Consultant at Lantec
Real User
Top 5
Allows you to do ZTP installations for new equipment and is stable and easy to set up
Pros and Cons
  • "What I like best about Aruba Airwave is its orchestration feature because it saves configuration time. I also like that it allows you to do ZTP installations for new Aruba equipment."
  • "Pricing for Aruba Airwave could be cheaper, which is an area for improvement in the solution."

What is our primary use case?

We develop Aruba Airwave solutions for our clients, which they use for ZTP, mailing access points, and network switches.

What is most valuable?

What I like best about Aruba Airwave is its orchestration feature because it saves configuration time, for example, when adding access points and access lists on switches.

I also like that Aruba Airwave allows you to do ZTP installations for new Aruba equipment.

What needs improvement?

Pricing for Aruba Airwave could be cheaper, which is an area for improvement in the solution.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using Aruba Airwave for five years.

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Aruba Airwave
April 2024
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Aruba Airwave is a stable solution. I'm rating its stability as ten out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Aruba Airwave is a scalable solution. Scalability-wise, it's an eight.

How are customer service and support?

The technical support for Aruba Airwave is good. Sometimes, my team creates cases where the support answers and solves the problems.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup for Aruba Airwave is easy because it has a virtual machine template, and Aruba has documentation, including an installation guide that my company follows. Aruba Airwave also has a ZTP setup, making it extremely easy.

Deploying Aruba Airwave took one to two days. You need to download, install, deploy, and configure it, and it'll work.

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

The licensing cost for Aruba Airwave increased from $72 to $210 within a few months. It would be better if the pricing for the solution were cheaper.

What other advice do I have?

My company uses the monitoring software Aruba Airwave.

I'm using Aruba Airwave version 8.5.

My company currently has ten customers using Aruba Airwave.

One to two network engineers take care of the deployment and maintenance of the solution.

I'm recommending Aruba Airwave to other people looking into implementing it.

My rating for Aruba Airwave is ten 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
PeerSpot user
IT Infrastructure Manager at a manufacturing company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Real User
Top 10
Network management system used for monitoring that offers stability and scalability for larger businesses
Pros and Cons
  • "It's scalable because it's licensed per device and we bought licenses with each device. I would rate it a nine out of ten for scalability."
  • "The overall monitoring of this solution could be improved."

What is our primary use case?

We use this solution as our monitoring tool. 

What needs improvement?

The overall monitoring of this solution could be improved. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This is a stable solution. I would rate it a nine out of ten for stability. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It's scalable because it's licensed per device and we bought licenses with each device. I would rate it a nine out of ten for scalability.

What about the implementation team?

The deployment was done by a vendor team. 

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

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten for pricing. 

What other advice do I have?

I would rate this solution an eight 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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Buyer's Guide
Aruba Airwave
April 2024
Learn what your peers think about Aruba Airwave. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2024.
768,886 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Technical Support Specialist Networks at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Provides a lot of reporting capabilities and has a good interface
Pros and Cons
  • "This solution gives you a lot of reporting capabilities, and it has a very good interface."
  • "I would like to see an integration of services into one system, rather than having multiple systems to do multiple things."

What is our primary use case?

The main use case for this solution is reporting.

What is most valuable?

This solution gives you a lot of reporting capabilities and it has a very good interface.

What needs improvement?

I would like to see an integration of services into one system, rather than having multiple systems to do multiple things. For example, ClearPass has everything in one.

For how long have I used the solution?

Approximately two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

In terms of stability, I have zero issues with it.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I cannot comment on the scalability because the solution is within my building, and the number of users doesn't change.

Currently, it is used by thirty to sixty people at the maximum.

How are customer service and technical support?

I have not dealt with the technical support for AirWave. We have dealt with them for the ClearPass product and Aruba, but not for this solution.

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

Prior to this, we were using a solution from Juniper Networks, but it was outdated and really old. We did a review of all the products and Aruba AirWave came out high, which is why we switched. 

How was the initial setup?

There are two staff members who maintain everything.

What about the implementation team?

The initial setup was done by a contractor, who was very good. It was with a company named MDS.

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

The cost is perfect because the devices have a lifetime warranty, and the licensing is good as well. I have no complaints.

What other advice do I have?

This is a straightforward solution but I would suggest that somebody implement it for you. Also, make sure that they have a really good background in it.

