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Aruba Switches vs Nokia Ethernet Service Switch comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

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 Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
2nd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.2
Number of Reviews
88
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Nokia Ethernet Service Switch
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
22nd
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
3.1
Number of Reviews
7
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2026, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Aruba Switches is 8.8%, down from 11.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Nokia Ethernet Service Switch is 1.1%, up from 0.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Aruba Switches8.8%
Nokia Ethernet Service Switch1.1%
Other90.1%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Aneesh K - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Solution Analyst II at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
Has supported dynamic user segmentation and centralized management across campus networks
The best features of Aruba Switches are their stability and reliability. Hardware failures are rare because the switches have been running for years, and it is uncommon to encounter hardware issues or impacting bugs. From an operational perspective, Aruba Switches are stable and easy to configure through centralized management solutions. Initially managed through AirWave and now through Central, the configuration can be managed easily with audit records and visibility to switch health and other parameters. Another advantage is that Aruba Switches work seamlessly with ClearPass as a NAC server. This integration allows for dynamic policies, dynamic downloadable user roles, and enables seamless segmentation of users for network security. The real-time analytics provided by Aruba Switches for network efficiency are valuable when needed. All information visible in the analytics dashboard is truly helpful. With Aruba Central's migration to AI capability, additional value is being provided, offering more information and making troubleshooting easier with user-friendly features where you can search for anything and receive relevant results.
L.
Project Manager and Assistant General Manager at tele
Ensures network reliability and meets compliance requirements
We can understand the customer network better and propose products accordingly as areas for improvement. Engaging with customers directly would improve how that could be done easily. Many times there is a requirement for very low-end products, which Nokia Ethernet Service Switch is not currently marketing many of the lower-end products.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The initial setup is quite easy."
"The initial setup is quite easy. Once you know what you do, it’s easy."
"We like that it is very easy to manage the product through the cloud."
"The most valuable features are the stability and compatibility with other products."
"Scalability is one of the reasons why I went for Aruba; it seems to be one of the top vendors in providing cloud solutions and quite stable when it comes to upscaling and improving the existing environment."
"The pricing of Aruba Switches is good compared to Cisco."
"The solution is scalable."
"In our experience, this is a stable product, and once they are configured, you rarely get any problems."
"Despite initial hindrances, once understood, these differences help in forming a good career foundation."
"The most valuable feature is the product's availability."
"The performance and reliability are the solution's most valuable features."
"The highest value lies in aggregating the data to improve both traffic management and device utilization, emphasizing the importance of engagement and liability."
"The most valuable feature is the product's availability."
"On several occasions we encountered major issues with the solution and have found the Nokia technical support to be quite supportive."
"The performance and reliability are the solution's most valuable features."
"The most valuable features are user functionality and interoperability."
 

Cons

"The solution is a little less convenient for more simplified management needs."
"With Aruba, some of the models that are available, you need simple features, but you have to go to very high models, very expensive models."
"We had an issue with the hardware where one or two interfaces went down after one and a half years. This issue impacted only one or two interfaces, not the whole hardware."
"We have had problems with the cooling fans on these switches."
"There are some growing pains with Aruba Central. When you first launch the wireless access points or switches, a lot of updates are needed to get Aruba Central ready, especially on the access points, so the initial deployment time could improve. I would hope that I could just turn it on and leave the updates until later on. The switches themselves probably did okay. I'm primarily referring to the wireless access points. There was a lot of back and forth before everything was in sync. It took hours."
"I would like to see them integrate a monitoring solution."
"Aruba Switches cover lots of areas and support automated and IOPS and with the central products, but I think when we look at the solutions overall, IOPS devices are not covered so much in Aruba Central."
"There are issues with the distribution side of Aruba Switches."
"The solution needs more monitoring tools."
"We would like to have an unified monitoring system, while Nokia have different monitoring system for different product, we find it to be quite troublesome."
"I would like to see more collaboration with advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) vendors, such as Itron."
"I would like to see more collaboration with advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) vendors, such as Itron."
"I would suggest improvements regarding enhancing support response times and implementing user interface modifications for quicker and more user-friendly interactions."
"The release is not very stable. You should have stability in the card."
"This solution is not particularly flexible."
"The documentation needs improvement for better accessibility, as there isn't proper documentation currently available."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The license is annual. If you purchase a switch, you get a one-year free subscription."
"The price point was a big consideration for us and it is reasonable enough that we're able to standardize on Aruba for the networking pieces in our organization."
"Aruba switches work without a license."
"There are no licensing costs for the Aruba Switches."
"The cost depends on the requirement. An extensive network will expand the budget. The price will be lower if there is a small requirement of one to ten switches. In comparison, Aruba is less costly than Cisco by about 10-20%."
"Aruba's switches are priced lower than Cisco's by about 30%."
"It is a little bit expensive. It can be cheaper."
"Typically it is a $500 to $600 difference in price."
"It is quite expensive compared to alternative technologies."
"The price of the solution is very competitive in comparison with that of the competition."
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Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Ethernet Switches solutions are best for your needs.
889,955 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
10%
Computer Software Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Comms Service Provider
12%
Performing Arts
10%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Educational Organization
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business50
Midsize Enterprise19
Large Enterprise22
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business4
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise2
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Aruba Switches?
In terms of pricing for Aruba Switches, I would rate it a five. They are quite expensive devices.
What needs improvement with Aruba Switches?
Technology is constantly advancing, and although more security is always needed, our networks are still old, so we mostly need to modernize our installations. Regarding integration capabilities, th...
What is your primary use case for Aruba Switches?
Aruba Switches are used in our organization for a straightforward purpose. We started with the HP line, and when Aruba came into the picture, we began using them for our network infrastructure. The...
What needs improvement with Nokia Ethernet Service Switch?
We can understand the customer network better and propose products accordingly as areas for improvement. Engaging with customers directly would improve how that could be done easily. Many times the...
What is your primary use case for Nokia Ethernet Service Switch?
I am a system integrator working for different customers. My clients use this product for their network, either for network upgrade or new rollout.
What advice do you have for others considering Nokia Ethernet Service Switch?
This possibility could be provided by the vendor. I advise people looking to use Nokia Ethernet Service Switch to always look for reliability rather than going for cheaper Chinese products. On a sc...
 

Also Known As

8400 Series, 8320 Series, 5400R Series, 3810 Series, 2930M Series, 2930F Series, 2920 Series, 2540 Series, 2530 Series
Nokia ESS, Nokia 7450 Ethernet Service Switch, Nokia 7450 ESS
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Purdue University
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Aruba Switches vs. Nokia Ethernet Service Switch and other solutions. Updated: April 2026.
889,955 professionals have used our research since 2012.