Aruba Switches vs Brocade Ethernet Switches comparison

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HPE Aruba Networking Logo
23,021 views|19,482 comparisons
98% willing to recommend
Broadcom Logo
2,626 views|1,996 comparisons
100% willing to recommend
Comparison Buyer's Guide
Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Aruba Switches and Brocade Ethernet Switches based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Ethernet Switches solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.
To learn more, read our detailed Aruba Switches vs. Brocade Ethernet Switches Report (Updated: March 2024).
768,740 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Featured Review
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"Scalable and reliable solution for your network connectivity needs, with a straightforward setup.""It's an excellent product. They're high-quality switches, and nothing has failed in the time that we've had them.""The most valuable features of Aruba Switches are the routing protocol and the basic functionality.""The solution's most valuable aspect is its monitoring capabilities.""The cloud configuration is the most valuable feature of this solution. Watching in the cloud, propagating the actual devices themselves and the management of devices that are remote.""I like the Aruba Central platform. It makes a lot of sense. The switches have a lot of great capabilities. Central can lockdown VLANs and control the apps and protocols. There are several built-in security features that I'm not utilizing. However, those capabilities are part of the reason I'm using enterprise switches in a small office. I like knowing that I can do these things when necessary.""The solution's stability is really great. We found it very solid.""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."

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"The initial setup was really straightforward and easy.""The switches last for a very long time.""There's a zone for each server and services in the storage.""The most valuable feature of Brocade Ethernet Switches is the good range of access it provides.""The technical support is good.""The reliability of Brocade is the most valuable feature. The solution has been up and running for over ten years without any fail, fixes required, or breakdowns. It is a very strong piece of equipment.""I have not had any issues with our Brocade switches.""It has good integration with HPE Primera. They have smart zoning in which the administration is very easy. You don't have to do anything. Zoning and other things are done automatically if you just enable the smart zoning. That's one very good thing in HP."

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Cons
"Aruba Switches cover lots of areas and support automated and IOPS and with the central products, but I think when we look at the solutions overall, IOPS devices are not covered so much in Aruba Central. We are in Croatia and it is a small country, I don't know how its situation is in Europe, America, or Asia.""We would like to see centralized, cloud-based management.""The endpoint capabilities could be improved.""Technical support response time could be better.""I would like to see something like a Cisco Prime, an application controlling the entire system, switches, and access points.""It would be better and easier for us to buy if the price were reduced.""We had an integration team do the setup of the solution.""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."

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"These switches are no longer supported.""No graphical interface.""Brocade Ethernet Switches could improve by having better compatibility with web management of older versions.""The solution could be more secure.""There are some performance issues.""Brocade Ethernet Switches need a better interface and centralized management.""It should be simpler. There are still some things that can be simpler in the Brocade switches."

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Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "The license is annual. If you purchase a switch, you get a one-year free subscription."
  • "The price of these switches is high."
  • "Comparing with Cisco, and some other solutions, it's a cheap product."
  • "The price for Aruba is quite a bit cheaper than it is for similar products by Cisco."
  • "It is expensive compared to the competition."
  • "There are no licensing costs for the Aruba Switches."
  • "The price point was a big consideration for us and it is reasonable enough that we're able to standardize on Aruba for the networking pieces in our organization."
  • "This is an expensive product, costing about double what most competitors do."
  • More Aruba Switches Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "The price of Brocade Ethernet Switches is expensive."
  • More Brocade Ethernet Switches Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer: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… more »
    Top Answer:Aruba Switches are very expensive. The product has many features printed on it, but the problem my company faces with the product is related to the fact that there is a need to reconfigure the… more »
    Top Answer:There were some issues in Aruba Switches, specifically Aruba PoE Switches since working with it in our company damaged our network. The timer and the internal battery in Aruba Switches don't work… more »
    Top Answer:The most valuable feature of Brocade Ethernet Switches is the good range of access it provides.
    Top Answer:Brocade Ethernet Switches could improve by having better compatibility with web management of older versions.
    Top Answer:Our organization has almost all of the financial institutions in Puerto Rico connected simultaneously to our system. We have a firewall first, and then the Brocade system. All of our switches are… more »
    Ranking
    2nd
    out of 34 in Ethernet Switches
    Views
    23,021
    Comparisons
    19,482
    Reviews
    35
    Average Words per Review
    397
    Rating
    8.5
    19th
    out of 34 in Ethernet Switches
    Views
    2,626
    Comparisons
    1,996
    Reviews
    3
    Average Words per Review
    434
    Rating
    8.7
    Comparisons
    Also Known As
    8400 Series, 8320 Series, 5400R Series, 3810 Series, 2930M Series, 2930F Series, 2920 Series, 2540 Series, 2530 Series
    Learn More
    Broadcom
    Video Not Available
    Overview

    Aruba Switches is a network creation solution that enables users to easily manage every aspect of their networks.