I would rate this product a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Technology Consultant Team Head at Ignite Solutions
Real User
Top 20
Work very well in environments with multiple vendors, but it is very expensive
Pros and Cons
  • "It can interact with other vendors better than Cisco, which is a good point of AirWave. It is easy to use, and its reporting is good."
  • "They should make it cheaper. By doing that, they can replace Cisco, which is also very expensive. If it is equivalent to Cisco in the features, with a reduced price, they can sell it more than Cisco."

What is our primary use case?

It is a monitoring service. It is being used in a big financial institute, and we are now also designing it for a college. 

How has it helped my organization?

It can do many things. It is useful for managing wireless, wired, and remote access networks. It is also useful for monitoring the performance of the switches and reporting.

What is most valuable?

It can interact with other vendors better than Cisco, which is a good point of AirWave. It is easy to use, and its reporting is good.

What needs improvement?

They should make it cheaper. By doing that, they can replace Cisco, which is also very expensive. If it is equivalent to Cisco in the features, with a reduced price, they can sell it more than Cisco.

It should also support HPE servers, and their support could also be faster.

For how long have I used the solution?

We were a partner of HPE before HPE bought Aruba. It has probably been four or five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

In a monitoring solution, instead of stability, we look for accuracy. It must be accurate in the reporting and alerting, which is important. It must integrate well with all other vendors, and it should be accurate in the reporting. Stability is not a big issue in the case of monitoring solutions. 

How are customer service and support?

Support is good, but it is not as good as Cisco. Cisco's support is faster. We are also a partner of Cisco. Cisco's escalation step is easier than Aruba's. Cisco also follows up more than Aruba. I would rate Aruba's support a two or three out of five.

How was the initial setup?

It is easy. All Aruba solutions are easy to set up. Cisco solutions can be complicated in terms of configuration and pre-sales activity. They are becoming a little bit easier, but AirWave is still the easiest one.

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

AirWave is a very expensive solution. If you implement it in a wide range network, it will cost a lot. There is no option to sell it outside that price segment, which is a problem.

What other advice do I have?

It depends on the kind of products you have. If you have multiple vendors, Aruba is easier to use than Cisco. With Cisco, you will face some problems while dealing with a lot of vendors. There is another solution, probably called WireShark, that is compatible with all vendors. It has a lot of features, and it also supports servers and other applications.

I would rate Aruba Airwave a seven out of 10.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
PeerSpot user
Solution Design Engineering at Cigna
MSP
The Clarity feature makes it easy to use and understand what is going on with your network in a nice dashboard
Pros and Cons
  • "It contains valuable features for engineers to C-level executives, who want visibility, performance, statistics, and a platform which can take action for them without manual intervention, saving time and money.​​"
  • "The Clarity feature makes it easy to use and understand what is going on with your network in a nice dashboard.​"
  • "I would like to see is “AAS”. Not only Aruba APs with central, but NAC/ClearPass, AirWave, and everything licensed as a Service."

What is our primary use case?

Visibility and control in any environment, especially Healthcare,Finance, Education and SLED accounts.

How has it helped my organization?

Gives us network access control, visibility, scalability, security, and control in what is becoming an uncontrollable, inundated BYOD and IoT world.

What is most valuable?

The Clarity feature makes it easy to use and understand what is going on with your network in a nice dashboard.

It contains valuable features for engineers to C-level executives, who want visibility, performance, statistics, and a platform which can take action for them without manual intervention, saving time and money.

What needs improvement?

Aruba is always finding better, innovative ways to make their products easier and more friendly. It is always being improved, but what I would like to see is “AAS”. Not only Aruba APs with central, but NAC/ClearPass, AirWave, and everything licensed as a Service. This way, like AWS, they can spin up what they need when they need it and vice versa.

For how long have I used the solution?

More than five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

None.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

None.

How are customer service and technical support?

Awesome tech support when needed. Each customer is given a customer number and TAC will follow through until all issues are resolved, whether it be a flaw in the product or a customer misconfiguration.

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

I did not personally use a previous solution.

How was the initial setup?

Initial setup is straightforward. It is recommended to read the manual before implementation.

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

I provide straight answers. Licensing and pricing are extremely straightforward.

