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Aruba Switches vs Cisco Ethernet Switches comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 8, 2026

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
2.6
Users appreciate Aruba Switches for cost savings, stability, long-term ROI, warranty benefits, and efficiency compared to Cisco.
Sentiment score
5.7
Cisco Ethernet Switches offer high ROI with low maintenance, uptime, but some face renewal, scalability challenges affecting profitability.
It has saved considerable time for engineers to troubleshoot and perform related tasks.
Network & Security Engineer at Arrow PC Network Pvt.Ltd.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.3
Aruba Switches' customer service has mixed reviews; response times and support quality vary, especially with complex issues.
Sentiment score
6.1
Cisco Ethernet Switches are praised for strong support, yet experience variability, especially with complex issues and response times.
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
Customer support for Cisco Ethernet Switches is really good.
Network & Security Engineer at Arrow PC Network 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)
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.6
Aruba Switches offer high scalability, praised for modularity, integration, and flexibility, with excellent user ratings for adaptability.
Sentiment score
8.1
Cisco Ethernet Switches are scalable, adaptable, and support efficient network expansion across diverse environments, suitable for all company sizes.
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
I would rate the ability to scale at seven because the modular backbone devices are very good.
Administrator at Sulbana Oy
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 lauded for stability and reliability, offering consistent performance with minimal issues, particularly with proper maintenance.
Sentiment score
8.9
Cisco Ethernet Switches are highly regarded for their durability and reliability, with users praising their long-lasting performance and support.
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 require better integration, user-friendliness, support, pricing, stability, delivery, cooling solutions, documentation, and global training.
Cisco Ethernet Switches face challenges with complexity, costs, inadequate support, and demand improvements in scalability, security, integration, and usability.
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 are generally affordable and cost-effective, with no license requirements, offering competitive pricing compared to Cisco and Huawei.
Cisco Ethernet Switches offer high quality and reliability but come with high prices, inflexible licensing, and potential hidden costs.
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 excel in security, scalability, and ease of management, offering superior support and features compared to Cisco.
Cisco Ethernet Switches provide performance, reliability, security, scalability, advanced management features, customization, energy efficiency, and extensive support.
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
It provides a high layer of enterprise security via 802.1X port-based authentication, DHCP snooping, ARP inspection, IP Guard, ACLs, and integration with Cisco ISE.
Network & Security Engineer at Arrow PC Network Pvt.Ltd.
The Cisco Ethernet switches are sturdy products that do not require any kind of maintenance.
Asst IT Manager at Ultra Engineers
 

Categories and Ranking

Aruba Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
1st
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.2
Number of Reviews
88
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Cisco Ethernet Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
2nd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
138
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2026, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Aruba Switches is 8.6%, down from 10.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Ethernet Switches is 8.8%, down from 14.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Aruba Switches8.6%
Cisco Ethernet Switches8.8%
Other82.6%
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.
Myint Aung - PeerSpot reviewer
Head of the Solutions Department at BIM Group of Companies
Exceptional network support and AI integration drive performance while suggesting enhancements for future use cases
I work with both HyperFlex and other Cisco products. I prefer to make online support available because I can utilize my CCIE architect, solution consultant, and engineer team along with our account manager and product sales team. We can clarify requirements and decide how to support you. We should arrange a conference call about Cisco Ethernet Switches where I can invite my architect and consultant to clarify more about the features that are most beneficial for improving network efficiency. Today is AI day, and all the new firmware includes AI to optimize the performance, traffic, and security of Cisco Ethernet Switches. It's performing very well. With many solutions and vendors available, you have to decide on one. I am extremely satisfied with the licensing cost for Cisco Ethernet Switches. For the price of Cisco Ethernet Switches, I would rate it a 7. My overall rating for Cisco Ethernet Switches is 10 out of 10.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
10%
Computer Software Company
10%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Computer Software Company
8%
Construction Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business50
Midsize Enterprise19
Large Enterprise22
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business60
Midsize Enterprise35
Large Enterprise55
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Aruba Switches?
In terms of pricing for Aruba Switches, I would rate it a five. They are quite expensive devices.
What needs improvement with Aruba Switches?
Technology is constantly advancing, and although more security is always needed, our networks are still old, so we mostly need to modernize our installations. Regarding integration capabilities, th...
What is your primary use case for Aruba Switches?
Aruba Switches are used in our organization for a straightforward purpose. We started with the HP line, and when Aruba came into the picture, we began using them for our network infrastructure. The...
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: April 2026.
893,311 professionals have used our research since 2012.