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Aruba Switches vs Cisco Ethernet Switches comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 2, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
3.1
Aruba Switches provide stability, ease of monitoring, and potential cost savings, with expected ROI benefits within a year.
Sentiment score
4.3
Cisco Ethernet Switches offer a high return on investment due to durability, despite potential increased renewal and scalability costs.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.4
Aruba Switches support varies, with fast help praised, but slow responses and communication issues often complicate complex problem resolutions.
Sentiment score
5.7
Cisco Ethernet Switches support is praised for expertise and resources, despite some variable response times and integration challenges.
When issues are escalated to TAC for switching cases specifically, the support tends to be a little poor, whereas support for other products remains acceptable.
IT Solution Analyst II at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
Their tech support is good.
CTO at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
I find that technical support is available, especially during the warranty period.
Head Of ELV and ICT at Intec Systems Solution Pvt Ltd
It takes two to three days for Cisco support to address issues.
Asst IT Manager at Ultra Engineers
Currently, we don't have any technical support because our license doesn't allow for direct support.
Commercial Experience Supervisor at Jazz (previously known as Mobilink)
Cisco support is quick and responsive, often answering within an hour.
Senior System Engineer & Project Manager at TechnoPeak
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.6
Aruba Switches offer scalable, adaptable solutions for enterprises, featuring modular design and high user satisfaction in expansion capabilities.
Sentiment score
8.0
Cisco Ethernet Switches are praised for scalability and adaptability, with cost considerations and satisfaction varying by model.
The scalability offered by Aruba Switches is similar to Cisco, demonstrating options for enterprise networking.
Technology supervisor at a non-profit with 1-10 employees
I would rate the scalability of the product an eight out of ten.
Chief Executive Officer at Talinda East Africa
The scalability, in my opinion, is around seven to eight out of ten.
Head Of ELV and ICT at Intec Systems Solution Pvt Ltd
Cisco mainly provides security, patch management, hardware reliability, durability, scalability, and security features supporting my organization's expansion.
Head of the Solutions Department at BIM Group of Companies
The latest products do not allow integration with the earlier environment.
Asst IT Manager at Ultra Engineers
The scalability depends on the model.
Commercial Experience Supervisor at Jazz (previously known as Mobilink)
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.9
Aruba Switches are highly reliable, with infrequent issues, praised for stable performance and requiring regular maintenance for optimal operation.
Sentiment score
8.8
Cisco Ethernet Switches are highly reliable and durable, with users praising their performance and rating stability 9 or 10.
I have sites that have been running for many years with no issues.
Chief Executive Officer at Talinda East Africa
The stability of Aruba Switches is very good, and I would rate it between eight and nine out of ten.
Head Of ELV and ICT at Intec Systems Solution Pvt Ltd
Once we install Aruba Switches, we can forget about them for years and years.
Sales Engineer at SGE
The switches are very stable, rated ten out of ten.
Senior System Engineer & Project Manager at TechnoPeak
 

Room For Improvement

Aruba Switches need improvements in visibility, interface, security, stability, compatibility, setup complexity, pricing, and support for better user experience.
Cisco Ethernet Switches face criticism for high costs; users desire improved security, ease of use, and better third-party integration.
Improving the distribution network across regions would be beneficial.
Chief Executive Officer at Talinda East Africa
Aruba Central also has certain security features including segmentation capabilities and endpoint information that can be used to define policies.
IT Solution Analyst II at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
There are more centers of knowledge for Cisco than for Aruba here.
Technology supervisor at a non-profit with 1-10 employees
The pricing and hardware warranty renewal costs are more expensive than other products.
Asst IT Manager at Ultra Engineers
FortiGate switches are considered more valuable because they have firewall capabilities.
Commercial Experience Supervisor at Jazz (previously known as Mobilink)
For example, on switches, filtering specific sections isn't supported, whereas, on routers, you can do 'show run' with additional commands to filter.
Senior System Engineer & Project Manager at TechnoPeak
 

Setup Cost

Aruba Switches offer cost-effectiveness, competitive pricing, and advantageous licensing, appealing to organizations despite high-end models being costly.
Cisco Ethernet Switches are reliable but often costly, prompting enterprises to consider alternatives due to high ongoing expenses.
The pricing of some products, such as the 6300M switch, is considered a significant cost.
Chief Executive Officer at Talinda East Africa
From my experience, the pricing of Aruba Switches is competitive.
Head Of ELV and ICT at Intec Systems Solution Pvt Ltd
A high-end model with Aruba is about five thousand.
Sales Engineer at SGE
Cisco Ethernet switches are priced at a rating of nine, indicating they are expensive.
Asst IT Manager at Ultra Engineers
We need to pay for the subscription, as there are extra expenses after purchasing the product.
Head of the Solutions Department at BIM Group of Companies
Regarding the cost, Cisco Ethernet Switches have a competitive price.
IT Manager at Decorgel
 

