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Aruba Wireless vs Cisco Meraki MR Wireless comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 1, 2026

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 Wireless
Ranking in Wireless LAN
1st
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
151
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Cisco Meraki MR Wireless
Ranking in Wireless LAN
17th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
3.5
Number of Reviews
5
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Featured Reviews

CK
Network Administrator at Nippon Express Canada Ltd.
Wireless network has supported long-term reliable access and simplifies RF optimization
I have experience with Cisco products and the Cisco brand. The product is mainly a hardware product. Regarding the software part, I don't have a lot of experience. Aruba Wireless was not too difficult to set up. When compared with other products such as Cisco, they also have products with wireless controllers, and it's similar to that. I think it should be recommended for both bigger and smaller companies based on the feedback and our experience. I believe there should be AI functions that might help us in some cases of cybersecurity matters, detecting threats regarding security would be better with AI. For this role, I have more than twenty years of experience. I would rate Aruba Wireless eight out of ten overall.
SG
Technical Presales at Vcom Technologies
Cloud-based management transforms branch network operations efficiently
The most useful feature of Cisco Meraki MR Wireless is its cloud-based management. Configuring Cisco Meraki MR Wireless is easy because it's a cloud-based solution. Once you connect it, it gets registered on the cloud. You can configure it through there itself, and you don't need to be at the site while configuring. Layer 7 traffic shaping helps with bandwidth management, and now you have the five gigabit port on the AP itself, so the bandwidth increases. No other wireless OEM provides a bandwidth of five gigabits. I have worked with the Network Analytics feature in Cisco Meraki MR Wireless, and it's used on the cloud. The Meraki controller, which is a cloud-based controller, allows us to manage multiple Cisco Meraki MR Wireless APs and monitor their performance, user connectivity, signal, and the AP performance itself. Regarding security features such as Air Marshal and WIPS, the Meraki 1700 series has the WIPS feature. We have used the WIPS feature to prevent rogue APs and to enable the security features in the wireless itself. You don't need to buy any other separate security devices, making it a very effective and useful feature.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The product has been pretty stable...The product is scalable."
"Aruba has a very scalable product with different hardware, software and complementary products such as AirWave and ClearPass."
"It has very flexible features."
"The stability of Aruba Wireless has been good."
"We appreciate the integration options that are available."
"It has improved overall IT efficiency across the board."
"The solution has been helpful in improving the way our company functions."
"The most valuable features are the Instant On capabilities, including the controller."
"The Meraki controller, which is a cloud-based controller, allows us to manage multiple Cisco Meraki MR Wireless APs and monitor their performance, user connectivity, signal, and the AP performance itself."
"The most useful feature of Cisco Meraki MR Wireless is its cloud-based management."
"Some of the best features with the wireless solution are that you have a cloud console, so you don't have to create or manage your own instance of a controller."
"Some of the best features with the wireless solution are that you have a cloud console, so you don't have to create or manage your own instance of a controller."
"Some of the best features with the wireless solution are that you have a cloud console, so you don't have to create or manage your own instance of a controller."
"We benefit from using Cisco Meraki cloud as it makes manageability easier—two people can manage 200 locations efficiently."
"As a user of the product, the biggest advantage for me is that it works seamlessly; users can switch between access points, and it works great."
"Cloud management is something I appreciate; it's an easy product to manage in comparison to many others."
 

