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Aruba Instant vs Cisco Wireless vs Ubiquiti WLAN comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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
3.5
Aruba Instant enhances productivity, stability, and user experience, supporting many connections despite high cost, providing a competitive business edge.
Sentiment score
1.0
Cisco Wireless delivers fast ROI with improved productivity, security, and connectivity, valued by both profit and non-profit organizations.
Sentiment score
2.5
Users find Ubiquiti WLAN beneficial for small, long-range setups but face issues with changing needs and high prices.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.9
Aruba Instant support is generally satisfactory, with prompt assistance noted, though enterprises occasionally experience delays, especially post-HPE transition.
Sentiment score
4.8
Cisco Wireless customer service is highly rated for prompt, knowledgeable support, despite some regional variability in quality.
Sentiment score
6.2
Ubiquiti WLAN support is inconsistent, with mixed reviews on responsiveness, favoring online resources over slow direct support.
The technical support from Aruba is of high quality, and I would rate it a ten.
The technical support from Cisco is of high quality.
The technical support from Cisco is good.
The problem with Ubiquiti is the lack of a serious reselling chain, as they sell directly to the customer.
I seldom contact the technical support team as there is comprehensive documentation and FAQs available that help me resolve most issues independently.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
6.7
Aruba Instant offers scalable solutions for small to medium businesses, enhancing performance and compatibility for diverse environments.
Sentiment score
5.9
Cisco Wireless offers efficient scalability for various business sizes, though costs and controller limits may pose challenges.
Sentiment score
7.1
Ubiquiti WLAN is scalable, suitable for diverse environments, supports up to 50 users per access point, with high ratings.
I find Aruba Instant to be highly scalable.
It might struggle in very complex environments with many users.
Scalability is a strong point for Ubiquiti Wireless LAN.
I would assess the scalability feature of Ubiquiti WLAN in accommodating my organization's growth or changing network demands as pretty scalable, warranting a nine out of ten rating.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
9.2
Aruba Instant is highly praised for its stability and reliability, outperforming competitors despite minor access point and latency issues.
Sentiment score
7.2
Cisco Wireless is highly stable and reliable, performing well across environments with minimal issues and high user satisfaction.
Sentiment score
6.9
Ubiquiti WLAN users report stability varies; many find it reliable, but others note setup-specific issues and environment-related inconsistencies.
Proper connections and cabling are essential for maintaining stability.
It performs well as an access point but is not designed for high-density environments.
It does require some maintenance from my side, including troubleshooting and fixing occasionally.
 

Room For Improvement

Aruba Instant needs enhanced documentation, UI, more security, better IoT compatibility, improved features, and competitive pricing.
Cisco Wireless faces cost, configuration, usability, security, cloud integration, and compatibility issues, requiring improvements across features, UI, and support.
Ubiquiti WLAN struggles with complexity, stability, support, and lacks enterprise features and scalability, while needing better management and security.
An important missing feature is the console port, which allows direct management without the cloud.
Sometimes, integration with other Cisco products requires manual intervention for tasks such as firmware upgrades, which should be automated.
In the long term, there could be a cost reduction because it does not require much maintenance.
This could provide a detailed view of connections and possible disconnections, offering valuable insights for improving Wi-Fi connections.
There is room for improvement in providing the flexibility to change the default management VLAN from VLAN one to another for enhanced security.
 

Setup Cost

Aruba Instant offers competitive pricing with one-time costs, appreciated for its enterprise functionality and minimal licensing complexity.
Cisco Wireless offers premium, high-quality solutions with complex licensing, perceived as costly but justified by reliability, security, and performance.
Ubiquiti WLAN is seen as cost-effective due to no recurring fees, appealing to small to medium enterprises despite mixed pricing opinions.
We do not sell very expensive devices as we move to other products.
However, when compared to entry-level market segments, the price is higher.
The setup cost involves licenses.
The licensing of Cisco Wireless is competitive.
Cisco has provided significant discounts for large-scale deployments.
it is considered medium-priced, suitable for the quality it offers.
Ubiquiti is affordable, as it does not require recurring licensing fees.
 

Valuable Features

Aruba Instant provides scalable, user-friendly network management with robust security and seamless integration, ideal for small to medium businesses.
Cisco Wireless excels in security, scalability, integration, ease of installation, and management, offering reliable connectivity and advanced features.
Ubiquiti WLAN provides secure, affordable, and scalable wireless solutions with user-friendly management and robust cloud-based features.
I highly value Aruba Instant for its ClearPass feature, which is an exceptional product for network access control and works as a NAC solution.
The most beneficial features for network management are the price and the cloud console.
If one network fails, there is a link between different access points, which ensures network continuity.
When I install it, I can forget about it because there is no need for ongoing maintenance, and no other problems occur.
Cisco Wireless is easy to configure.
I utilize Ubiquiti WLAN unified management system, and it helps streamline network management by making consistent configuration of all my access points and switches.
The Cloud Key Controller is a valuable feature because it allows me to access the wireless system from the cloud and locally within the same network, enhancing network management.
It provides one interface to manage all installations, allowing me to monitor all customers through the same web interface.
 

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2025, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Aruba Instant is 2.1%, up from 2.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Wireless is 11.0%, down from 13.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Ubiquiti WLAN is 5.2%, down from 5.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Wireless LAN Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Cisco Wireless11.0%
Ubiquiti WLAN5.2%
Aruba Instant2.1%
Other81.7%
Wireless LAN
 

Featured Reviews

Alessandro Salvadori - PeerSpot reviewer
Comes at a good price and has a good cloud console
We usually sell Aruba Instant where there is no need for more than four or five switches. It is generally recommended for very small companies where we don't need more than three or four switches We are using it only for very small companies. We have had a reduction in time, but it is not that…
Theesula Majuwanagamage - PeerSpot reviewer
Bridging capabilities ensure network continuity and reliability in large-scale deployments
The most valuable feature of Cisco Wireless is the bridging capability. If one network fails, there is a link between different access points, which ensures network continuity. Additionally, Cisco offers significant discounts for large projects. The reliability and robust solution are also key aspects, as there have been no errors or failures. The implementation is straightforward, and the user interface connection is easy.
Gabriele-Pizzigati - PeerSpot reviewer
Managing installations through one interface enhances efficiency but AI features improvement
Ubiquiti Wireless LAN is reliable and offers a good quality product. It provides one interface to manage all installations, allowing me to monitor all customers through the same web interface. The web interface in the controller allows for quick configuration of devices with just one click, which is a significant advantage.
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Comparison Review

it_user212721 - PeerSpot reviewer
Mar 24, 2015
Cisco vs. Aruba Wireless Solutions
Cisco or Aruba Networks? If you are considering wireless access solutions, this is a common question that you are probably asking. You probably have sales people knocking at your door. How do you make sense of all the stories that you are presented with. If you have done any research, you are…
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Construction Company
6%
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Educational Organization
7%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Computer Software Company
11%
Comms Service Provider
11%
Government
6%
Manufacturing Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business29
Midsize Enterprise8
Large Enterprise14
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business74
Midsize Enterprise42
Large Enterprise74
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business27
Midsize Enterprise8
Large Enterprise10
 

Questions from the Community

Which is better - Ubiquiti WLAN or Aruba Instant?
We researched Ubiquiti and Aruba when looking for a WLAN solution. Ubiquiti offers good WLAN access both indoors and ...
What do you like most about Aruba Instant?
I find network management features related to monitoring Wi-Fi usage and visited sites particularly valuable. Content...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Aruba Instant?
In my experience, Aruba Instant's price is reasonable compared to premium products like Ruckus, Cisco, or Juniper. Ho...
Which is better - Cisco Wireless or Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN?
Cisco Wireless is very robust, very rugged, and can handle indoor and outdoor coverage extremely well. We found it to...
Which is better - Ruckus Wireless or Cisco Wireless?
Ruckus Wireless offers users the benefit of being both easy to set up and get running as well as being very user frie...
How does Cisco Wireless compare with Aruba Wireless?
On the most basic level, Cisco Wireless can offer a rather straightforward initial setup. In the span of about three ...
Is Ubiquiti Wireless better than Ruckus Wireless WAN?
Ubiquiti Wireless is extremely easy to set up and is an excellent option for small businesses, offering enterprise fe...
What do you like most about Ubiquiti WLAN?
Anyone can buy the product off the shelf and configure it.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Ubiquiti WLAN?
My experience with overall licensing costs, setup costs, and pricing of the product is that it's reasonable.
 

Also Known As

No data available
Cisco WLAN Controller
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Purdue University, Orlando Magic, Brussels Airport Company, Molecaten Holiday Parks
Aegean Motorway, Baylor Scott & White Health, Beachbody, Bellevue, Brunel University London, Bucks County Intermediate Unit , Chartwell School, Children's Hospital Colorado, Cisco Live Milan, City of Biel, City of Mississauga, Dundee Precious Metals, Electricity Authority of Cyprus, Erickson Living, Goldcorp, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Grupo Industrial Saltillo (GIS)
NASCAR Grand-AM, Maritime Parc, Outdoor Music Festival, One Republic Tour, British Armed Forces, Arcadia School District, Bartlett School District, Universidad del Azuay, Estelar Hotels, Intercontinental Bali, Moscow - Enforta, Miami - Sling Broadband, Manhattan - MST, Ecuador - Aire.EC
Find out what your peers are saying about Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Ruckus, Cisco and others in Wireless LAN. Updated: August 2025.
868,570 professionals have used our research since 2012.