Aruba Instant On Access Points vs SonicWall SonicWave Access Points comparison

Hewlett Packard Enterprise and SonicWall are both solutions in the Wireless LAN category. Hewlett Packard Enterprise is ranked #9 with an average rating of 8.9, while SonicWall is ranked #25. Hewlett Packard Enterprise holds a 1.9% mindshare in Wireless LAN, compared to SonicWall’s 1.0% mindshare. Additionally, 96% of Hewlett Packard Enterprise users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of SonicWall users who would recommend it.

Aruba Instant On Access Points

Read 33 Aruba Instant On Access Points reviews

1,580 Views
1,580 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

SonicWall SonicWave Access ...

Read 4 SonicWall SonicWave Access Points reviews

637 Views
637 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Aruba Instant On Access Points

SonicWall SonicWave Access ...

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 31, 2024

SonicWave Access Points and Aruba Instant On Access Points compete in network solutions. SonicWave offers pricing and support advantages, while Aruba Instant On provides superior functionality and features.

Features: SonicWave Access Points offer robust security measures, consistent performance, and enhanced customer support. Aruba Instant On Access Points provide seamless cloud management integration, enhanced device coverage, and extensive connectivity options, making them ideal for businesses requiring reliable connectivity.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: SonicWave Access Points offer a straightforward deployment process with detailed customer support, aiding ongoing maintenance. Aruba Instant On Access Points have an intuitive deployment model for quick setups and simplified customer service.

Pricing and ROI: SonicWave Access Points offer competitive initial investment and attractive long-term ROI due to stable security features reducing maintenance costs. Aruba Instant On Access Points may have a higher upfront cost but provide substantial savings through scalability and minimized operational disruption.

To learn more, read our detailed Aruba Instant On Access Points vs. SonicWall SonicWave Access Points Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Instant On Access Points vs. SonicWall SonicWave Access Points

December 2025

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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 Instant On Access Points

Ranking in Wireless LAN

9th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

SonicWall SonicWave Access ...

Ranking in Wireless LAN

25th

Average Rating

10.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Aruba Instant On Access Points is 1.9%, up from 0.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SonicWall SonicWave Access Points is 1.0%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Wireless LAN Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Aruba Instant On Access Points	1.9%
SonicWall SonicWave Access Points	1.0%
Other	97.1%

Wireless LAN

Featured Reviews

ANKIT GAJJAR

IT Project Manager at CPS TECHNOLOGIES

Have faced challenges with visibility and support while exploring more accessible alternatives

I have been working with Aruba Instant On Access Points for the last five years, implementing the HP Enterprise series grade Wi-Fi in the Surat Diamond Bourse. HP Aruba is easily available in the India market, so sometimes customers are preferring the HP Aruba Central solution. When we talk about Cisco WireWorks, my thoughts about Advanced Threat Detection indicate that Cisco needs to improve the visibility of its products in the India market, as there is very much less visibility right now. I would rate the stability of Aruba Instant On Access Points as the best one. Overall, I rate Aruba Instant On Access Points eight out of ten, as Aruba is a most versatile solution. I can definitely recommend Aruba Instant On Access Points to others.

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Winsley De Oliveira

Owner at ANOC

An industry-leading security and wireless solution packaged in one box

We make our customers SonicWall clients. We have a solution package: If you have a contract to network with us, we will deliver SonicWall firewalls, access points, VPN clients, and all the other equipment with the SonicWall solution. We have been selling this solution for the past 30 years. We had a customer three months ago struggling with a Fortinet solution. We convinced them that the Fortinet solution would not work perfectly during renewal. We made a bet and delivered SonicWall equipment for free for one week, and if they had no more issues, they would buy it. That's precisely what happened. The customer ended up purchasing an $80,000 SonicWall solution. The SonicWall SonicWave Access Points are a good product compared to Cisco, Sophos, and Fortinet. In Brazil, Ruckus is taking market share in some key areas, such as hotels and hospitals. They are into big solutions with thousands of access points. Overall, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The product is easy to set up, providing value for time since it is very quick."

"Aruba is much better than other vendors like Cisco and NETGEAR in terms of quality, price, and value for money."

"The product is scalable. It has 20 users."

"With a variety of switches in their setup, they find that Aruba's online monitoring tools and configuration options for applications effectively manage most of their requirements, all while keeping the process straightforward and user-friendly."

"I find Aruba Instant On Access Points easy to monitor and appreciate the notifications they provide if there is a problem in the network."

"When an error or alert happens, I receive it in the application. I do not have to be there to know if something is wrong."

"The most valuable aspect of Unifi switches is the Unifi Controller."

"The configuration is very simple."

More Aruba Instant On Access Points pros

"The security features of SonicWall are highly valued."

"A good management tool that can be managed through the cloud or firewall."

"I rate SonicWall a nine out of ten."

"Unlike the Cisco solution that needs a dedicated wireless controller outside of a firewall, SonicWall has everything in one box. Fortinet is close to it."

"The platform's most valuable feature is the ability to provide cloud access to configure and manage devices."

Cons

"I would like to see a feature that blocks, increases, or decreases bandwidth capacity for devices."

"When there are a lot of people connected, especially during video streaming demonstrations, the connection can get a bit choppy."

"When I first deployed the solution, I couldn't use a tagged VLAN for the management. It might already have been fixed in a recent firmware upgrade."

"Improvement as per customer requirements."

"In terms of financial benefits, the Aruba project is a high-cost solution, and I haven't seen specific financial returns."

