Aruba Switches Reviews

We use four Aruba Switches, in one stack, for 802.1X.

We use Aruba Switches mainly as access points.

The most valuable feature is the Aruba Smart Rate Port.

The templates to automate our switches need improvement.

We apply a template using Bison or ANSI C to automate our tasks daily.

We are using Bison and ANSI C programming language to automate our work for shutting down ports, and if the support has locked our shutdown with port security.

Cisco has Nexus Switches for the Data Center solutions. These switches are very powerful. In my research, I haven't found anything that is comparable.

In the next release or the near future, I would like similar Data Cente switches included.

Aruba Switches are very stable when you are using the full solution. 

Aruba Switches are still in the testing phase.

We haven't tested the scalability for this solution yet, but there is another building that we are expanding to and we expect it to scale there.

We have approximately one thousand users.

We have not had any issues with this solution so we have not opened any tickets with technical support.

We were using other switches by Aruba prior to these. We stayed with Aruba to maintain compatibility.

The initial setup of this solution is very simple.

When we implemented the solution, we called a vendor to support us.

We have an in house assistant who configured the solution, but we had a vendor here to support us if we needed it.

We configured all of our switches to gain the experience.

I have also used Cisco switches and they are harder to set up.

I received training on this solution from HP, here in Egypt.

I strongly recommend Aruba Switches with Aruba products for compatibility. If you use Cisco or other solutions, it may cause some issues with the stability of the environment.

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

We primarily use the solution for extra switches on campuses and consecutive exchange of existing access switches. 

The zero-touch provisioning made it possible for electricians to install and wire the switches that allows for the continuation with the zero touch provisioning mechanism afterward. It has really helped us to save our manpower within the network support group.

The solution's most valuable aspect is that it integrates with ClearPass, which allows us to use the same management for wireless LAN and wired LAN. 

The written documentation, all the available documentation, is often a little bit hard to find. The solution lacks documentation of recent features. We have access directly to Aruba, Germany, so they are always helpful, but if you start, for instance, with something a little bit more complex like zero-touch provisioning, that would require a more comprehensive written piece. 

The available REST API is invaluable for elegant integration with the core and distribution network.  

There are some new multicast features coming up, but they are just in the process of preparation by IEEE, and I would like to see them as soon as possible.

The solution's stability is really great. We found it very solid. 

The scalability of the solution is good. With the management of ClearPass, it's great. We've been using the feature of building stacks with it, and its really, really easy to handle a large scale environment.

Technical support has been great. Together with the consultant, we set up a regular phone call with Aruba to discuss the issues surrounding setting up the whole system. They always came up with quick solutions, called us back and they've been really, really helpful overall.

We previously used Brocade. The switches portion of the organization was bought by Extreme Networks. The company broke down, which is why we had to switch. The hardware of Brocade was brilliant, but at some point, the development and the stability of firmware lacked, since developers may have moved on before the company broke down.

The setup is mostly straightforward. Deployment, together with the WiFi, took about a month. We had three people on our side assisting with the implementation and have three people currently handling maintenance.

We did the initial set up with the help of a service provider of Aruba. We wrote templates and did the first template with the service provider, who was experienced and was really helpful.

With their assistance, the experience was optimal. We had been really late with our decision to purchase Aruba and we, with the help of the consultants, have since been able to bring up the whole system in time so that the existing schedule for opening the hospital was never endangered. 

We just had all the licenses for five years included in the bidding process. Since the competitive nature of the resulting contract, our actual costs might not reflect the standard market prices. Due to the visibilityof our project, Aruba has been generous with the included amount of licenses, which will serve us for years to come.

As a public hospital we are obliged to implement a public bidding process. We had been in discussions with many companies, including, for example, Cisco. 

In the end, it came down to financial issues. Once you have your requirements fixed, every Vendor has the chance to give you a proper offer through ist sales channel. With all the requirements, including for example common management of wired and wireless access, WLAN integrated Bluetooth capabilities  Cisco failed to meet the offer of Aruba.

We've been implementing, with the help of Aruba, with zero-touch provisioning in a newly opened hospital. Roughly 450 switches have been put into operation using zero-touch provisioning (ZTP). It was challenging;  even Aruba probably hadn't done such a large scale project before using ZTP.

In terms of advice, I'd say if you are entering the next stage of switch hardware, of network hardware, just have a look at Aruba. It's really, really helpful having an open API to use Python or other script languages to modify configurations and to automate exchange of state changes with neighbouring structures.

We try to keep as close as possible to standards. There are some areas where standards aren't available, for instance stacking of network Access switches, whre no vendor-independent standards is existing yet. So look at the whole package including the switch hardware, the licenses, the license for management and bear in mind the transceivers. 

When using Aruba switches, stick with the automation tools, don't let yourself be seduced into going back to manual configuration.

I'd rate the solution nine out of ten. They would be perfect, but there's a noise once they are on under heavy load in a warm environment. It might be the case that they are not usable for installations where the loudness damping between the installation room and office is not sufficient.

The primary use case of this solution is for Network connection and centralized monitoring and troubleshooting.

The switching configuration is very simple and not as complicated as Cisco. It's easy to do and the deployment is very quick.

