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Aruba Airwave vs OpenText Network Node Manager comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 19, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

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

Categories and Ranking

Aruba Airwave
Ranking in Network Management Applications
2nd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
24
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
OpenText Network Node Manager
Ranking in Network Management Applications
16th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
5.8
Number of Reviews
24
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Network Management Applications category, the mindshare of Aruba Airwave is 6.4%, down from 9.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of OpenText Network Node Manager is 2.3%, up from 1.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Network Management Applications
 

Featured Reviews

Lulzim Islami - PeerSpot reviewer
Creating floor maps and configuration templates enhances troubleshooting capabilities
The most helpful feature I noticed, yet did not utilize, allowed us to add our Cisco switches for monitoring. We also created templates for configurations. Additionally, it facilitated creating floor maps. I need to open it for more extended periods. It is more about troubleshooting and checking the coverage problems of wireless.
Qusai Abuomar - PeerSpot reviewer
Network performance optimization achieved with comprehensive visibility and effective event handling
The root cause analysis is valuable. The availability and event handling are also very good, as our team understands the events well. Overall, the tool helps maintain the health of the network. It provides visibility for the network device status, link status, and hardware status of devices such as switches and routers.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The solution's initial setup process is straightforward."
"I would rate the overall solution nine out of ten."
"This solution gives you a lot of reporting capabilities, and it has a very good interface."
"The monitoring and administration allow configurations for checking the association of the user to the network, then to the AP, then to the switch, and back to the controller."
"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."
"I would rate the stability a nine out of ten."
"The feature that proved most beneficial for our organization's network monitoring is the virtual four, which we use frequently when working with Aruba."
"AirWave definitely helps us troubleshoot and get to the root cause of the issues. It gives you an excellent indication of what's going on within your network at different locations. You can get to the area, take a look at the AirWave analysis, and make informed decisions."
"We do not have any issues stability-wise."
"Overall, the tool helps maintain the health of the network."
"Most valuable function would have to the internal causal engine and its root cause analyzer which keep us updated on critical errors and incidents in our network environment."
"You can utilize the main file from various vendors for integration."
"Our monitoring and network teams of less than 100 people use this solution. The availability and fault monitoring are good."
"It gives us a good overview of what's happening in our networks and the devices in the networks."
"A good enterprise-level solution."
"If you install one node on Network Node Manager and want to scale it up, it's pretty easy to create more nodes."
 

Cons

"We're looking for more device compatibility. Like compatibility with third-party devices."
"We encounter delayed ETAs in the manufacturing of hardware."
"The overall monitoring of this solution could be improved."
"When upgrading hardware, there were technical issues with network interfaces and Red Hat, which required escalation to developers."
"Pricing for Aruba Airwave could be cheaper, which is an area for improvement in the solution."
"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."
"I would like to see is “AAS”. Not only Aruba APs with central, but NAC/ClearPass, AirWave, and everything licensed as a Service."
"When upgrading hardware, there were technical issues with network interfaces and Red Hat, which required escalation to developers."
"The solution should integrate with NAC servers."
"The way the solution currently works means I'm not able to customize my own reports."
"The dashboards are not customizable and it's not user-friendly."
"As the technologies evolve, also these solutions or the monitoring tools should evolve to cover the progress in technology, including capabilities related to monitoring of virtualized devices today, as the DNS is on the table in this way."
"Micro Focus Network Node Manager is not powered to drill down for traffic visibility."
"The resources utilized could be a bit higher, and that is one of the challenges that isn't optimized"
"Right now, we have open tickets and they are not closing as expected."
"They should add AI options in the product's next release."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Licensing and pricing are extremely straightforward."
"Aruba Airwave is an expensive solution."
"The cost is perfect because the devices have a lifetime warranty, and the licensing is good as well."
"The licensing is on an yearly basis."
"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."
"It's device-based licensing. One device requires one license."
"Aruba Airwave's licensing cost is not that expensive."
"I rate the product’s pricing a five out of ten."
"The solution is priced mid-range compared to the competition."
"It's an expensive solution."
"I wasn't involved in the pricing, but I think it's quite expensive."
"It is more inexpensive than other products in the market."
"The solution is quite expensive."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
16%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
8%
Educational Organization
7%
Computer Software Company
17%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Government
8%
Comms Service Provider
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Aruba Airwave?
I would rate the stability a nine out of ten.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Aruba Airwave?
The pricing for Aruba Airwave is acceptable because compared to Cisco, it's slightly cheaper, but not significantly - maybe 5% or 7% less expensive.
What needs improvement with Aruba Airwave?
My general opinion on Aruba Airwave is that it's acceptable, but it's not ideal because we are accustomed to Cisco. We didn't use Aruba much, but once you set it up, you probably don't need to worr...
What needs improvement with Micro Focus Network Node Manager?
The interface is outdated and needs to be more dynamic and faster. It would be better if the product was a single module rather than requiring additional modules and licensing for APIs and extra fe...
What is your primary use case for Micro Focus Network Node Manager?
We use OpenText Network Node Manager i ( /products/opentext-network-node-manager-i-reviews ) primarily for network monitoring and diagnostics in our organization. We use this product for fault and ...
 

Also Known As

No data available
Micro Focus Network Node Manager, Network Node Manager, HPE Network Node Manager
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Henkel, University of Findlay, University of Minnesota Duluth, University of Iowa
IPC, Exelon, VivaCom, 
Find out what your peers are saying about Aruba Airwave vs. OpenText Network Node Manager and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
859,129 professionals have used our research since 2012.