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Aruba Instant On Switches vs Cisco FabricPath comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 6, 2025

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 ideal for startups and development areas, offering simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and easy deployment.
Sentiment score
8.1
Cisco FabricPath ensures cost efficiency and stability in networks, enhancing ROI through seamless setup and strategic upgrade cycles.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.4
Aruba Instant On Switches customer service is generally positive, though some report slow responses; enterprise versions offer lifetime warranty.
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.
System Engineer at University of Kelaniya
It is not fast or knowledgeable.
System Engineer at Juniper Networks
I would rate them an eight on a scale of one to ten because the support was good.
Engagement Manager at a marketing services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Based on my experience with technical support from Cisco, they are helpful and responsive; they respond based on severity.
Technical Project Manager at Cairo International Airport Co.
Cisco provides excellent support.
Program Manager at a computer software company with 10,001+ employees
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
6.7
Aruba Instant On Switches offer scalable integration for small businesses, easy setup, but limited enterprise-level features and configurations.
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.
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.
System Engineer at University of Kelaniya
Aruba Instant On Switches is a scalable solution with no problems.
System Engineer at Juniper Networks
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.0
Aruba Instant On Switches are stable, reliable, easy to manage, and rated highly by users, despite limited enterprise features.
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.
Presale Network Security at a consumer goods company with 1-10 employees
I would rate the stability of Aruba Instant On Switches as an eight out of ten.
System Engineer at Juniper Networks
Cisco FabricPath is stable.
Program Manager at a computer software company with 10,001+ employees
 

Room For Improvement

Aruba Instant On Switches need improved scalability, security, AI features, management interface, documentation, VLAN support, stability, and diagnostics.
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.
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.
Presale Network Security at a consumer goods company with 1-10 employees
Additionally, parts availability in these regions needs improvement to address hardware failure situations, such as the availability of parts like a power cable.
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.
Technical Project Manager at Cairo International Airport Co.
 

Setup Cost

Aruba Instant On Switches are cost-effective with an all-inclusive pricing model, rivaling Cisco but pricier than Ubiquiti.
Cisco FabricPath's pricing is seen as high, but its performance and features attract enterprises despite cost concerns.
With Aruba Instant On Switches, you need to pay for a yearly license.
System Engineer at Juniper Networks
Economically, its price is acceptable for us.
System Engineer at University of Kelaniya
The pricing was good because they do not nickel and dime on costs.
Engagement Manager at a marketing services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Additionally, many products have subscriptions, making it very expensive when you bundle all together.
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.
Program Manager at a computer software company with 10,001+ employees
 

Valuable Features

Aruba Instant On Switches provide affordable, reliable, and user-friendly networking solutions with VLAN support, scalability, and easy management.
Cisco FabricPath is praised for its scalability, security, simplicity, and reliability, integrating seamlessly with Cisco Nexus to enhance performance.
Aruba Instant On Switches improves the user experience by providing simplicity and reliability.
System Engineer at Juniper Networks
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.
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.
Engagement Manager at a marketing services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Cisco is the best choice in terms of cost, quality, and post-procurement services.
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.
Technical Project Manager at Cairo International Airport Co.
 

Categories and Ranking

Aruba Instant On Switches
Ranking in LAN Switching
3rd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.1
Number of Reviews
33
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Cisco FabricPath
Ranking in LAN Switching
4th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
31
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the LAN Switching category, the mindshare of Aruba Instant On Switches is 5.6%, down from 9.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco FabricPath is 5.3%, up from 2.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
LAN Switching Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Aruba Instant On Switches5.6%
Cisco FabricPath5.3%
Other89.1%
LAN Switching
 

Featured Reviews

reviewer2596875 - PeerSpot reviewer
Presale Network Security at a consumer goods company with 1-10 employees
Balances affordability with essential features though configuration flexibility can improve
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. I usually utilize the VLAN support feature in Aruba Instant On Switches because typically customers have requirements for different VLANs, usually less than 10 VLANs, to create different zones for their users and to increase security. The VLAN support is mostly to have different segments for different users, which creates security and helps to avoid any unforeseen risks in the network.
AF
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.
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which LAN Switching solutions are best for your needs.
909,725 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
9%
Construction Company
8%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Computer Software Company
7%
Healthcare Company
9%
Construction Company
9%
Outsourcing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business19
Midsize Enterprise6
Large Enterprise8
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business11
Midsize Enterprise6
Large Enterprise14
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Aruba Instant On Switches?
With Aruba Instant On Switches, you need to pay for a yearly license. If you have yearly support, you have to pay for that. For Aruba Instant On Switches, there are not really any extra costs in ad...
What needs improvement with Aruba Instant On Switches?
I would not like to improve something; the only thing is what occurred last week.
What is your primary use case for Aruba Instant On Switches?
Almost everyone in our company is using Aruba Instant On Switches today.
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...
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.
What is your primary use case for Cisco FabricPath?
The typical use cases for Cisco FabricPath in my environment is that it's better than STP spanning tree protocols, doesn't block redundant links, and gives us active-active links that increase our ...
 

Also Known As

Aruba Instant On 1930 Switches
FabricPath
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

KEMET, Vestavia Hills City Schools, Dropbox
Bellevue, Calligaris, Electricity Authority of Cyprus, Management Science Associates, Multi-Customer, Oediv, Roper St. Francis, SNAM
Find out what your peers are saying about Aruba Instant On Switches vs. Cisco FabricPath and other solutions. Updated: August 2026.
909,725 professionals have used our research since 2012.