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Aruba Access Points vs Aruba Instant On Access Points comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 31, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
7.8
Aruba Access Points offer rapid ROI with improved management, security, and reliability, favored by medium-sized and enterprise clients.
Sentiment score
2.5
Aruba Instant On Access Points are valued for setup ease, no fees, stability, reliability, and promising ROI despite initial costs.
Because of this security framework, it helps implement a zero touch approach, protecting against unauthorized access and vulnerabilities.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.4
Aruba Access Points support is generally praised for professionalism, though complex issues and HP's ticket system transitions present challenges.
Sentiment score
7.9
Customer service for Aruba Instant On Access Points receives mixed reviews, with efficient support praised, but inconsistency noted.
For technical support alone, I would give them a score of nine out of ten.
Aruba's country manager is very responsive and supportive.
The technical support from Aruba is rated seven due to limitations, such as support issues when the controller is on the VM side.
There are still issues with the language barrier and the overall quality of support.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.6
Aruba Access Points are highly scalable and flexible, suitable for various businesses, with positive user reviews and cloud-enhanced scalability.
Sentiment score
6.9
Aruba Instant On Access Points excel for small to medium businesses but lack scalability needed for large enterprises.
Aruba access points integrate well with existing networks via PoE switches.
While scaling up to five hundred users, it may cause some performance issues.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.1
Aruba Access Points are highly rated for stability and reliability, despite minor issues after extended use or new firmware.
Sentiment score
8.3
Aruba Instant On Access Points are stable with minor app issues, reliable installation-dependent performance, and no major connectivity problems.
The stability of Aruba Instant On Access Points is generally good.
 

Room For Improvement

Aruba Access Points require improved coverage, security, support, integration, and pricing; users report bugs and inadequate technical support.
Aruba Instant On Access Points need improved integration, scalability, security, pricing, management, range, documentation, and mobile app features.
Some customers comment that the shape and size of the access point is a little big, especially the one installed in the guest room.
I would like Aruba to provide integration capabilities for Microsoft Entra ID, Azure Directory, or other identity verification engines like Okta, Google Identity, or Ping Identity.
In future updates, more AI for intelligence and the option for a separate network could be beneficial.
There is not enough focus on security across networking vendors, and they often add features without testing them thoroughly.
The default configuration can be overridden to enhance performance beyond the default settings.
 

Setup Cost

Aruba Access Points offer reasonable pricing with potential discounts, though hardware costs and licensing fees can be high.
Aruba Instant On Access Points offer excellent value with no hidden fees, but some users find costs slightly high.
The pricing is reasonable and lower than competitors.
They are priced at half the rate of Juniper access points for basic models.
The pricing of Aruba Instant On Access Points is competitive compared to Cisco, and they are actually cheaper.
Aruba Instant On Access Points work without a list price, suggesting that they are open source and no additional licensing costs are incurred.
The cost of Aruba Instant On Access Points is reasonable;
 

Valuable Features

Aruba Access Points offer reliability, easy setup, robust features, advanced security, AI optimization, and seamless integration, making them preferred.
Aruba Instant On Access Points offer easy management, superior coverage, cloud setup, robust security, and seamless network integration with remote management.
The ease of management with Aruba access points enables customers to connect them directly to their network via a PoE switch and manage them remotely from mobile devices.
It is very reliable, and the cost of the hardware is not much compared to Cisco and other products.
The unique selling point of Aruba Access Points is the ClearPass technology which HPE has to offer.
Customers choose Aruba because it is more stable, has superior radio management, and offers features like mesh and a stateful firewall.
The product is incredibly stable and meets our needs excellently.
The virtual controller feature is very beneficial because it removes the need for a physical controller.
 

Categories and Ranking

Aruba Access Points
Ranking in Wireless LAN
5th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
38
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Aruba Instant On Access Points
Ranking in Wireless LAN
9th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.5
Number of Reviews
32
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Aruba Access Points is 1.9%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Aruba Instant On Access Points is 1.1%, up from 1.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Wireless LAN
 

Featured Reviews

PRADIPJOSHI - PeerSpot reviewer
Pricing competitiveness and remote management have enhanced network flexibility
One of the most valued aspects of Aruba access points is their price competitiveness; they are available at half the price of Juniper access points. Additionally, they do not require any kind of license for implementation. Despite this, many customers have their own firewall, and they can control everything from their firewall, ensuring flexibility. Furthermore, the ease of management with Aruba access points enables customers to connect them directly to their network via a PoE switch and manage them remotely from mobile devices.
Ricardo Quintero - PeerSpot reviewer
Affordable and offers an easy setup phase
I was working on the on-premises solutions, like IronNet, Aironet, and some other tools from Cisco, but not with Meraki. The last Aironet model that we have here in Mexico, in the corporate office, and in some of the other regions of Mexico is Cisco Aironet 3700 and Cisco Aironet 3800, so it is just two or three devices. Aruba Instant On Access Points was working with Aruba 2540 and Cisco 3850 In Cisco, I found some issues. I was working well with a vendor. I was working with Cisco Catalyst 9200 and Cisco Catalyst 9300, along with Cisco Catalyst 2916M XL Switch. With all devices, we got a report. During the immigration, we choose another vendor, which Aruba. We have some issues with Aruba Instant On Access Points in iOS that are targeting the devices, and I have seen some problems with the DHCP solution.
report
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
16%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Financial Services Firm
6%
University
6%
Educational Organization
30%
Computer Software Company
7%
Construction Company
6%
Real Estate/Law Firm
5%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Aruba Access Points?
After we installed the Aruba switches, the work became faster because the network speed improved.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Aruba Access Points?
Due to its pricing, Aruba access points provide good value. They are priced at half the rate of Juniper access points for basic models.
What needs improvement with Aruba Access Points?
I'm a very small entity to comment on that, but I don't see any challenges as of today with the product getting improved. The only improvement would be to increase the market share if they try to r...
What do you like most about Aruba Instant On Access Points?
It's really easy to set up. And, you don't have to pay for the cloud solution. That's really interesting for our clients. And the other thing is, the roaming is also quite good.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Aruba Instant On Access Points?
The cost of Aruba Instant On Access Points is reasonable; however, I do not have information on the exact pricing, such as cost per user or annual license fees.
What needs improvement with Aruba Instant On Access Points?
We can improve Aruba Instant On Access Points by tuning some of the parameters of the radio. The default configuration can be overridden to enhance performance beyond the default settings.
 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about Aruba Access Points vs. Aruba Instant On Access Points and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
860,168 professionals have used our research since 2012.