more than six out of ten for pricing because, over the last year, the prices have been increasing very high."
"The price of Brocade Ethernet Switches is expensive."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Government
7%
Educational Organization
7%
Computer Software Company
15%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Government
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Aruba Switches?
Aruba lives up to the expectations of the tech giant hewlett packard enterprise providing excellent networking capabilities at a very affordable price compared to the equivalent from another tech g...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Aruba Switches?
The cost of Aruba Switches is based on the price per device. The cost depends on the model. We have 24-port switches, PoE 12-port switches, and bigger switches, so the price varies depending on the...
What needs improvement with Aruba Switches?
We are not using all the features as we actually have multiple vendors, and I'm not an expert technically for Aruba Switches, so I'm not in a position to give detailed feedback on improvements. I w...
What needs improvement with Brocade Ethernet Switches?
To improve, it could be made easier to configure with a graphical interface.
What is your primary use case for Brocade Ethernet Switches?
I use Brocade Ethernet Switches because they are scalable. I recommend them since they are easy to configure. They are connected and used every day in our operations.
What advice do you have for others considering Brocade Ethernet Switches?
I would recommend Brocade Ethernet Switches because they are easy to configure and have good technical support. I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.
 

Also Known As

8400 Series, 8320 Series, 5400R Series, 3810 Series, 2930M Series, 2930F Series, 2920 Series, 2540 Series, 2530 Series
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Purdue University
Ajubeo, Akquinet AG, Big Data Analytics Provider Boligkontoret Danmark Bristol is Open, CDE Lightband, Cicero School District 99, City and County of San Francisco, Department of Emergency, City of Chattanooga, Cloudscale.sh
Find out what your peers are saying about Aruba Switches vs. Brocade Ethernet Switches and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
865,295 professionals have used our research since 2012.