Run a 90 day free Proof of Concept (PoC) for each product by implementing and using it fully in your environment. This way you will be educated on its features, functionality, and manageability.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

No.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner of Aruba
PeerSpot user
it_user802077 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Wireless Engineer at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Helps people with troubleshooting so they get better use out of their technical staff
Pros and Cons
  • "It has improved my organization by increasing troubleshooting opportunities which makes things more efficient."
  • "Whenever you get an error it doesn't immediately tell you what the thing is that is causing the error. You have to sit down and research it. If it could say what error is causing the issue, it would make my troubleshooting a lot quicker."

What is our primary use case?

My primary use case of this solution is to control access points through airwave. modify configs, and enhance RF tweaking. 

How has it helped my organization?

It has improved my organization by increasing troubleshooting opportunities which makes things more efficient. Airwave has so many features built in that allow for speed and efficiency (clarity, visualrf, airwatch) that processes and troubleshooting are greatly enhanced. 

What is most valuable?

  • Clarity - both live and synthic for different reasons, but enhanced and efficient use of staff troubleshooting time.
  • Visual RF - visual location of rogues, clients, and estimated coverage enhance and make troubleshooting more efficieint

What needs improvement?

Whenever you get an error it doesn't immediately tell you what the thing is that is causing the error. You have to sit down and research it. If it could say what error is causing the issue, it would make my troubleshooting a lot quicker.

I would like to see Airwave and IMC integrated so that it's like an add-on feature to Airwave. Or that Airwave is an add-on feature inside of IMC. A lot of the features from IMC would be useful as another tab, like Clarity tab, Visual RF, AirWatch or AirMatch tab. The IMC functions would be useful as well.

For how long have I used the solution?

More than five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Stability is good. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Scalability is pretty good. My highest deployment is over five to seven thousand. Half a dozen staff is required for maintenance. There probably won't be any bigger deployments of it now. 

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support is good. 

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

We were previously using Cisco Prime. We switched because Aruba is easier to use. 

How was the initial setup?

Deployment took an hour and a half to two hours.

What was our ROI?

It helps people with troubleshooting so they get better use out of their technical staff.

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

Pricing and licensing are pretty good. I personally don't like the way it's licensed but everybody has their own things about that.

What other advice do I have?

I think everybody needs this solution. It helps a lot with technical troubleshooting and no matter what end products you have, Airwave is a good solution for everybody.

I would rate it an eight and a half out of ten. 

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner.
PeerSpot user
it_user341292 - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Administrator at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Vendor
It provides an easy way to track access point statistics, but the stability of access point management needs work.

What is most valuable?

  • The organization of infrastructure is valuable.
  • Client match/ARM is also good.

How has it helped my organization?

It provides an easy way to track access point statistics and organization of access points compared to the controller.

What needs improvement?

  • Stability of GUI
  • Stability of instant access point management

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used it for two years.

How are customer service and technical support?

Customer Service:

8/10

Technical Support:

8/10

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

No previous solution was used.

What was our ROI?

ROI is good, and the technology has a good life span.

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

Licensing can be complicated, but they are usually flexible.

What other advice do I have?

Weigh up the options between thin access points and instant access points.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Deputy Manager at STBL
Reseller
Feature-rich, reasonably-priced, and stable
Pros and Cons
  • "This solution is definitely stable."
  • "The integration with other platforms like Cisco needs to be improved."

What is our primary use case?

We are a solution provider and Aruba Airwave is one of the products that we implement for our customers. Most of our customers use this product to manage and monitor their networks.

What is most valuable?

What I like about Aruba is that it has a lot of features.

What needs improvement?

The integration with other platforms like Cisco needs to be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been deploying Aruba Airwave to our customers for two years, and I have been working on it for almost three.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This solution is definitely stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Aruba Airwave is scalable.

The license allows anywhere from 100 to 1,000 users, and then from 1,000 and above.

How was the initial setup?

It was easy to install, not complex.

It took about thirty minutes to deploy.

This solution requires a moderate amount of staff to deploy and maintain.

What about the implementation team?

I completed the implementation myself.

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

This product is not expensive.

What other advice do I have?

I recommend this product and we have plans to continue providing it to our clients, depending on their requirements.

I would rate this solution an eight 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
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Aruba Airwave Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: April 2024
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Aruba Airwave Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.