Valuable Features

Aruba Switches are valued for cloud management, scalability, robust security, and integration, making them a preferred choice.
Cisco Ethernet Switches deliver superior performance, scalability, and security, featuring advanced management options and strong customer support for efficient networking.
One of the most valuable features of Aruba Switches is the security and cybersecurity features they have.
Technology supervisor at a non-profit with 1-10 employees
Scalability is significant since you can start from an economical product to a very high-end option, accommodating growth.
Sales Engineer at SGE
In the hotel sector, IGMP 3 is particularly valuable for IPTV.
Chief Executive Officer at Talinda East Africa
Their stability and durability are essential features we've been looking for many years, and they are still working fine.
IT Manager at Decorgel
The Cisco Ethernet switches are sturdy products that do not require any kind of maintenance.
Asst IT Manager at Ultra Engineers
The most valuable features of Cisco Ethernet switches include plug-and-play capabilities.
Sales Engineer at Phoenyx Commtech Pvt. Ltd.
 

Categories and Ranking

Aruba Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
2nd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.2
Number of Reviews
87
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Cisco Ethernet Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
1st
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
137
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Aruba Switches is 8.4%, down from 12.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Ethernet Switches is 10.3%, down from 17.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Cisco Ethernet Switches10.3%
Aruba Switches8.4%
Other81.3%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Aneesh K - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Solution Analyst II at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
Has supported dynamic user segmentation and centralized management across campus networks
The best features of Aruba Switches are their stability and reliability. Hardware failures are rare because the switches have been running for years, and it is uncommon to encounter hardware issues or impacting bugs. From an operational perspective, Aruba Switches are stable and easy to configure through centralized management solutions. Initially managed through AirWave and now through Central, the configuration can be managed easily with audit records and visibility to switch health and other parameters. Another advantage is that Aruba Switches work seamlessly with ClearPass as a NAC server. This integration allows for dynamic policies, dynamic downloadable user roles, and enables seamless segmentation of users for network security. The real-time analytics provided by Aruba Switches for network efficiency are valuable when needed. All information visible in the analytics dashboard is truly helpful. With Aruba Central's migration to AI capability, additional value is being provided, offering more information and making troubleshooting easier with user-friendly features where you can search for anything and receive relevant results.
PM
IT Manager at Decorgel
Reliable equipment offers seamless integration and management simplicity
I really appreciate Cisco Ethernet Switches and currently don't have any improvements to recommend. The switches have technology that has worked fine over the years. An improvement for all players in the market would be to have a website or service to manage all equipment from all brands, not just Cisco. There should be a platform to manage all the equipment.
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Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Ethernet Switches solutions are best for your needs.
881,082 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Comparison Review

it_user82779 - PeerSpot reviewer
Engineer at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees
Jan 29, 2014
Benefits of Juniper vs Cisco
Both are decent products. I prefer Juniper for the following reasons: 1) Cleaner separation of data plane from control plane. Higher end Cisco devices are better at this but most of the lower end products still seem to be more integrated than I like. 2) The Hierarchical config design means I can…
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Educational Organization
6%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Computer Software Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
7%
University
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business49
Midsize Enterprise18
Large Enterprise22
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business59
Midsize Enterprise35
Large Enterprise55
 

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?
Currently, the security integration with Aruba ClearPass is being used for NAC authentication only. Many ACLs and other security features are being managed, but the current security features being ...
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 ...
Which would you choose - Fortinet Fortiswitch secure access or Cisco Ethernet Switches?
We researched Cisco but ultimately chose Fortinet FortiSwitch Secure Access, mostly because of the price. Fortinet FortiSwitch is an ethernet switch solution that provides security and performance...
In terms of ethernet switches, would you go with Cisco or Juniper?
Our organization ran comparison tests to determine whether Cisco or Juniper Ethernet switches were the better fit for us. We decided to go with Juniper. Juniper ethernet switches are a lesser-known...
 

Also Known As

8400 Series, 8320 Series, 5400R Series, 3810 Series, 2930M Series, 2930F Series, 2920 Series, 2540 Series, 2530 Series
Cisco Industrial Ethernet Switches
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Purdue University
Linz AG
Find out what your peers are saying about Aruba Switches vs. Cisco Ethernet Switches and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
881,082 professionals have used our research since 2012.