Aruba Instant vs SonicWall SonicWave Access Points comparison

Aruba Instant vs. SonicWall SonicWave Access Points

Download the complete report

Helped 864,155 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:

Categories and Ranking

Aruba Instant

Ranking in Wireless LAN

10th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

SonicWall SonicWave Access ...

Ranking in Wireless LAN

19th

Average Rating

10.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Aruba Instant is 2.0%, up from 2.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SonicWall SonicWave Access Points 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

Alessandro Salvadori

Sales Engineer at SGE

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…

Read full review

Winsley De Oliveira

Owner at ANOC

An industry-leading security and wireless solution packaged in one box

We make our customers SonicWall clients. We have a solution package: If you have a contract to network with us, we will deliver SonicWall firewalls, access points, VPN clients, and all the other equipment with the SonicWall solution. We have been selling this solution for the past 30 years. We had a customer three months ago struggling with a Fortinet solution. We convinced them that the Fortinet solution would not work perfectly during renewal. We made a bet and delivered SonicWall equipment for free for one week, and if they had no more issues, they would buy it. That's precisely what happened. The customer ended up purchasing an $80,000 SonicWall solution. The SonicWall SonicWave Access Points are a good product compared to Cisco, Sophos, and Fortinet. In Brazil, Ruckus is taking market share in some key areas, such as hotels and hospitals. They are into big solutions with thousands of access points. Overall, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Aruba Instant's best feature is the ability to manage it in the cloud."

"The product's initial setup phase was straightforward, considering that the tool offers a ZTP feature."

"Aruba Instant is cloud-based, and thus, it improves wireless network performance on cloud platforms. The solution allows network monitoring through devices like mobiles and desktops, which is a feasible option. The tool also has Bluetooth settings so a user can deploy Aruba Instant through a serial number or the Bluetooth option."

"When users want to migrate from one location to another, they face no problems with connectivity."

"The access it grants to wifi is the solution's most valuable feature."

"The features I have found most valuable is that the solution creates a guest portal for guest networks, and setting up SSID authentication to the regular server."

"The quick setup and automatic code embedded in one access point is really useful."

"The solution is stable, and we are satisfied."

More Aruba Instant pros

"The platform's most valuable feature is the ability to provide cloud access to configure and manage devices."

"A good management tool that can be managed through the cloud or firewall."

"I rate SonicWall a nine out of ten."

"Unlike the Cisco solution that needs a dedicated wireless controller outside of a firewall, SonicWall has everything in one box. Fortinet is close to it."

"The security features of SonicWall are highly valued."

Cons

"The network planner could be improved. You should be able to import a floor plan, and the application should suggest the optimal placement of your devices."

"For some people, price is a concern."

"An important missing feature is the console port, which allows direct management without the cloud."

"This solution would be improved if they supplied free software controllers."

"Aruba Instant is a simple and scalable solution that works well, but the costs you incur from access points could be cheaper."

"Embedding a heatmap tool within the product would make it easier to conduct a wireless survey."

"Aruba Instant does not currently offer a multi-gig switch or product, making it an area that requires improvement. Aruba Instant's competitors have multi-gig switches or products."

"The product's high cost is an area where improvements are required."

More Aruba Instant cons

"The main issue is the management of the access points. They are sometimes difficult to manage from the end-user side because they are not yet familiar with the configuration."

"The product's pricing is high and could be improved."

"We have a lot of overlapping wireless networks with a lot of cheap equipment that does not run on any rules or regulations. The best way to improve the wireless network, like in SonicWaves, is to defeat these networks by isolating, preventing them, or overcoming their wireless signal. We try to do that, but I live near an airport, and the AirPortRadar glitches my wireless network every nine seconds."

"They are sometimes difficult to manage from the end-user side because they are not yet familiar with the configuration."

"Integrating with the firewall and management console was a little complex."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The setup cost varies based on each organization's requirements but it is within reason."

"I rate the product’s pricing a two out of ten."

"Two years ago, I paid INR 12,000 for access points, but now, I will have to pay double the amount, which comes up to INR 24,000, making it a costly product."

"Some in the hospitality industry use the solution because it's cheaper and doesn't require licenses."

"The tool's pricing is neither cheap nor expensive."

"Some aspect of the price of Aruba Instant is very economical because if the customer is requiring more features the customer needs to pay a higher amount."

"The cost was affordable."

"The product has increased its pricing by at least 30 percent."

More Aruba Instant pricing and cost advice

"The pricing of the SonicWave Access Points solution is different in the US and Brazil. In the US, the solution is priced more competitively than other vendors. In Brazil, the exchange rate is a problem. To address this, SonicWall managers in Brazil are running several sales promotions and improving the price of new units."

"The platform offers yearly licenses."

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Wireless LAN solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

864,155 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

14%

Comms Service Provider

Construction Company

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

17%

Manufacturing Company

University

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

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 outdoors. It provides an enterprise-level WIFI while remaining cost-effective. U...

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 filtering is also important to prevent access to malicious or inappropriate web...

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. However, when compared to entry-level market segments, the price is higher. Overal...

What do you like most about SonicWall SonicWave Access Points?

The platform's most valuable feature is the ability to provide cloud access to configure and manage devices.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SonicWall SonicWave Access Points?

The platform offers yearly licenses. We receive all the support services through our partners. Thus, there are no extra costs involved. However, some partners might charge for deployment services.

What needs improvement with SonicWall SonicWave Access Points?

The main issue is the management of the access points. They are sometimes difficult to manage from the end-user side because they are not yet familiar with the configuration.

Omada Access Points vs Aruba Instant

Comparisons

Compared 36% of the time

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs Aruba Instant

Compared 15% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs Aruba Instant

Compared 11% of the time

Huawei Wireless vs Aruba Instant

Compared 9% of the time

Aruba Instant On Access Points vs Aruba Instant

Compared 8% of the time

More Aruba Instant Competitors

Ruckus Wireless vs SonicWall SonicWave Access Points

Compared 38% of the time

Ubiquiti WLAN vs SonicWall SonicWave Access Points

Compared 30% of the time

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs SonicWall SonicWave Access Points

Compared 19% of the time

Aruba Wireless vs SonicWall SonicWave Access Points

Compared 13% of the time

More SonicWall SonicWave Access Points Competitors

Product Reports

Aruba Instant

Download Aruba Instant product report

Wireless LAN

Download SonicWall SonicWave Access Points product report

SonicWall SonicWave Access Points report

Also Known As

No data available

SonicWave 200 Series, SonicWave 200 Series Access Points, SonicWave 400 Series, SonicWave 400 Series Access Points

Overview

Aruba Instant delivers the only controllerless Wi-Fi solution that is easy to set-up, and loaded with security and smarts needed to accelerate your business without breaking your budget.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

SonicWall SonicWave series wireless access points (APs) combine high-performance IEEE 802.11ac Wave 2 wireless technology with flexible deployment options. These APs can be managed via the cloud using SonicWall WiFi Cloud Manager (WCM) or through SonicWall's industry-leading next-generation firewalls.

SonicWall

Sample Customers

Purdue University, Orlando Magic, Brussels Airport Company, Molecaten Holiday Parks

St. Dominic's School for Girls

Aruba Instant vs. SonicWall SonicWave Access Points