Aruba Instant On Access Points vs SonicWall SonicWave Access Points comparison

Aruba Instant On Access Points vs. SonicWall SonicWave Access Points

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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

6.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

SonicWall SonicWave Access ...

Ranking in Wireless LAN

19th

Average Rating

10.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Aruba Instant On Access Points is 1.1%, up from 1.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SonicWall SonicWave Access Points is 0.5%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Wireless LAN

Featured Reviews

Ricardo Quintero

Infrastructure/Telcom Coordinator at Schnellecke Group AG & Co. KG

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.

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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

"I would recommend Aruba Instant On Access Points to others."

"The virtual controller feature is very beneficial because it removes the need for a physical controller."

"The solution's most valuable features include a simple deployment phase, easy management, and scalability."

"Regarding access points, the customer typically considers low-cost plans, and Ruckus Unleashed Access Points are commonly used. These access points are managed through the Microsoft console and can be accessed either with or without ports. The management is done through a controller. The main benefits customers see include cost-effectiveness, especially for those with budget constraints. Aruba, in particular, provides a good user experience. Some customers might choose Huawei, but enterprise access points are also considered. Additionally, the unified access point capabilities are valuable, allowing management from the same account. However, there is a limitation of twenty-five access points, and if a customer requires more, they need to create another site or account. If the customer exceeds twenty-five access points, they need to generate another site or virtual business to manage additional access points, as the external number is limited to twenty-five."

"The virtual Controller feature is valuable."

"The most valuable feature of Aruba Instant On Access Points is they are easy to manage."

"Its technical support is excellent."

"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."

More Aruba Instant On Access Points pros

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

"The security features of SonicWall are highly valued."

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

"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."

"I rate SonicWall a nine out of ten."

Cons

"The solution's range could be better."

"It would be good to integrate some marketing features into Aruba Instant On Access Points, like heat maps. This would allow deployment in warehouses or malls to see how people move from one point to another, helping to locate the original fit."

"With Aruba, the documentation on the website is not too easy to use, and some information is not found."

"The tool is priced high."

"The product's machine or equipment can cater to around 20 connections and cannot go beyond 50 simultaneous connections, because of which I think the tool's scalability is limited."

"The limited functionality of the mobile app restricts its use primarily to small and medium-sized setups, making it less suitable for enterprise-level solutions."

"The security aspect needs improvement."

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

More Aruba Instant On Access Points cons

"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."

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

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

"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."

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."

"It needs a license."

"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."

"Its price is fair. It is not really cheap, and it is also not expensive. It is in the middle."

"It's a cost-effective solution."

"It is expensive."

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

"Aruba Instant On Access Points are license-free. It's a very good and cheap solution for wireless networks. It can be compared with solutions from Ubiquiti and TP-Link, but it is in a different class. Aruba Instant On Access Points are cheaper than those from Cisco, Ruckus, and Motorola. It's perhaps the cheapest one. They do not use licenses, so it is a solution from the box. You don't need to pay extra money or deal with hidden payments."

More Aruba Instant On Access Points pricing and cost advice

"The platform offers yearly licenses."

"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."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

30%

Computer Software Company

Construction Company

Real Estate/Law Firm

Computer Software Company

19%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

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.

What do you like most about SonicWall SonicWave Access Points?

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

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SonicWall SonicWave Access Points?

The platform offers yearly licenses. We receive all the support services through our partners. Thus, there are no extra costs involved. However, some partners might charge for deployment services.

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.

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Compared 37% of the time

Ubiquiti WLAN vs SonicWall SonicWave Access Points

Compared 33% of the time

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs SonicWall SonicWave Access Points

Compared 16% of the time

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Compared 14% of the time

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Product Reports

Aruba Instant On Access Points

Download Aruba Instant On Access Points product report

Wireless LAN

Download SonicWall SonicWave Access Points product report

SonicWall SonicWave Access Points 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

Aruba Instant On Access Points vs. SonicWall SonicWave Access Points