

Cisco Ethernet Switches and Aruba Switches compete in the networking hardware category, particularly in enterprise-level Ethernet switches. Cisco tends to have the upper hand, particularly in terms of reliability and features, though Aruba is noted for ease of use and cost-effectiveness.
Features: Cisco Ethernet Switches offer power-saving design, MACSec encryption, and efficient QoS. They include Smartports for easy management and StackPower for increased power availability. Aruba Switches emphasize ease of use with a strong graphical interface, integration with wireless solutions, and versatile automation options. They feature robust technical support and a significant warranty.
Room for Improvement: Cisco switches often face criticism over high costs, complex licensing, and vendor lock-in potential. Users have reported needs for better integration and simplified management. Aruba Switches could enhance stability and improve documentation for complex setups. There are opportunities to improve cloud management and user interface features.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco offers reliable technical support and a vast knowledge base, although experiences vary geographically. Aruba is famed for its ease of deployment and intuitive user interface, alongside quick customer service response times, though there are local support limitations.
Pricing and ROI: Cisco Switches are generally seen as expensive, with significant costs for licensing and long-term operations. This investment is balanced by high reliability and rich feature sets. In contrast, Aruba Switches provide competitive pricing and appealing warranty terms, attracting cost-conscious consumers looking for cost-effective solutions with essential functionalities.
When issues are escalated to TAC for switching cases specifically, the support tends to be a little poor, whereas support for other products remains acceptable.
Their tech support is good.
I find that technical support is available, especially during the warranty period.
It takes two to three days for Cisco support to address issues.
Currently, we don't have any technical support because our license doesn't allow for direct support.
Cisco support is quick and responsive, often answering within an hour.
The scalability offered by Aruba Switches is similar to Cisco, demonstrating options for enterprise networking.
I would rate the scalability of the product an eight out of ten.
The scalability, in my opinion, is around seven to eight out of ten.
Cisco mainly provides security, patch management, hardware reliability, durability, scalability, and security features supporting my organization's expansion.
The latest products do not allow integration with the earlier environment.
The scalability depends on the model.
I have sites that have been running for many years with no issues.
The stability of Aruba Switches is very good, and I would rate it between eight and nine out of ten.
Once we install Aruba Switches, we can forget about them for years and years.
The switches are very stable, rated ten out of ten.
Improving the distribution network across regions would be beneficial.
Aruba Central also has certain security features including segmentation capabilities and endpoint information that can be used to define policies.
There are more centers of knowledge for Cisco than for Aruba here.
The pricing and hardware warranty renewal costs are more expensive than other products.
FortiGate switches are considered more valuable because they have firewall capabilities.
For example, on switches, filtering specific sections isn't supported, whereas, on routers, you can do 'show run' with additional commands to filter.
The pricing of some products, such as the 6300M switch, is considered a significant cost.
From my experience, the pricing of Aruba Switches is competitive.
A high-end model with Aruba is about five thousand.
Cisco Ethernet switches are priced at a rating of nine, indicating they are expensive.
We need to pay for the subscription, as there are extra expenses after purchasing the product.
Regarding the cost, Cisco Ethernet Switches have a competitive price.
One of the most valuable features of Aruba Switches is the security and cybersecurity features they have.
Scalability is significant since you can start from an economical product to a very high-end option, accommodating growth.
In the hotel sector, IGMP 3 is particularly valuable for IPTV.
Their stability and durability are essential features we've been looking for many years, and they are still working fine.
The Cisco Ethernet switches are sturdy products that do not require any kind of maintenance.
The most valuable features of Cisco Ethernet switches include plug-and-play capabilities.
| Product | Market Share (%) |
|---|---|
| Cisco Ethernet Switches | 10.0% |
| Aruba Switches | 8.2% |
| Other | 81.8% |


| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 49 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 18 |
| Large Enterprise | 22 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 59 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 35 |
| Large Enterprise | 55 |
Aruba Switches is a network creation solution that enables users to easily manage every aspect of their networks.
Benefits of Aruba Switches
Some of the benefits of using Aruba switches include:
Reviews from Real Users
Aruba Switches are cutting-edge network creation tools that stand out among their competitors for a number of reasons. Two major ones are the warranty that guarantees them and the intuitive way in which they are designed. Aruba Switches are protected by lifetime warranties. If a switch malfunctions or is rendered inoperable, it can be quickly replaced. If the line of switches are still available, HPE will send the user the necessary replacement. Aruba Switches are built to be intuitive for users to customize and manipulate. This allows users to make full use of the solution without requiring them to devote a significant level of resources to training.
The head of technical support at a real estate law firm writes, “One valuable feature about HP is the warranty. All switches are very similar when it comes to most functionalities. Most switches provide a one-year warranty, but with HPE switches, if there's a unit that malfunctions, we call them and they replace it the next business day if that line is still available. We had a switch we reported the other day, it was a 25-10, which we procured way back, around 2014, and they replaced it. In general, HP provides a lot of support for its products. We will be doing some tinkering on the VLAN soon, first the layer two, and then connecting the layer three functionalities for some other departments. The advantage of Aruba compared to other switches is their reliability. If the product is trustworthy, I'll continue to use it.”
A network systems engineer at a financial services firm writes, “Their technical support is great. I have used Cisco products, and as compared to Cisco, Aruba's command-line syntax is not as complex. The command-line interface of Aruba switches is quite intuitive. It also has a graphical user interface. With Cisco, using the graphical user interface for configuration can be complex, whereas Aruba simplifies it, and you can easily use the graphical user interface. The configuration is secured. Their graphical user interface is quite robust.”
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