Aruba Instant On Access Points vs WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi comparison

Aruba Instant On Access Points vs. WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi

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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

WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi

Ranking in Wireless LAN

23rd

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.4

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 WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi 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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WarrenWilliams

Senior Account Manager at Bralin Technology Solutions

A solution that offers excellent support and makes it easy to manage networks

To utilize the solution properly, you need some training and guidance on that. Getting it working is easy, but if you're going to use it with feature sets that make WatchGuard worthwhile to use, it's probably not the easiest to set up. I'd rate the initial setup a seven out of ten. The time taken to deploy the solution depends on the project scope you're doing. Do you need ten WiFi access points or one? You could deploy the solution in an hour. We need one person to deploy the solution. But the number of people required for deployment depends on where the access points are deployed. Like, if it's the ceiling or whatever. The way we do it, we usually have an on-site technician who sets up the backend. We usually have two people when deploying the solution, but you can do it with one person. We have a team that manages the solution. But if you have ten people on a site to manage the solution, 15 minutes daily is enough.

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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

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

"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 mobile app is good. We have many things that are connected through mobile. Most users use mobile to connect to the Wi-Fi."

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

"The app and the provisioning are the best features of the product. It was really impressive that I was able to just provision it remotely. I didn't have to be on-site with my friend, and we were just able to get everything up and operational. So, the app is great. It sends me notifications when things are down, and it tells me how everything is doing."

"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 product is scalable. It has 20 users."

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

More Aruba Instant On Access Points pros

"The Wi-Fi security features of this solution have been great for our customers who need to strictly control access to their network."

"The configuration part of WatchGuard is very flexible."

"It makes it easy to obtain all information about the client experience."

"We like that WatchGuard works and integrates directly with the firewalls we use."

"They're very easy to set up and get running."

"The solution has been stable."

"Cloud analytics that provide all its attributes."

Cons

"While it is mostly scalable, there are some limitations."

"If there's a way to get a floor map of our office space so we can place the access points on a map to be able to see what's what, where everything is going, where the most traffic is being connected, that would be a nice feature."

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

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

"The solution should include higher speed and lesser cost."

"I want the product to be made available at a cheaper price point."

"The security aspect needs improvement."

"The setup is not very easy. It requires some experience with Wi-Fi, especially with cloud connection and security."

More Aruba Instant On Access Points cons

"I don't think they're available at the best price."

"The price of this solution needs to reviewed, as it is currently high enough to deter customers from trying it."

"If a client device had issues with authentication due to out of date browser or similar difficulties, it would be nice to have the ability to migrate the client onto the portal via one click."

"One of the things is if you buy it with a certain subscription, you can't easily change the subscription level."

"The solution can be scaled but it has limitations from my experience."

"Inability to import a user with one click."

"The support response can be time-consuming because sometimes issues are very sensitive and require instant attention."

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

"It is expensive."

"It's a cost-effective solution."

"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."

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

"It needs a license."

"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."

More Aruba Instant On Access Points pricing and cost advice

"Your licensing and cost, as would be required for many other solutions, being considered for eighty to two hundred and eighty different physical locations, is just about the same amount per access point."

"WatchGuard is on the upper scale for pricing."

"The solution is priced high compared to competitors. However, for the features that are included in the solution, the price becomes more reasonable."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

30%

Computer Software Company

Construction Company

Real Estate/Law Firm

Comms Service Provider

12%

Computer Software Company

12%

Non Profit

11%

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

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 WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi?

We like that WatchGuard works and integrates directly with the firewalls we use.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi?

WatchGuard is on the upper scale for pricing.

What needs improvement with WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi?

The support response can be time-consuming because sometimes issues are very sensitive and require instant attention. Also, when an incident occurs, the impact can be significantly huge. A recent p...

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Product Reports

Aruba Instant On Access Points

Download Aruba Instant On Access Points product report

WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi

Download WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi product report

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

WatchGuard is a global leader in network security, secure Wi-Fi, and network intelligence products and services for SMBs and Distributed Enterprises worldwide. Our mission is to make enterprise-grade security accessible to companies of all types and sizes through simplicity, making WatchGuard an ideal solution for distributed enterprises and SMBs. WatchGuard is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, with offices throughout North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America.

WatchGuard

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Portsmouth Grammar School, HILOTEC

Aruba Instant On Access Points vs. WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi