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Aruba Networks Wireless WAN vs Cisco Wireless WAN comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 4, 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
5.2
Users report mixed ROI from Aruba Networks Wireless WAN, with varied cost savings and satisfaction in network features and integration.
Sentiment score
7.1
Cisco Wireless WAN is reliable and cost-effective, offering strong ROI despite high costs, with significant productivity and efficiency gains.
It delivers everything we need for our wireless network, including security, authentication, and integration with other platforms.
Network Administrator at a government with 5,001-10,000 employees
Cisco's licensing structure is more expensive than FortiNet, as it requires different tiers of licenses to access advanced features.
Consultant at a comms service provider with 11-50 employees
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.0
Aruba Networks Wireless WAN support is generally good, with variations in response speed and channel effectiveness noted by users.
Sentiment score
6.7
Cisco Wireless WAN support is praised for expertise and RMA services, though response times and engineer consistency vary.
I would rate their support as a nine out of ten.
Senior Network Engineer at Auckland University of Technology
I would rate the direct support an eight out of ten.
Network Administrator at a government with 5,001-10,000 employees
If an engineer's shift ends, I have to re-explain everything to a new engineer, which is challenging.
Consultant at a comms service provider with 11-50 employees
I find the technical support by Cisco very supportive.
Network Security at Tech Mahindra Limited
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.5
Aruba Networks Wireless WAN offers scalable, flexible, and adaptable solutions for diverse organizations, despite occasional hardware constraints.
Sentiment score
7.6
Cisco Wireless WAN is scalable and adaptable, efficiently managing users across various sectors despite some licensing challenges.
There isn't a limit to scalability, but for deployments exceeding five thousand equipment, it requires opening a case with Meraki support to increase capacity.
Consultant at a comms service provider with 11-50 employees
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.1
Aruba Networks Wireless WAN is highly stable and reliable, praised for consistent performance and low failure rates.
Sentiment score
7.7
Cisco Wireless WAN is stable and reliable, with minor configuration issues and responsive support, rated 8-10 by users.
 

Room For Improvement

Aruba Networks needs improved management software, setup ease, hardware variety, pricing, and enhanced security and support features.
Cisco Wireless WAN needs enhanced compatibility, affordability, user-friendliness, and improved security, support, and management features.
There is no single pane of glass for location configuration, so you need to log into different websites to check the user experience.
Senior Network Engineer at Auckland University of Technology
The licensing scheme and price could be improved.
Network Administrator at a government with 5,001-10,000 employees
Walmart is interested in using electronic tags instead of paper labels for easier price changes on products.
Consultant at a comms service provider with 11-50 employees
We are able to see the connectivity details, and we also see the Mbps at which they are connecting.
Network Security at Tech Mahindra Limited
 

Setup Cost

Aruba Networks Wireless WAN is expensive but justifiable, offering flexible pricing, competitive rates, and reliable performance compared to competitors.
Cisco Wireless WAN is seen as costly due to licensing, with some seeking cheaper alternatives like Aruba and Ruckus.
Compared to Cisco, it is a bit cheaper, but still not enough to switch over to Aruba.
Senior Network Engineer at Auckland University of Technology
The price is a little bit expensive.
Network Administrator at a government with 5,001-10,000 employees
The cost is one of the higher in the industry.
Consultant at a comms service provider with 11-50 employees
I think the pricing of Cisco Wireless WAN must be reasonable at present.
Network Security at Tech Mahindra Limited
 

Valuable Features

Aruba Networks Wireless WAN offers easy installation, robust security, seamless connectivity, scalability, Wi-Fi 6 compatibility, and centralized management.
Cisco Wireless WAN provides high-speed connectivity, strong security, scalability, and reliability with easy management and comprehensive integration features.
We are very satisfied with the solution as it delivers everything we need for our wireless network, including security, authentication, and integration with other platforms.
Network Administrator at a government with 5,001-10,000 employees
When assessing the performance of Aruba's built-in threat protection and encryption features, I ask what kind of protection are you referring to—the Wi-Fi?
Senior Network Engineer at Auckland University of Technology
The main value of using Cisco Wireless WAN with Meraki is that the technology is cloud-based, making it more accessible for the customer to troubleshoot and implement changes remotely.
Consultant at a comms service provider with 11-50 employees
It is easy to integrate Cisco Wireless WAN with other Cisco products in the system.
Network Security at Tech Mahindra Limited
 

Categories and Ranking

Aruba Networks Wireless WAN
Ranking in Wireless WAN
5th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
51
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Cisco Wireless WAN
Ranking in Wireless WAN
3rd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
76
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Wireless WAN category, the mindshare of Aruba Networks Wireless WAN is 8.2%, up from 2.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Wireless WAN is 6.8%, up from 2.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Wireless WAN Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Cisco Wireless WAN6.8%
Aruba Networks Wireless WAN8.2%
Other85.0%
Wireless WAN
 

Featured Reviews

Edward Zeng - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Network Engineer at Auckland University of Technology
Faced deployment successfully but configuration complexity needs to be reduced
I think the layout is a bit complicated. There are so many different layers to set up, and it is very easy to miss out or make configuration mistakes because they are hierarchical. You need to be very careful about which one has been in use. Aruba ClearPass is also complicated as well. If Aruba could combine all of their products together, it would be great to have a single pane of glass. Currently, the Aruba sensor does not work together with other products. There is no single pane of glass for location configuration, so you need to log into different websites to check the user experience.
HassanBilal - PeerSpot reviewer
Manager IT Infrastructure & Helpdesk at LCI Pakistan
Solution supports extensive connectivity but faces occasional coverage challenges
Cisco Wireless WAN has room for improvement in WiFi coverage. Sometimes, their coverage is normally good, but at the same area where the access points are deployed, people face continuous disconnectivity issues. These kinds of issues come over time, and we need to do troubleshooting, but they get resolved. This is a performance-related issue, and I think they have to work on that.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Educational Organization
8%
Construction Company
6%
Manufacturing Company
13%
Government
10%
Educational Organization
8%
Performing Arts
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business27
Midsize Enterprise6
Large Enterprise19
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business26
Midsize Enterprise16
Large Enterprise36
 

Questions from the Community

Do you recommend Aruba Network Wireless WAN?
I recommend Aruba Networks Wireless WAN. I have been using Aruba for approximately a decade. It has a great centralized management system, which means we don’t need wireless LAN controllers at ever...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Aruba Networks Wireless WAN?
The pricing is not cheap. Compared to Cisco, it is a bit cheaper, but still not enough to switch over to Aruba. The benefits are not sufficient.
What do you like most about Cisco Wireless WAN?
Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Wireless WAN?
I think the pricing of Cisco Wireless WAN must be reasonable at present.
What needs improvement with Cisco Wireless WAN?
Cisco Wireless WAN's interface could be simplified in the future. Simplification would make it more helpful to see how the user is connecting. We are able to see the connectivity details, and we al...
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

The Pittsburgh Golf Club, Rio Rancho Public Schools, Amwaj Rotana - Jumeirah Beach Residence - Dubai, Trevecca Nazarene University
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)
Find out what your peers are saying about Aruba Networks Wireless WAN vs. Cisco Wireless WAN and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
879,425 professionals have used our research since 2012.