Cons

"Technical support needs work. It's hard to reach the right people you need to help you when you come face to face with issues."
"They may have already improved on this but it would be good to have more than 4GB for the firewall."
"The price is high and not too reasonable. It is very high compared to other products."
"I had some problems with Wi-Fi coverage in the workshop, which required purchasing more devices."
"Aruba Wireless can improve the assigning of access points. We have times that the nearest access point is not assigned but one far away."
"Customer service really needs to be improved."
"I'm not entirely sure about deeper functionalities because almost our vendors handle that."
"I think the setup and the configuration of Aruba is complex."
"To do that effectively, I really need accurate floor plans, which I don't yet have. Without having the full picture, I'm operating somewhat blind and have to be careful."
"To do that effectively, I really need accurate floor plans, which I don't yet have. Without having the full picture, I'm operating somewhat blind and have to be careful."
"To do that effectively, I really need accurate floor plans, which I don't yet have. Without having the full picture, I'm operating somewhat blind and have to be careful."
"To do that effectively, I really need accurate floor plans, which I don't yet have. Without having the full picture, I'm operating somewhat blind and have to be careful."
"Overall, Cisco Meraki MR Wireless is a bit pricey; that's the main and probably only disadvantage."
"My main concern is that Cisco Meraki MR Wireless is overpriced, has limited functionality, and the hardware is not prepared for any further improvements in terms of features."
"The challenge with Cisco Meraki MR Wireless is that for any Meraki device, you require internet connectivity to get it registered on the cloud."
"Regarding service support, Cisco Meraki does not provide direct support. When raising incidents or support tickets, the support is not always effective."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"A recent change is that ClearPass licensing is superb. It counts user-based instead of device-based, for BYOD on-boarding."
"I think it would be better if they lowered the price."
"​We will be buying the ClearPass solution, which will be pricey. However, in the trial version, it has even more tools to manage a busy network.​"
"There is so much licensing, you literally pay for every solution, add-on, or cool feature. Compared to others, we were in the middle with pricing, but as you start to invest more into features it will get very pricey."
"Pricing support has always been cost-effective."
"Customers have to pay for perpetual licenses with Aruba controller licenses, depending on the features they are looking for."
"The pricing is fair and similar to other products."
"The product is expensive."
Information not available
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Comparison Review

it_user212721 - PeerSpot reviewer
President at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Mar 24, 2015
Cisco vs. Aruba Wireless Solutions
Cisco or Aruba Networks? If you are considering wireless access solutions, this is a common question that you are probably asking. You probably have sales people knocking at your door. How do you make sense of all the stories that you are presented with. If you have done any research, you are…
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
9%
Computer Software Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Comms Service Provider
7%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business77
Midsize Enterprise47
Large Enterprise75
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What are pros and cons of Aruba 515 Series AP vs. Cisco Meraki or Extreme Networks?
Depends. I have personally used both Cisco and Aruba so I am familiar with them. Extreme I am not, so unless they have some feature that I need or want, I wouldn't consider them. Do you have expe...
Aruba Wireless or Ruckus Wireless?
At my organization, we researched Ruckus Wireless among other solutions but ultimately chose Aruba wireless. What did we like about Ruckus? First, it was very easy to use, and anybody with minimal...
How does Cisco Wireless compare with Aruba Wireless?
On the most basic level, Cisco Wireless can offer a rather straightforward initial setup. In the span of about three hours, the basic framework can be set up. Step-by-step instructions are availabl...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Meraki MR Wireless?
The cost of Cisco Meraki MR Wireless is high; the price of one AP to the end customer is approximately 50,000 INR.
What needs improvement with Cisco Meraki MR Wireless?
I have utilized Meraki's RF Optimization to some extent. To do that effectively, I really need accurate floor plans, which I don't yet have. Without having the full picture, I'm operating somewhat ...
What is your primary use case for Cisco Meraki MR Wireless?
My use case for Cisco Meraki MR Wireless is in automotive retail. I work with a dealership ownership group that currently operates 95 locations.
 

Also Known As

Aruba WLAN, HP WLAN, HP Wireless, Aruba Instant On AP Series Access Point
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Consulate Health Care, Los Angeles Unified School District, Science Applications International Corp (SAIC), San Diego State University, KFC, ACTS Retirement-Life Communities
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Aruba Wireless vs. Cisco Meraki MR Wireless and other solutions. Updated: April 2026.
893,244 professionals have used our research since 2012.