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Aruba Access Points vs Cisco Wireless 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
6.0
Aruba Access Points offer cost-effective improvements, operational efficiency, and user preference, with reduced management needs and favorable total ownership costs.
Sentiment score
1.0
Cisco Wireless improves productivity and stability, offering quick returns, cost savings, and reliability for various organizations.
This is why we do not require technical support, as the solution remains simple without AI implementation.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.7
Aruba Access Points' support is generally efficient and responsive, though complex issue handling can be inconsistent across regions.
Sentiment score
5.2
Cisco Wireless support is praised for responsiveness and expertise, though service quality varies by location and engineer expertise.
A company called ACT is very good at support.
For technical support alone, I would give them a score of nine out of ten.
Because we work with different HP products, such as servers, storage, and high-end switches, technical assistance is only needed when there are issues on the compute side.
The technical support from Cisco is of high quality.
We received responses quickly after logging our problem.
The technical support from Cisco is good.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.4
Aruba Access Points are praised for their robust scalability, flexible deployments, and efficient handling of increasing demands.
Sentiment score
6.5
Cisco Wireless scales well for larger users, but smaller organizations may face higher costs and infrastructure challenges.
Aruba access points integrate well with existing networks via PoE switches.
Scalability and expandability are adjusted from day one based on expansion and growth projections.
While scaling up to five hundred users, it may cause some performance issues.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.1
Aruba Access Points are highly valued for stability, rated 7-10, with minor issues after prolonged use.
Sentiment score
7.4
Cisco Wireless is highly stable, praised for reliability, minimal issues, and quick glitch resolution, making it a dependable choice.
The failure rate is very rare.
The performance is excellent, rating 10 out of 10.
 

Room For Improvement

Aruba Access Points require better coverage, security, support, pricing, integration, and licensing clarity to enhance competitiveness and user satisfaction.
Cisco Wireless users seek improved management, lower costs, better interface, stronger coverage, and enhanced Apple and third-party compatibility.
Everyone discusses AI, but for providing wireless access to users, AI only plays its part when analytics are needed.
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.
Sometimes, integration with other Cisco products requires manual intervention for tasks such as firmware upgrades, which should be automated.
We would prefer if we could increase the controller to a 10 gig interface because we want to connect our controller to a 10 gig interface.
In the long term, there could be a cost reduction because it does not require much maintenance.
 

Setup Cost

Aruba Access Points offer competitive pricing with manageable licensing fees, cheaper than Cisco and Huawei, providing good overall value.
Cisco Wireless solutions are costly with complex licensing, but offer high quality and features, making them a premium option.
The pricing is reasonable and lower than competitors.
They are priced at half the rate of Juniper access points for basic models.
When comparing pricing between Aruba Access Points and Forti, I find Aruba to be on the higher side.
Cisco generally is expensive.
The setup cost involves licenses.
The licensing of Cisco Wireless is competitive.
 

Valuable Features

Aruba Access Points provide cost-effective, secure, scalable connectivity with AI Insights, guest authentication, and seamless third-party integration.
Cisco Wireless offers security, scalability, seamless integration, and excellent support, making it ideal for diverse environments.
We receive support from Aruba, with assistance from the country manager in providing better quotations and support for projects.
Additionally, they do not require any kind of license for implementation.
Price-wise, they are cheaper than Cisco and other options.
If one network fails, there is a link between different access points, which ensures network continuity.
The advantages of Cisco Wireless include helping me aggregate all the access points, managing one point connection for my users easily, controlling rogues, and addressing hotspots effectively.
When I install it, I can forget about it because there is no need for ongoing maintenance, and no other problems occur.
 

Categories and Ranking

Aruba Access Points
Ranking in Wireless LAN
5th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
39
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Cisco Wireless
Ranking in Wireless LAN
3rd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
4.9
Number of Reviews
154
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Aruba Access Points is 2.5%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Wireless is 11.0%, down from 13.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Wireless LAN Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Cisco Wireless11.0%
Aruba Access Points2.5%
Other86.5%
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.
EvansEsezobor - PeerSpot reviewer
Has enabled centralized user management and improved wireless access point aggregation
To improve Cisco Wireless, the ports on the access points are all 100 Meg, not 1 gig. We have not gotten a gigabyte interface of about 1,000, but the controller we have is just 1 gig. We would prefer if we could increase the controller to a 10 gig interface because we want to connect our controller to a 10 gig interface, which currently limits us to 1 gig. When we want to move higher capacity data via wireless, it limits us to 1 gig.
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Comparison Review

it_user212721 - PeerSpot reviewer
Mar 24, 2015
Cisco vs. Aruba Wireless Solutions
Cisco or Aruba Networks? If you are considering wireless access solutions, this is a common question that you are probably asking. You probably have sales people knocking at your door. How do you make sense of all the stories that you are presented with. If you have done any research, you are…
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Educational Organization
7%
Financial Services Firm
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business20
Midsize Enterprise9
Large Enterprise11
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business76
Midsize Enterprise41
Large Enterprise74
 

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?
When comparing pricing between Aruba Access Points and Forti, I find Aruba to be on the higher side.
What needs improvement with Aruba Access Points?
AI is a buzzword here without substance. In a practical sense, nobody is working with AI or willing to work with AI features. Everyone discusses AI, but for providing wireless access to users, AI o...
Which is better - Cisco Wireless or Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN?
Cisco Wireless is very robust, very rugged, and can handle indoor and outdoor coverage extremely well. We found it to be very reliable and to consistently run very efficiently. Cisco Wireless helpe...
Which is better - Ruckus Wireless or Cisco Wireless?
Ruckus Wireless offers users the benefit of being both easy to set up and get running as well as being very user friendly. This user-friendly quality also renders it easy to learn how to use and ma...
How does Cisco Wireless compare with Aruba Wireless?
On the most basic level, Cisco Wireless can offer a rather straightforward initial setup. In the span of about three hours, the basic framework can be set up. Step-by-step instructions are availabl...
 

Also Known As

No data available
Cisco WLAN Controller
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Aegean Motorway, Baylor Scott & White Health, Beachbody, Bellevue, Brunel University London, Bucks County Intermediate Unit , Chartwell School, Children's Hospital Colorado, Cisco Live Milan, City of Biel, City of Mississauga, Dundee Precious Metals, Electricity Authority of Cyprus, Erickson Living, Goldcorp, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Grupo Industrial Saltillo (GIS)
Find out what your peers are saying about Aruba Access Points vs. Cisco Wireless and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
872,706 professionals have used our research since 2012.