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Aruba Switches vs Cisco Ethernet Switches comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 12, 2025

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
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
83
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Cisco Ethernet Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
1st
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
134
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Aruba Switches is 11.3%, down from 12.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Ethernet Switches is 15.6%, down from 18.8% 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.
Pradeep Adhav - PeerSpot reviewer
Network security enhancement with sturdy switches despite high costs
The Cisco Ethernet switches are primarily used as regular core switches for networking, distribution, and access levels. We also utilize Cisco Wi-Fi, VPN, and Wi-Fi controllers The Cisco Ethernet switches have improved our network's security, ensuring it is 100% secure by not allowing any…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"This solution is easy to use."
"We have found that the command line interface is very useful and very similar to Cisco devices."
"Aruba's SameNet platform allows for a seamless transition from the data center to access switches, unlike Cisco, which has different operating systems for each."
"With Aruba, I like its stability and lifetime warranty."
"The solution is easy to use and quick to deploy."
"The most valuable feature is that it's very easy to configure."
"When it comes to basic L2 switching, we've found that Aruba switches are very user-friendly in terms of configuration and management. I haven't had the opportunity to utilize Aruba Central for managing the switches yet, so I can't speak to that aspect. However, overall, we've found the deployment process for Aruba switches to be very straightforward."
"The solution is very stable."
"The product is pretty much reliable and stable."
"The most valuable aspect of the solution is the ability to manage the switches and the ability to have a certain level of familiarity with setting up and configuring the switches."
"The most valuable feature of Cisco Ethernet Switches is their stability. They are rock solid, and that's the advantage of Cisco."
"In terms of most valuable feature, I would say the user interface."
"The product offers very good customer support. It's likely the best in the industry."
"Cisco Ethernet Switches have good performance."
"The solution's valuable features are the speed of network transfer, it can transfer four to six gigabits per second."
"Cisco switches are trouble-free. They are reliable, and their performance is excellent."
 

Cons

"A more granular breakdown in debugging would be beneficial."
"I think that the performance is getting better but they need to have more powerful switches on the market so that they can capture medium and large businesses."
"Aruba's operating system changes with every version."
"I do not have any significant suggestions for improvement from my use."
"The licensing model could be improved."
"We had an issue with the hardware where one or two interfaces went down after one and a half years. This issue impacted only one or two interfaces, not the whole hardware."
"I would like to see them integrate a monitoring solution."
"I'm not sure if they have the core switch series as well."
"The quality of Cisco Ethernet Switches could be better."
"The initial setup for on-prem versions is complex and requires a trained, certified engineer."
"Very highly priced in comparison to other similar products."
"Cisco Ethernet Switches could improve if they removed the command line interface and replaced it with a better GUI. It is too difficult at the moment, we always need to figure out the commands."
"I haven't heard from my engineers that they said it's excellent."
"Its management should be improved."
"The ease of use of Cisco Ethernet Switches could improve. It is different to use them if you do not have prior knowledge."
"There is room for improvement in terms of cost."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The license is annual. If you purchase a switch, you get a one-year free subscription."
"Aruba switches cost between $500 and $600 more than similar products by Huawei, as well as many other brands."
"Aruba Switches are quite cost-effective."
"There are no licensing costs for the Aruba Switches."
"Aruba Switches are less expensive than Cisco."
"The tool is a little expensive for customers from other countries."
"The price is reasonable."
"Aruba switches work without a license."
"Cisco offers annual and three-year license options."
"We get the SMARTnet and one of the switches has that Cisco ONE licensing. It's probably running about $12,000 a year right now."
"When we want an extra feature then we need to purchase another license bundle."
"Its price is a bit higher than other brands. Indian customers are price-conscious. They should improve its price."
"The equipment might be more expensive, but when you take total ownership of the configuration, maintenance, and analysis, then it's a large benefit. Sometimes customers see only the first cost of the switches and don't look any further. This is a weak point of Cisco."
"The price is on the higher side."
"The cost of the solution is by unit."
"Cisco Ethernet Switches are expensive, and you have to pay for a warranty and technical support."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Ethernet Switches solutions are best for your needs.
845,040 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Comparison Review

it_user82779 - PeerSpot reviewer
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
14%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Educational Organization
7%
Government
7%
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Government
7%
 

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?
I find it to be middle to high. It's not always affordable, but they're losing the pricing market against Huawei, let's just put it like that.
What needs improvement with Aruba Switches?
There isn't much room for improvement. A more granular breakdown in debugging would be beneficial. Apart from that, not much is needed.
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: March 2025.
845,040 professionals have used our research since 2012.