Software Engineer at a retailer with 10,001+ employees
Real User
It doesn't require a controller, has an easy-to-navigate GUI, and shows statistics that give you a lot of insight, but the syncing between the cloud and the APs is inconsistent
Pros and Cons
  • "What I like best about Aruba Wireless is that it doesn't need a controller. The product also has a GUI that's easy to navigate."
  • "Aruba Wireless is a good product, but it still has some issues, especially at the beginning, where there's inconsistent syncing between the cloud and the APs. Sometimes, there's also a little lag when accessing the query."

What is our primary use case?

We deployed Aruba Wireless in our corporate head office, where we have a lot of business users. We use the product both as corporate WiFi and guest platform.

What is most valuable?

What I like best about Aruba Wireless is that it doesn't need a controller.

The product also has a GUI that's easy to navigate.

I also like that Aruba Wireless shows statistics that give you a lot of insight.

What needs improvement?

Aruba Wireless is a good product, but it still has some issues, especially at the beginning, where there's inconsistent syncing between the cloud and the APs. Sometimes, there's also a little lag when accessing the query.

For how long have I used the solution?

I started using Aruba Wireless two years ago.

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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Aruba Wireless is a stable product.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I find Aruba Wireless scalable.

How are customer service and support?

We've contacted Aruba Wireless support many times, but there weren't proper resolutions. Cases remain open for a few days, and then they'll automatically resolve. Then, sometimes, those cases will reappear.

Aruba support would be a four on a scale of one to five.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

My company has a particular office on Cisco APs, then replaced completely with Aruba Wireless, one of the most extensive Aruba deployments in the company.

My company is still planning to switch from Cisco Wireless to Aruba Wireless in other offices. However, concerning Cisco Wireless, the product is pretty stable and solid. It has been running for years, but eighty percent of the environment is on Cisco Wireless, which Aruba Wireless will eventually replace.

How was the initial setup?

Deploying Aruba Wireless is pretty straightforward.

It took several days to complete the deployment because the office was enormous and the number of APs deployed was quite significant.

It took one to two months to pre-stage, install, and make Aruba Wireless stable.

What about the implementation team?

My company pre-staged the equipment and the APs, and then initially, the deployment team had a few issues during the Aruba Wireless installation.

A third-party team deployed the product for my company.

What was our ROI?

As Aruba Wireless doesn't require a controller, my company saved some money, so there's ROI from the product.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I don't know the exact costs associated with Aruba Wireless, but I have a rough idea, and it's not too cheap, though it's less costly than Cisco Wireless. Pricing for Aruba Wireless is moderate. It's a three out of five.

What other advice do I have?

I have experience with both Cisco Wireless and Aruba Wireless.

My company uses Aruba Wireless IAP-245.

It's a centrally-managed cloud product.

Daily, the number of Aruba Wireless users varies. If there's a meeting, then many high-profile users will come. At least two or three times a week, there will be many product users, for example, IT engineers, designers, finance people, and people from other teams.

My advice for anyone looking into implementing Aruba Wireless is that it depends on the use cases. You get all the features available in Cisco Wireless at a lesser price, but in terms of support and stability, Cisco is ahead of Aruba. However, Aruba Wireless is a good option when considering the price and if you're a mid-sized organization.

Aruba Wireless gets a seven out of ten from me.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Thomas Christen - PeerSpot reviewer
Consultant at Bechtle
Reseller
Top 10
Priced well and stable
Pros and Cons
  • "Aruba Wireless is stable."
  • "Aruba Wireless could improve the interface, it does not have a smart web interface. Other solutions have smart web interfaces, such as Cisco Meraki."

What needs improvement?

Aruba Wireless could improve the interface, it does not have a smart web interface. Other solutions have smart web interfaces, such as Cisco Meraki.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Aruba Wireless for approximately six years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Aruba Wireless is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Aruba Wireless is scalable for the needs of my customers. Some of my customers have approximately 1,500 users using the solution and it works well.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The price of Aruba Wireless is reasonable.

What other advice do I have?

I rate Aruba Wireless a seven out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
PeerSpot user
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Aruba Wireless
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SandeepGautam - PeerSpot reviewer
Channel Sales Manager at Denave
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Offers centralized management of APs and switches
Pros and Cons
  • "The tool's most valuable feature is Aruba Central, which offers centralized management. You can manage its switches, APs, and data access. It is easy to manage the entire switches and APs. The solution is the best in terms of security and manageability."
  • "Our customers ask for a security portfolio, which the tool doesn't have."

What is most valuable?

The tool's most valuable feature is Aruba Central, which offers centralized management. You can manage its switches, APs, and data access. It is easy to manage the entire switches and APs. The solution is the best in terms of security and manageability. 

What needs improvement?

Our customers ask for a security portfolio, which the tool doesn't have. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with the product for three years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I rate Aruba Wireless' stability a nine out of ten. It comes with a limited lifetime warranty. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable. My territory has at least 70-80 customers. 

How was the initial setup?

The tool's deployment is easy. Its deployment depends on the network type and scope of work. Simple scenarios can be completed in a week. Complex networks take two to three months to complete. 