When it comes to RMA, the replacement of Aruba parts is very good, and they are very prompt.

There is a limited lifetime warranty with the switches, so if we have any problems, the switch is replaced very quickly. As an example, if I call in the morning, by tomorrow I will receive a box with the replacement.

Visibility and controls need to be improved. When I compare the Aruba switch with Meraki, Meraki has more visibility and more controls.

HPE Aruba has not done any development and research on the SD LAN. They may have another solution for the SD LAN.

Aruba should have SD LAN features to provide more visibility on the network and to be able to control things like the traffic shifting or for voice or data. Currently, Aruba does not have this capability.

It may be there, but it's tedious.

In the next release or the very near future, I think that it is very important to simplify the dashboard and features similar to Meraki. Meraki has a good dashboard and the way they are presenting the information is very useful.

I am forced to consider changing products because other solutions have a better dashboard and a user-friendly interface. Other solutions also have better control and visibility.

This solution is quite stable. To date, we have not had any complaints.

We have our HP IMC (Intelligence Management Center), which is a centralized management control center where I can monitor all of the switches. I can monitor the health of the network appliances, and the CPUs main process. Everything.

This solution is scalable.

We have not had to contact technical support. We handle the issues with our in-house resources.

I have experience with Cisco Meraki switches.

The initial setup is very easy.

The implementation and configuration are not that difficult.

If you have ten to fifteen switches it can take a day. You have to stack it, then put them all together, complete the configuration, the hardening, and the testing, that is a complete full day, eight hours.

I would recommend this product.

I would rate this product a seven out of ten.

We primarily use the solution for networking. 

The cloud management is very good. 

Overall, it's a good solution. It is pretty robust.

The monitoring and notifications on offer are very helpful.

It can scale well.

It's stable. 

We've had issues with availability. We cannot source switches right now. They are hard to get. 

There are no missing features. 

The pricing could be lowered. 

Technical support could be improved in terms of dealing with time changes. 

I've been using the solution for three years. I've used it for a while now. 

The solution has been very stable. I'd rate it ten out of ten. It doesn't crash or freeze. There are no bugs or glitches. It is reliable. 

The solution has been scaleable. I'd rate it ten out of ten.

Technical support is helpful or responsive. However, they could always improve their services. The time difference when dealing with support can cause answers get delayed. 

Positive

We also use HP switches. However, we have the same issue in that we are having trouble with availability.

We wanted to move to Aruba based on the simplicity of integration. We can manage all access points with the same interface using Aruba. The monitoring and notifications are also good. 

There only needs to be one engineer involved in the deployment and maintenance. 

We have seen an ROI in terms of stability and the simplicity of monitoring and management. 

The pricing is expensive. It's gone up in price. For 24 ports, we are looking at a cost of $600 annually. I'd rate the affordability of the solution seven out of ten.

I'd recommend the solution to others. 

I would rate it ten out of ten. 

We're a government entity and use Switches for LAN and for pushing up to a router or a firewall. From an infrastructure perspective, we're a medium-sized organization but only have 100 employees. We are customers of Aruba and I'm a network engineer.

Black time warranty is a valuable feature.

Aruba's switches are older so I'd like to see more upgrades. The newer ones may have that built-in. The product could be more user-friendly. 

I've been using this solution for 12 years. 

The solution is very stable.

We scaled up easily and added a couple of blades to it.

I haven't used the tech support with HP but they were helpful when it came to replacing switches.

The initial setup was pretty straightforward; I did everything through the CLI and I'd had previous experience with the process. Aside from the firmware, there's almost no maintenance required. 

Licensing costs are competitive with other solutions on the market. 

I rate this solution eight out of 10. 

I find the most valuable feature is it is part of the Aruba family.

I would like to see easier learning and configuration from previous switch deployments.

I have been using Aruba Switches for the past two years.

The stability is very good.

We do see scalability.

Technical support is excellent.

Positive

The initial setup is very straightforward.

We have used a consultant team and it has taken two years to deploy because of the size of the project.

We pay for the clear pass and the controller.

I would rate Aruba Switches an eight out of ten.

Aruba Switches can be used for enterprise networks and local networks.

The most valuable feature of Aruba Switches is security.

Aruba Switches' price could improve, if they were less expensive it would be beneficial.

I have been using Aruba Switches for approximately five years.

Aruba Switches are stable.

The support for Aruba Switches is very good. They helped us with any problems we had.

The initial setup of Aruba Switches is easy and only took approximately five minutes.

There is a license required if you want to use wireless controls for micro-segmentation. However, for Aruba Switches there is no license required. 

The price of the solution is good and they provide discounts depending on the projects. The price could still be reduced.

I recommend this solution to others.

I rate Aruba Switches an eight out of ten.

The migration from older to newer products could be improved.

I've been using Aruba Switches for ten years.

Aruba Switches are quite stable.

Aruba Switches are scalable.

Aruba's technical support is good.

The initial setup was quite straightforward.

Aruba Switches are quite cost-effective.

Aruba has an advantage over their competitors because they specialize in delivery, which means they don't have the long delivery times that Cisco and others quote. I'd rate Aruba Switches eight out of ten.