Aruba Instant On Switches vs Cisco FabricPath comparison

Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Cisco are both solutions in the LAN Switching category. Hewlett Packard Enterprise is ranked #2 with an average rating of 7.6, while Cisco is ranked #3 with an average rating of 8.3. Hewlett Packard Enterprise holds a 8.1% mindshare in LS, compared to Cisco’s 3.2% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of Hewlett Packard Enterprise users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 96% of Cisco users who would recommend it.

Aruba Instant On Switches

Read 32 Aruba Instant On Switches reviews

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1,143 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

Cisco FabricPath

Read 31 Cisco FabricPath reviews

571 Views
560 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

Aruba Instant On Switches

Cisco FabricPath

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 6, 2025

Cisco FabricPath and Aruba Instant On Switches compete in the network management domain. Cisco excels due to its top-notch security and seamless integration, while Aruba shines in cost-effectiveness and ease of use for SMBs.

Features: Cisco FabricPath is known for its advanced security features, protocol flexibility, and robustness in handling high data traffic. It allows integration into existing infrastructures with minimal errors, making it ideal for enterprises seeking resilient solutions. Aruba Instant On Switches emphasize centralized management, cost-effectiveness, and include cloud capabilities, making them suitable for SMBs. The intuitive interface and comprehensive package at an attractive price point are additional strengths.

Room for Improvement: Cisco FabricPath could improve its documentation, incorporate better pricing strategies, enhance its security features further, and provide more manageable GUIs. These improvements can make it more accessible. On the other hand, Aruba Instant On Switches can work on scalability, introduce more advanced features, and enhance AI capabilities. Users specifically seek more L3 functionalities and improved switch management tools.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco FabricPath excels in robust on-premises deployments and provides reliable technical support, leading to high customer satisfaction. Its support is widely appreciated by users. Aruba Instant On Switches offer hybrid cloud deployment options, praised for their user-friendliness, though users see room for a more intuitive setup process. While support is solid, increased technical assistance accessibility would enhance user experiences.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco FabricPath presents a premium offering, reflecting in its pricing. Despite the high cost, it delivers strong ROI through high network management value and stability. Aruba Instant On Switches stand out with competitive pricing, appealing to budget-conscious customers while ensuring high value with its comprehensive package, including free licenses. Aruba's cost-effective pricing aligns better with budget constraints, offering substantial returns over time.

To learn more, read our detailed Aruba Instant On Switches vs. Cisco FabricPath Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Instant On Switches vs. Cisco FabricPath

December 2025

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Helped 881,082 peers since 2012

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

4.6

Aruba Instant On Switches are valued for affordability and ease of integration, appealing to startups and service providers.

Sentiment score

8.1

Cisco FabricPath ensures cost efficiency and stability in networks, enhancing ROI through seamless setup and strategic upgrade cycles.

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the Aruba Instant On Switches report

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco FabricPath report

Customer Service

Sentiment score

6.4

Aruba Instant On Switches support is reliable, with skilled staff, but users request better communication access and quicker resolutions.

Sentiment score

7.1

Cisco FabricPath support is praised for responsiveness, professionalism, and effectiveness, though delays occur, usually leading to favorable resolutions.

I want more direct communication with the technical support.

Indrajith Solanga

System Engineer at University of Kelaniya

I would rate them an eight on a scale of one to ten because the support was good.

Van-Padgett

Engagement Manager at a marketing services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Aruba Instant On Switches report

Based on my experience with technical support from Cisco, they are helpful and responsive; they respond based on severity.

AmrFouad

Technical Project Manager at Cairo International Airport Co.

Cisco provides excellent support.

SanjitAchary

Program Manager at a computer software company with 10,001+ employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco FabricPath report

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score

6.7

Aruba Instant On Switches offer flexibility and ease for small businesses but have limitations for enterprise-level demands.

Sentiment score

8.1

Cisco FabricPath excels in scalability and adaptability, handling various user volumes efficiently with high user satisfaction ratings.

The product scalability can be deployed on a very large network scale.

reviewer2596875

Presale Network Security at a consumer goods company with 1-10 employees

I would rate the scalability of Aruba Instant On Switches as an eight regarding the ability of the product to adapt to our needs.

Indrajith Solanga

System Engineer at University of Kelaniya

For more quotes and insights, download the Aruba Instant On Switches report

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco FabricPath report

Stability Issues

Sentiment score

8.0

Aruba Instant On Switches are reliable, easy to install, and offer good performance at a competitive price, despite occasional issues.

Sentiment score

8.5

Cisco FabricPath is highly rated for stability and reliability, despite minor compatibility issues with integrating different services.