What other advice do I have?

Our customers who use Aruba Wireless are very much happy. We have a pre-sales team that helps us with solution design, POCs, installation, and implementation. Our customers appreciate this kind of support. I rate it a nine out of ten. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
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PeerSpot user
Associate Director – Network & Cyber security at Microland Limited
Real User
Very stable, reasonably priced and great for small to medium size organizations
Pros and Cons
  • "Reasonably priced and great for small to medium size organizations."
  • "Lacks a heat map analysis and a cloud-based wireless controller."

What is our primary use case?

I work for an international service integrating company and we provide resources that are distributed internationally. We use Wireless for our branch and remote locations, and it's mainly for the internet. We are service integrators and deploy this solution as well as provide support to multiple customers. I am the director of technology and we are currently customers of Aruba. 

What is most valuable?

Reasonably priced and great for small to medium size organizations. One positive is that they're not constantly providing upgrades and that reduces exposure to complications.

What needs improvement?

I haven't yet seen a cloud-based wireless controller in Aruba and I'm waiting for that as well as a heat map analysis which is also lacking. I'd like to see application visibility in the next release on the inbound and outbound traffic flow. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is working well and we haven't had any issues with stability. Traffic flow is starting to increase now that workers are returning to the office, and we're likely to move to Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 7 in the near future.

How are customer service and support?

Getting a response from technical support is really tough and is a pain point for us. It doesn't flow like in Cisco Tech.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is pretty easy, certainly not as complicated as Cisco. There aren't many upgrades or major bugs so it's more stable than Cisco. Deployment time depends on the size of the project. A small site will take about two weeks, a larger project might take three or four weeks. We have nine engineers supporting Aruba.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I'm unaware of the cost but I know it's cheaper than Cisco and that is why Aruba generally wins when a contract goes to tender or in the procurement phase.

What other advice do I have?

A key factor is to ensure the solution suits your requirements. If a smaller organization is looking for an on-prem solution, then Aruba would fit in. For larger deployments, it would be better to go with Cisco. If you're an organization with 400 different sites, Cisco is the way to go. Aruba has proven itself for smaller to midsize deployments.

The solution does what it's meant to and I'm happy with it. I rate this solution eight out of 10. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
System Network Support Consultant at Auckland University of Technology
Consultant
It's a reliable, affordable solution for small and medium-sized companies
Pros and Cons
  • "AirWave is a valuable feature."
  • "We're using the Aruba Sensor, but sometimes the sensor isn't talking to AirWave or the AP. If something happens, we need to receive an email directly from the sensor, but the controller doesn't know. If there's something like the high channel utilization from the sensor we send to the controller, the controller can change the channel because they're all in the same environment."

What is our primary use case?

Our team handles the Aruba controller. We have four senior and two junior engineers.

What is most valuable?

AirWave is a valuable feature.

What needs improvement?

We're using the Aruba Sensor, but sometimes the sensor isn't talking to AirWave or the AP. If something happens, we need to receive an email directly from the sensor, but the controller doesn't know. If there's something like the high channel utilization from the sensor we send to the controller, the controller can change the channel because they're all in the same environment.

Also, the controller can not do active/standby mode. It only works in active/active. I haven't seen any option for active/standby because we want to put one in the backup center. However, with the active/active mode, the traffic must go to the primary and the backup center.

I would like it if Aruba had a mobile app so I wouldn't need to log in on my laptop. They should also simplify the solution, so there aren't so many layers. It would be nice if the solution double-checked your configurations. For example, it could warn you if a configuration change in one layer conflicts with your current settings. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Aruba Wireless since 2018.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Aruba is stable. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Aruba is pretty scalable. 

How are customer service and support?

I've called Aruba support directly for several tickets. It is quite good most of the time.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I work with Cisco and Aruba. We are more familiar with Cisco because we've been using it for more than 15 years. It is stable and available in active/standby. We can put one in the backup dial center and one in the primary dial center.

Cisco's controller is also stable, and they're using DNA to monitor. It sends us an alert if something happens and tells us what caused the problem. It can identify the root cause and solution. 

How was the initial setup?

Deploying Aruba is somewhat complex. There are many layers. It's easy to make mistakes because the same setting will appear in different layers. Various parts of large buildings can have different settings.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We don't like the subscription model. We need to adjust our budget every time we renew the license.

What other advice do I have?

I rate Aruba Wireless eight out of 10. I would recommend it to a small or medium-sized company. It depends on your budget because Aruba is slightly cheaper than Cisco. 

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Manager - Network Solutions at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Scalable enterprise wireless LAN solution with good visibility; technical support is also good
Pros and Cons
  • "Enterprise wireless LAN solution with good visibility and amazing scalability. Aruba Wireless also offers good technical support."
  • "Making the setup more simple is an area for improvement in Aruba Wireless. Security-wise, this solution also needs work."

What is most valuable?

I found a lot of things, a lot of functions to be most valuable in Aruba Wireless. It depends on the category of the features you are looking for. From a security perspective, a performance perspective, a quality perspective, and a user experience perspective, there are a lot, so I can't mention a specific feature.

The best feature for me would be the visibility of this solution.

This solution can also cover thousands of access points, and that's another thing I like.

What needs improvement?

What I'd like improved in Aruba Wireless is for it to be a full cloud solution.

Making the setup more simple is another area for improvement for Aruba Wireless. There's a big solution for this, but it's not a huge enterprise solution, but Aruba Wireless has thousands of access points, so it's okay.

Security still needs some work with Aruba Wireless, because you don't know which users are accessing, what each user is trying to do, what the applications are and the intentions behind the applications, so there are a lot of complexities behind the scene.

The wireless access points from Aruba Wireless are not just access points, e.g. they form a platform that contains a lot of features such as cloud features, security features, even IoT, so I recommend to have these in all the product range, including small business solutions, so this is what I'd like to see in the next release.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been working with Aruba Wireless for more than six years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Aruba Wireless has great stability within uptime and service time, but from a security perspective, it's not stable, because it's exposed to the users. A lot of CDEs and security issues appear every day. From a security perspective, there are a lot of challenges for everyone, but within uptime, the stability of this solution is perfect.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I have no doubts about the scalability of Aruba Wireless. Its scalability is amazing.

How are customer service and support?

Technical support for this solution is good. If I were to rate technical support, with five being the highest, I'm giving it a four out of five.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup for Aruba Wireless is not easy. It's not straightforward. The setup for the solution is quite complicated, but this is not unusual, because it is an enterprise solution, and it is no different from the competition, in terms of the complexity of the setup.

If I would rate the setup of Aruba Wireless between one to five, with five being the highest, I'm rating the setup a two.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I've worked with Cisco and Mojo solutions.

What other advice do I have?

I'm a technical engineer, and I'm leading the networking team in one of our system integrations today. I'm an integrator. One of the solutions that we are providing is wireless, e.g. Cisco, Aruba Wireless, and Mojo from Arista.

My advice to an organization looking to implement Aruba Wireless is to take it, because I've seen a lot of vendors and I've dealt with customers, so everyday I assume there would be different challenges with my customers. With Aruba Wireless, there are no doubts about its quality and uptime.

I'm rating Aruba Wireless an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Nuno Alcobia - PeerSpot reviewer
Coordenador técnico at a computer software company with 201-500 employees
Real User
Can be widely tuned to meet any needs and it offers a higher level of integration with IoT straight out-of-the-box
Pros and Cons
  • "Although there are other solutions available and some with a lower initial cost, they don't offer the same level of integration with IoT as this solution without having to add additional hardware, which ends up costing more."
  • "The initial setup is more complex than other solutions."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use case of the solution is hospitality.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is that it can be tuned much more than other vendors, giving you more options to execute. 

What needs improvement?

The solution can be improved by simplifying the configuration. I would like to see a more user-friendly GUI that is not so easily confused when configuring clusters or even a single node when people are not paying attention to what layer they are configuring, whether it be at the mobility master level or at the node level. I would like to see more analytics that can help us pinpoint the cause of reduced performance related to the airtime and number of SSIDs being used.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I consider the solution to be stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I believe the solution is scalable.

How are customer service and support?

The support team for the solution is good and always eager to help.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is more complex than other solutions. You need to understand the technology, the way it's configured, and the way you have to set it up. The solution requires more knowledge and more commitment than others.

What about the implementation team?

We implemented it in-house.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The pricing has increased and it was always more costly than some of the other solutions available.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I evaluated Ruckus and Meraki Wireless before choosing the solution.

What other advice do I have?

I give the solution a nine out of ten.

Although there are other solutions available and some with a lower initial cost, they don't offer the same level of integration with IoT as this solution without having to add additional hardware, which ends up costing more.

I recommend that you gather all the requirements and define the API groups before the deployment of this solution.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Alfred_Pullicino - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Manager at Genesis Global
Real User
Top 5
Helpful in extending LAN capabilities via wireless capabilities but is not user-friendly
Pros and Cons
  • "It's been running for the past three years with no default configuration."
  • "The solution could be more user-friendly."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use case for this solution is extending the LAN capabilities via wireless capabilities so people can roam around in the office with wireless connectivity. Additionally, its management has a lot of insight into which access point you're connected to and a lot of information about the devices. Some of the information is related to bringing your device, whether it's a device which is owned by the company or not and reporting what sites are being browsed and accessed.

What is most valuable?

We find its stability very valuable. It's been running for the past three years with no default configuration.

What needs improvement?

The solution could be more user-friendly.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using the solution for a couple of years and are currently using the latest one.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable. We have approximately 300 users utilizing the solution.

How are customer service and support?

We have had a relatively good experience with customer service and support. I rate them an eight out of ten.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is a bit complex and requires some basic networking and wireless networking concepts.

What about the implementation team?

We implemented via a vendor, and implementation took approximately one week.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We did not evaluate other options because we wanted one integrated solution which incorporated both wired and wireless, and with Aruba Wireless, we got the full package.

What other advice do I have?

I rate the solution a seven out of ten. I advise users to research and decide based on their organization's needs.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
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Updated: April 2024
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