"The Unifi Controller is slower compared to other options like Aruba."

"I believe there's room for improvement in the validation process, especially for customers facing compliance issues when managing access points from the cloud. It would be beneficial if the access points could also be managed from an on-premises controller. Regarding additional features, customers express interest in enhancing the controller, specifically improving the capability to manage a higher number of access points from the same controller. This feature is crucial for better scalability. Another feature that customers would appreciate is the ability to increase the number of access points. However, the current process for obtaining this permission can be time-consuming, and customers would like to see improvements in this regard."

"Stability largely depends on how access points are installed and managed. While Aruba cannot entirely ensure connection reliability, the deployment approach can minimize wireless link downtime."

More Aruba Instant On Access Points cons

"They are sometimes difficult to manage from the end-user side because they are not yet familiar with the configuration."

"The main issue is the management of the access points. They are sometimes difficult to manage from the end-user side because they are not yet familiar with the configuration."

"Integrating with the firewall and management console was a little complex."

"We have a lot of overlapping wireless networks with a lot of cheap equipment that does not run on any rules or regulations. The best way to improve the wireless network, like in SonicWaves, is to defeat these networks by isolating, preventing them, or overcoming their wireless signal. We try to do that, but I live near an airport, and the AirPortRadar glitches my wireless network every nine seconds."

"The product's pricing is high and could be improved."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"There is a need to make yearly payments towards the standard licensing charges associated with the product. There are some additional costs associated with the product since I have seen customers who purchase three-year or five-year plans."

"The price of Aruba Instant On Access Points is reasonable. They are competitively priced. I've even used it in my home at one time because of the low price."

"It is expensive."

"You buy it for $165 an AP, which is what we paid."

"I would rate the solution's pricing an eight out of ten."

"It is competitively priced. It was at a price point that made sense for me to put in my home, and that says something. The cost of the solution includes everything we need to manage and upgrade our Wi-Fi network, including the mobile management app. Having the licensing and all the functionality built into the base price of the product is really important for me. There are no extra costs for the security feature or automatic software/firmware updates, which is really important to me."

"It's a cost-effective solution."

"I rate the product's pricing a six on a scale of one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive."

More Aruba Instant On Access Points pricing and cost advice

"The pricing of the SonicWave Access Points solution is different in the US and Brazil. In the US, the solution is priced more competitively than other vendors. In Brazil, the exchange rate is a problem. To address this, SonicWall managers in Brazil are running several sales promotions and improving the price of new units."

"The platform offers yearly licenses."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

Hospitality Company

Computer Software Company

Performing Arts

Computer Software Company

14%

Manufacturing Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

University

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	23
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	9

No data available

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Aruba Instant On Access Points?

When comparing pricing with Cisco, Aruba Instant On Access Points are competitively priced, making them affordable solutions for SMBs, rather than being higher priced.

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What needs improvement with Aruba Instant On Access Points?

I believe that software usability could be improved.

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What is your primary use case for Aruba Instant On Access Points?

My clients mostly request Aruba Instant On Access Points for use cases involving IoT utilization, bandwidth utilization, and user interference monitoring. All products are monitored from HP Aruba C...

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What needs improvement with SonicWall SonicWave Access Points?

The main issue is the management of the access points. They are sometimes difficult to manage from the end-user side because they are not yet familiar with the configuration.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for SonicWall SonicWave Access Points?

I am using the SonicWall SonicWave Access Point for our Proof of Concept (POC) to our customers.

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering SonicWall SonicWave Access Points?

I rate SonicWall a nine out of ten. It should provide training to end users to enhance their knowledge.

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 10% of the time

Ubiquiti WLAN vs Aruba Instant On Access Points

Compared 10% of the time

Huawei Wireless vs Aruba Instant On Access Points

Compared 8% of the time

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Ruckus Wireless vs SonicWall SonicWave Access Points

Compared 22% of the time

Ubiquiti WLAN vs SonicWall SonicWave Access Points

Compared 18% of the time

Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar vs SonicWall SonicWave Access Points

Compared 12% of the time

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs SonicWall SonicWave Access Points

Compared 10% of the time

Cisco Wireless vs SonicWall SonicWave Access Points

Compared 9% of the time

More SonicWall SonicWave Access Points Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Instant On Access Points

January 2026

Download Aruba Instant On Access Points product report

Buyer's Guide

Wireless LAN

January 2026

SonicWall SonicWave Access Points report

Download SonicWall SonicWave Access Points product report

Also Known As

No data available

SonicWave 200 Series, SonicWave 200 Series Access Points, SonicWave 400 Series, SonicWave 400 Series Access Points

Overview

Ingredients for success.

Fast 802.11ac Wave 2, secure employee and guest access, easy-to-use web, and mobile app management.

Say yes to secure Wi-Fi access.

Pre-built access control lists (ACLs) and built-in firewall in the access points prevent malicious traffic from entering your network – we call it “hassle-free” security.

Never drop an important call.

With Instant On, voice and video business applications are automatically prioritized, so you stay connected with your peers.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

SonicWall SonicWave series wireless access points (APs) combine high-performance IEEE 802.11ac Wave 2 wireless technology with flexible deployment options. These APs can be managed via the cloud using SonicWall WiFi Cloud Manager (WCM) or through SonicWall's industry-leading next-generation firewalls.

SonicWall

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

St. Dominic's School for Girls

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Instant On Access Points vs. SonicWall SonicWave Access Points

December 2025

Free Report: Aruba Instant On Access Points vs. SonicWall SonicWave Access Points

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