In terms of stability and scalability, I have not faced any performance issues with Aruba; it functions very well.

reviewer2596875

Presale Network Security at a consumer goods company with 1-10 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Aruba Instant On Switches report

Cisco FabricPath is stable.

SanjitAchary

Program Manager at a computer software company with 10,001+ employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco FabricPath report

Room For Improvement

Aruba Instant On Switches need better pricing, scalability, feature set, user documentation, and improved management and configuration tools.

Cisco FabricPath requires better integration, affordability, improved UI, comprehensive support, and enhancements in features like AI and security.

Aruba Instant On Switches could be improved by utilizing more AI features.

Van-Padgett

Engagement Manager at a marketing services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees

If they can apply more security features to Aruba Instant On Switches, such as network access control including ClearPass, then that would be great.

reviewer2596875

Presale Network Security at a consumer goods company with 1-10 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Aruba Instant On Switches report

Additionally, parts availability in these regions needs improvement to address hardware failure situations, such as the availability of parts like a power cable.

SanjitAchary

Program Manager at a computer software company with 10,001+ employees

In future updates, I would prefer to see features such as more AI functionality or better integration added to Cisco FabricPath.

AmrFouad

Technical Project Manager at Cairo International Airport Co.

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco FabricPath report

Setup Cost

Aruba Instant On Switches offer competitive pricing and inclusive licensing, praised for cost-effectiveness and compatibility with existing Aruba solutions.

Cisco FabricPath's pricing is seen as high, but its performance and features attract enterprises despite cost concerns.

Economically, its price is acceptable for us.

Indrajith Solanga

System Engineer at University of Kelaniya

The pricing was good because they do not nickel and dime on costs.

Van-Padgett

Engagement Manager at a marketing services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Aruba Instant On Switches report

Additionally, many products have subscriptions, making it very expensive when you bundle all together.

AmrFouad

Technical Project Manager at Cairo International Airport Co.

While pricing is slightly on the higher side, the overall assessment, which includes cost and technical capabilities, often favors Cisco.

SanjitAchary

Program Manager at a computer software company with 10,001+ employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco FabricPath report

Valuable Features

Aruba Instant On Switches offer easy setup, cost-effective scalability, and advanced network features for SMBs and SOHOs.

Cisco FabricPath is praised for its scalability, security, simplicity, and reliability, integrating seamlessly with Cisco Nexus to enhance performance.

The first valuable aspect of Aruba Instant On Switches is the price because it is affordable, and it is easy to deploy and not complicated regarding licensing because when you purchase it once, you can enjoy it for more than five years or lifetime.

reviewer2596875

Presale Network Security at a consumer goods company with 1-10 employees

The best features of Aruba Instant On Switches include the ability to remotely monitor the access points and any troubles on the network.

Van-Padgett

Engagement Manager at a marketing services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Aruba Instant On Switches report

Cisco is the best choice in terms of cost, quality, and post-procurement services.

SanjitAchary

Program Manager at a computer software company with 10,001+ employees

I have experienced operational efficiencies with Cisco FabricPath that are 200% better than the old legacy equipment and protocols.

AmrFouad

Technical Project Manager at Cairo International Airport Co.

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco FabricPath report

Categories and Ranking

Aruba Instant On Switches

Ranking in LAN Switching

2nd

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Cisco FabricPath

Ranking in LAN Switching

3rd

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the LAN Switching category, the mindshare of Aruba Instant On Switches is 8.1%, down from 10.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco FabricPath is 3.2%, up from 1.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

LAN Switching Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Aruba Instant On Switches	8.1%
Cisco FabricPath	3.2%
Other	88.7%

LAN Switching

Featured Reviews

Indrajith Solanga

System Engineer at University of Kelaniya

Solution offers straightforward management and compatibility, though user support needs direct access improvement

Sometimes some features are not available. For example, the network discovery protocol, LLDP, is not available on some of the switches. When we look at the CLI management, we are considering Cisco, and we are familiar with the Cisco commands. In that case, at the command level, Cisco is much better than Aruba Instant On Switches. Considering the configuration and the CLI level and some of the features, Cisco has better offerings than Aruba Instant On Switches. There are Netgear and some other low-cost switches, but the quality of those is not aligned with our organization's requirements. Overall, I rate Aruba Instant On Switches a seven out of ten.

Read full review

AmrFouad

Technical Project Manager at Cairo International Airport Co.