    Benefits of Aruba Switches

    Some of the benefits of using Aruba switches include:

    • Easily access and manage every aspect of your networks. Aruba Switches give users a way to control their networks from a centralized location. The simplified control center can be accessed through both the cloud and on-premises devices. Intuitively view and manage every portion of your networks. You will be able to both analyze and control every device and client in the network while at the same time conserving resources for the areas of greatest concern.
    • Troubleshoot and upgrade your networks quickly and efficiently. Aruba Switches give users network visibility in real-time. It combines this with powerful analytics software that allow for the prediction, prevention, and resolution of issues. This allows administrators to act before their systems suffer serious harm. Additionally, Aruba Switches allow systems to maintain a high level of performance even during upgrading.
    • Automatically enact uniform system-wide changes. Aruba Switches gives users the ability to set their systems to automatically reconfigure when changes are necessary. Users are empowered to ensure that their systems run smoothly without worrying that there are parts of their network that are out of sync, reserving manpower and time for more pressing needs.

    Reviews from Real Users

    Aruba Switches are cutting-edge network creation tools that stand out among their competitors for a number of reasons. Two major ones are the warranty that guarantees them and the intuitive way in which they are designed. Aruba Switches are protected by lifetime warranties. If a switch malfunctions or is rendered inoperable, it can be quickly replaced. If the line of switches are still available, HPE will send the user the necessary replacement. Aruba Switches are built to be intuitive for users to customize and manipulate. This allows users to make full use of the solution without requiring them to devote a significant level of resources to training.

    The head of technical support at a real estate law firm writes, “One valuable feature about HP is the warranty. All switches are very similar when it comes to most functionalities. Most switches provide a one-year warranty, but with HPE switches, if there's a unit that malfunctions, we call them and they replace it the next business day if that line is still available. We had a switch we reported the other day, it was a 25-10, which we procured way back, around 2014, and they replaced it. In general, HP provides a lot of support for its products. We will be doing some tinkering on the VLAN soon, first the layer two, and then connecting the layer three functionalities for some other departments. The advantage of Aruba compared to other switches is their reliability. If the product is trustworthy, I'll continue to use it.”

    A network systems engineer at a financial services firm writes, “Their technical support is great. I have used Cisco products, and as compared to Cisco, Aruba's command-line syntax is not as complex. The command-line interface of Aruba switches is quite intuitive. It also has a graphical user interface. With Cisco, using the graphical user interface for configuration can be complex, whereas Aruba simplifies it, and you can easily use the graphical user interface. The configuration is secured. Their graphical user interface is quite robust.”

    From the world's first Ethernet fabric technology, to an open controller that eliminates vendor lock-in, to a switch stack that you can distribute throughout your campus, Brocade Ethernet Switches give you choices. Whether that means functionality, vendors, or even locations beyond the wiring closet, every option is secure, economical, and easily manageable.
    Sample Customers
    Purdue University
    Ajubeo, Akquinet AG, Big Data Analytics Provider Boligkontoret Danmark Bristol is Open, CDE Lightband, Cicero School District 99, City and County of San Francisco, Department of Emergency, City of Chattanooga, Cloudscale.sh
    Top Industries
    REVIEWERS
    Comms Service Provider18%
    Educational Organization18%
    Manufacturing Company11%
    Computer Software Company7%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company14%
    Government8%
    Manufacturing Company7%
    Comms Service Provider7%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company18%
    Financial Services Firm10%
    Government9%
    Manufacturing Company7%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business50%
    Midsize Enterprise23%
    Large Enterprise27%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business30%
    Midsize Enterprise20%
    Large Enterprise50%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business30%
    Midsize Enterprise30%
    Large Enterprise40%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business31%
    Midsize Enterprise14%
    Large Enterprise55%
    Buyer's Guide
    Aruba Switches vs. Brocade Ethernet Switches
    March 2024
    Find out what your peers are saying about Aruba Switches vs. Brocade Ethernet Switches and other solutions. Updated: March 2024.
    768,740 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    Aruba Switches is ranked 2nd in Ethernet Switches with 70 reviews while Brocade Ethernet Switches is ranked 19th in Ethernet Switches with 10 reviews. Aruba Switches is rated 8.4, while Brocade Ethernet Switches is rated 8.2. The top reviewer of Aruba Switches writes "As a managed service provider, it's important to have a solution that can manage everything from one console". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Brocade Ethernet Switches writes "This solution has been up and running for over ten years without any fail". Aruba Switches is most compared with Cisco Ethernet Switches, Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access, Meraki MS Switches, Ubiquiti UniFi Switches and Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches, whereas Brocade Ethernet Switches is most compared with Cisco Ethernet Switches, Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches, Mellanox Switches, Arista Networks Platform and HPE Ethernet Switches. See our Aruba Switches vs. Brocade Ethernet Switches report.

    See our list of best Ethernet Switches vendors.

    We monitor all Ethernet Switches reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.