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Aruba Instant On Switches vs Cisco Nexus 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:
 

Categories and Ranking

Aruba Instant On Switches
Ranking in LAN Switching
2nd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
30
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Cisco Nexus
Ranking in LAN Switching
3rd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.6
Number of Reviews
106
Ranking in other categories
Data Center Networking (5th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the LAN Switching category, the mindshare of Aruba Instant On Switches is 9.7%, up from 9.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Nexus is 8.5%, down from 11.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
LAN Switching
 

Featured Reviews

MashukThakur - PeerSpot reviewer
A centrally managed switches ideal for small and medium businesses but does not have any console access
The solution does not have any console access. For example, if you do not have internet access on your side and you need to configure anything, you should at least have CLI access to do something or manage the solution to put to some IP. It will only work if we have a TSCT on the network. We can port and configure the initial settings before we get the Instant On Switches. I am not working deeply on Instant On devices. I have only installed it in a couple of accommodation sites. Even today, one customer has ordered to install 80 pieces of Instant On. I’ve to order additional 94 access points. I was confused about whether to go with Aruba Instant On or AP-505. Instant On has limited accessibility but AP-505 have cloud or local access on normal infrastructure. This would be better and easier to configure. So, there are further improvements in regard to console access and some limitations with access.
Vinayak Lokare - PeerSpot reviewer
Enhancing data center network efficiency with reliable security integrations and good switching
Cisco Nexus provides a reliable switching platform for our data centers. It allows us to run dynamic routing protocols and helps improve network efficiency with features like MPLS. Additionally, it supports integration with third-party security tools, which is advantageous for our network architecture. Security-wise, we utilize Cisco's solutions while exploring other vendor options too.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Instant On Switches' best feature is the 1930, which is stackable."
"It is a very stable solution."
"The solution is suitable for small businesses and small offices."
"Aruba's management solutions, like Aruba Central are valuable."
"The solution is plug-and-play and auto-configured."
"It is quite easy to maintain from the software point of view."
"The product's initial setup phase is very simple."
"The online monitoring tool and the configuration of the application with the tool are valuable features."
"The seamless integration of Nexus in the data center provides a scalable and stable solution."
"The most valuable feature of the 7700 series is probably the multi-context subset VRS, which lets you use multi-VRS, multi-context, and also VPC setup, where you have two logical devices that are still separate in terms of management planes, but have shared, virtual core channels."
"The most valuable features of this solution are scalability and reliability."
"We are a Cisco shop. This solution is better compared to other options."
"The setup was very easy, but managing it in operations was very complex."
"This solution has saved us both time and money because we now have the ability to control all of these telephony devices that are deployed nationwide."
"The most valuable feature of this solution is the power."
"It speeds up the network data transfer time."
 

Cons

"In general, mostly in Instant On series, if we could have much more control on the switches, at least. We'd like a CLI access so that, when we want to do some advanced configurations we could."
"Improvements are required in the product's price. I want it to be cheaper."
"Tracking with instant switches needs improvement."
"The solution’s GUI should be improved a bit."
"Some L3 features could be included in the solution."
"Room for improvement would be if they consolidated administration from multiple locations."
"We are interested in acquiring a firewall that provides a comprehensive solution. In other words, we're seeking a firewall that encompasses multiple aspects, such as exceptional switches and active phone functionalities."
"It is not a very scalable solution."
"The scalability can be improved."
"One of our switches died last week and we were able to RMA it. Within four hours it arrived on time and worked."
"I would like to see better collaboration with other, low-end devices."
"One of the problems we have is that there is no confirmation for when you try to test a system command."
"The pricing must be improved."
"I would like to see a central management solution in order to have all of the equipment in one place."
"There are limitations on some of the lower level 9K solutions where you can't do the same things that you would normally be able to do, like for instance the number of static maps that you can configure on it."
"There is no feature parity between the 9K and the 5K or 7K, which means that it is harder to position the 9K to future proof them."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Aruba Instant On Switches is slightly cheaper than Cisco."
"We pay an annual licensing fee."
"The product has good pricing."
"I give the price seven out of ten."
"It is an expensive solution."
"The pricing is quite low compared to other products, which is good for the customer."
"Aruba Instant On Switches is not expensive."
"The pricing is cheap."
"In most cases, there is a need to secure perpetual licenses to be able to use the product. When I set up the product, there isn't just a one-time cost that is involved."
"It's around $160K a year for our license."
"Costs more than most, but the reliability pays for the difference."
"Cisco's licensing structures can be complex across different technologies, for example, unified communications."
"If you compare Cisco hardware to any other vendors, such as HPE, they are more expensive. There is a license to use the solution. If my customer's licenses are about to expire I receive notification from Cisco, this is very helpful."
"This is a very expensive product."
"The Nexus 9000 is very competitively priced."
"Our licensing fees are approximately $2,000 USD per year."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Comms Service Provider
10%
University
7%
Computer Software Company
21%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Aruba Instant On Switches?
The solution has a simple deployment and zero border.
What needs improvement with Aruba Instant On Switches?
I have run into a couple of problems with the switches. Recently, one of the newer stacks stopped working and had to be rebooted individually. They don't have a lot of diagnostics tools, which coul...
What do you like most about Cisco Nexus?
The product's initial setup phase is very easy.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Nexus?
All solutions are very expensive and not an economy solution.
What needs improvement with Cisco Nexus?
All solutions are very expensive and not an economy solution. The solution is on-premises and stable. We haven't tried integration with the network software.
 

Also Known As

Aruba Instant On 1930 Switches
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

KEMET, Vestavia Hills City Schools, Dropbox
Advanced Medical Transport, Banco de Guayaquil, Baylor Scott & White Health, BH Telecom, Bowling Green State University, Calligaris, Children's Hospital Colorado, City of Biel, Del Papa Distributing, Department of Justice, Dimension Data, Dualtec Cloud Builders, Electricity Authority of Cyprus, Grupo Industrial Saltillo (GIS), Hertz, K&L Gates , LightEdge, Lone Star College System, Management Science Associates, Mindtree, NBC Olympics, Quest, Sony Corporation, The Department of Education in Western Australia, Valley Proteins
Find out what your peers are saying about Aruba Instant On Switches vs. Cisco Nexus and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
860,168 professionals have used our research since 2012.