Offers seamless integration and boosts operational efficiency with minimum downtimes

I find stability to be the most effective feature of Cisco FabricPath; it is stable. Cisco FabricPath has good scalability; I don't have any problems with scalability as I can add any switches or distributors without any problem. I utilize the multipath routing architecture feature in Cisco FabricPath, and it's good in load balancing. Cisco FabricPath's compatibility to support Dynamic Layer 2 multipath routing in complex virtualized environments is good; I don't have any problems with it. Nothing comes to mind regarding metrics for using the Layer 2 multipath routing feature; it was good, and there were no problems at all with Cisco FabricPath. Cisco FabricPath's integration with Cisco Nexus works with virtual port channel (VPC) and is good for dual home servers and edge switches. We are using VPC in every layer of the Nexus center. Implementing Cisco FabricPath positively impacted my organization by providing minimum downtimes as the service is always up; everything is working properly with the VPC and Cisco FabricPath. I have experienced operational efficiencies with Cisco FabricPath that are 200% better than the old legacy equipment and protocols.

Read full review

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

12%

Computer Software Company

11%

Comms Service Provider

10%

University

13%

Manufacturing Company

13%

Recreational Facilities/Services Company

Performing Arts

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	19
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	7

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	11
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	14

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Aruba Instant On Switches?

The solution has a simple deployment and zero border.

See all answers

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

The pricing was good because they do not nickel and dime on costs.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Aruba Instant On Switches?

Aruba Instant On Switches could be improved by utilizing more AI features. They are starting to use some AI capabilities, though I haven't kept up with developments since I left.

See all answers

What do you like most about Cisco FabricPath?

The tool makes it easy to manage multi-layer networking and increases network efficiency. I haven't faced any challenges in integrating it into our existing infrastructure.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco FabricPath?

Cisco is somewhat expensive, but it provides good quality products and operations, so I can't complain about licensing cost and setup costs. There is room for improvement in terms of pricing for th...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Cisco FabricPath?

In future updates, I would prefer to see features such as more AI functionality or better integration added to Cisco FabricPath; more AI would be useful.

See all answers

Comparisons

HPE ProCurve vs Aruba Instant On Switches

Compared 38% of the time

Cisco Catalyst Switches vs Aruba Instant On Switches

Compared 29% of the time

NETGEAR Switches vs Aruba Instant On Switches

Compared 17% of the time

Dell PowerSwitch N-Series vs Aruba Instant On Switches

Compared 9% of the time

Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch LAN Switches vs Aruba Instant On Switches

Compared 8% of the time

More Aruba Instant On Switches Competitors

Juniper QFabric vs Cisco FabricPath

Compared 45% of the time

ExtremeSwitching vs Cisco FabricPath

Compared 32% of the time

Arista Campus LAN Switches vs Cisco FabricPath

Compared 23% of the time

More Cisco FabricPath Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Instant On Switches

January 2026

Download Aruba Instant On Switches product report

Buyer's Guide

Cisco FabricPath

January 2026

Download Cisco FabricPath product report

Also Known As

Aruba Instant On 1930 Switches

FabricPath

Overview

The Aruba Instant On 1930 switches features advanced, smart-managed, fixed configuration Gigabit switches designed for small businesses that are easy-to-deploy and affordable. They’re made to handle today’s bandwidth-heavy applications like voice and video conferencing, enabling consistent connectivity to enhance performance. Using either the Instant On mobile app or the cloud-based web portal, you can quickly set up, monitor and manage the 1930 switch series from anywhere at any time. What’s more, up to 30 W PoE power delivery is available out-of-the-box for your class 4 PoE devices, like access points, surveillance cameras and VoIP phones, all easily managed from the same platform.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Cisco FabricPath is a Cisco NX-OS software innovation combining the plug-and-play simplicity of Ethernet with the reliability and scalability of Layer 3 routing. Using FabricPath, you can build highly scalable Layer 2 multipath networks without the Spanning Tree Protocol. Such networks are particularly suitable for large virtualization deployments, private clouds, and high-performance computing (HPC) environments. The benefits of Cisco FabricPath include: Minimal commands per switch ease configuration and operation, Autodiscovery simplifies addition of new links and switches, Provision additional network bandwidth without impacting network, Supports one-, two-, or three-tier architectures, VLAN extensibility across the data center.

Cisco

Sample Customers

KEMET, Vestavia Hills City Schools, Dropbox

Bellevue, Calligaris, Electricity Authority of Cyprus, Management Science Associates, Multi-Customer, Oediv, Roper St. Francis, SNAM

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Instant On Switches vs. Cisco FabricPath

December 2025

Free Report: Aruba Instant On Switches vs. Cisco FabricPath

Find out what your peers are saying about Aruba Instant On Switches vs. Cisco FabricPath and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.

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