Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

Aruba Wireless vs Cisco Wireless comparison

Sponsored
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 4, 2024
 

Categories and Ranking

Juniper Mist Wireless Acces...
Sponsored
Ranking in Wireless LAN
10th
Average Rating
8.8
Number of Reviews
18
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Aruba Wireless
Ranking in Wireless LAN
1st
Average Rating
8.4
Number of Reviews
139
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Cisco Wireless
Ranking in Wireless LAN
2nd
Average Rating
8.2
Number of Reviews
150
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2024, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points is 5.2%, up from 1.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Aruba Wireless is 21.8%, down from 24.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Wireless is 13.6%, down from 16.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Wireless LAN
 

Featured Reviews

RN
May 10, 2023
A highly scalable solution empowered with an AI-driven network management system
I use the solution to pull videos from buses in a bus terminus The bus drivers were not declaring ticket sales done on the bus. The solution helps us to know exactly how many tickets they've sold and how much money they've collected. It doesn't allow the drivers to steal money from the bus…
MB
Oct 21, 2020
Overall a good product that provides role-based authentication native to the controller, but has code stability issues
Currently, the stability of the code is the basic underlying problem for us. They had an 8.6 release that came out two weeks ago, but we had to migrate twice because the code wasn't stable. We can't get things to work the same way. Version 8 was a big change for them. They made a change so that it is forced to be a managed hierarchical system. It means that you make changes at the top, and it pushes them downstream. There are a lot of problems with the 8.6 version code. I ran into four bugs in one week and was informed that we should just move onto the next one because all of those fixes have taken place. The feedback loop for fixes is not always really relayed back to you. I don't have a lot of strong things to say about version 8.6. When we had version 6, the controller was pretty much rock solid. We had no problems. We made a heavy investment to migrate a lot of stuff to take advantage of things like WPA3, Wi-Fi 6, and all that kind of stuff, and we haven't been able to turn those features on because we are not confident that they are going to work just yet. So, right now, we're still very much stumbling through the version 8.6 code and just trying to make sure that it is safe before we turn on some of those features. In terms of the marketplace, they are one of the top three leaders. In some respects, one of the things that they focus on is wireless. Therefore, there are some things that should be beyond reproach, as far as I'm concerned. In terms of the stability of the code, there are always going to be bugs, but the core stability of the code needs to be there. When it is not stable, that's a real problem for me because you lose a lot of confidence in the products.
DD
Oct 25, 2022
Easy to deploy with a user-friendly GUI, but can be expensive
You don't have to meddle around with licenses, considering they're onboard with the access points. That took a load off when creating a build of material for a new wireless deployment. We didn't exactly dig deep into these yet. However, they're fairly easy to deploy. We have been using the virtual machines, the 1900 CL virtual controller. They're pretty stable, pretty good. The solution is scalable. I like the new troubleshooting mechanism. With a couple of clicks, you can get a PCAP file, pick up the traffic from a client, and analyze it in Wireshark notepad. I like the new way the wireless is getting built right now, so you have groups with policies that you simply apply to an access point, or you apply a group with all kinds of features like RF policies, and SSIDs to a certain access point and the back point, that access point gets those features up and running immediately or directly after a reboot.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It provides private network access, helping us protect our company’s devices."
"The product is quite user-friendly and easy to deploy, so one should definitely consider buying it."
"The solution is stable."
"The solution is very secure."
"You can easily monitor, manage, and cover all your IT equipment."
"The most valuable feature of Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series) is the ability to troubleshoot ports on the network. Additionally, when there is an update on the APs they are able to reboot quickly reducing downtime. Other solutions have a longer downtime when updates are done."
"The most valuable feature of Juniper Mist is the Virtual Network Assistant, powered by artificial intelligence."
"The AI capabilities of Mist Wireless are superior to other OEMs."
"It has helped in making deployments easier."
"The most valuable feature is the client match."
"The most valuable feature in this product would be the stability. You build it, install it, and it’s good to go, with no further tweaks needed unless adding or replacing APs."
"Role assignment: Each user is assigned a different role based on the radius attributes returned by ClearPass."
"For my organization, the most critical feature of Aruba Wireless is guest management."
"Overall, it's a very strong solution."
"With the central management system, I'm able to access each device. I can configure one device and then it provisions all the other devices with the same configuration, rather than my having to configure them one by one."
"The solution provides a clear path to instant wireless."
"The feature that I have found most valuable is its durability because we can rely on this solution. It is also easy to configure. Lastly, if something happens, we get good support from Cisco."
"The solution is highly scalable."
"Before COVID, the emphasis was primarily on wireless connectivity in specific areas like conference rooms. However, with the shift to remote work and increased mobility, coverage areas needed to be expanded to accommodate users throughout the entire location. We are beginning to expand our infrastructure."
"Its stability is most valuable."
"Security is an important feature for my customers, and I am able to offer this to them with our Cisco products."
"Good connectivity and easy to configure."
"Cisco Wireless is scalable."
"The solution is scalable."
 

Cons

"There is room for improvement in terms of support and installation."
"The solution is expensive."
"Juniper Wireless AP can improve by continually improving its reporting and integration with other systems."
"The pricing is very high in the Indian market."
"The product should include adaptive Wi-Fi to show a more accurate location."
"I need a bit more time with it before criticizing the features."
"Juniper should make the products more affordable."
"Though certain security features are integrated into the product, my company has to always look forward to tightening certain security functionalities in the solution."
"I would like to see the management improve."
"Aruba doesn't match some competitors in wireless signal strength. It isn't in the same class as Cisco Meraki, so I would use Cisco Meraki in situations where I need to cover a large open space. Meraki has more powerful signals going out."
"The logging is hard to read when troubleshooting issues.​"
"I used to have issues with DHCP. It is extremely buggy and difficult to upgrade with different firmware versions/models.​"
"The solution could be more user-friendly."
"The urgent areas of improvement would be customer support, better tuned default settings, and documentation."
"We're using the Aruba Sensor, but sometimes the sensor isn't talking to AirWave or the AP. If something happens, we need to receive an email directly from the sensor, but the controller doesn't know. If there's something like the high channel utilization from the sensor we send to the controller, the controller can change the channel because they're all in the same environment."
"The Help option within the GUI needs to be improved."
"The pricing could be reduced."
"The reporting of the product could be improved. When I needed to troubleshoot, I couldn't get sufficient information from the controller."
"Their software's really clunky."
"The installation is not too difficult but the solution could improve by making the configuration easier."
"It's expensive."
"The integration with our CM and other technologies could improve this solution."
"It requires a few tweaks in order to stabilize it. Its portal is complex. Cisco solutions are complex in general."
"The price could be better."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I rate the pricing an eight out of ten."
"The pricing is something Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series) can work on. The pricing is very high compared to the competition."
"Juniper Wireless AP's price is a little more expensive than other solutions, but you get what you pay for."
"We pay maybe 1000 SEK per year, per access point."
"I rate the product price as a six on a scale of one to ten, where one is inexpensive, and ten is expensive. It is a reasonably priced tool."
"If a customer has a budget of around five lakhs in Indian currency, they can afford Juniper products."
"The pricing is fair."
"The solution is expensive."
"The price of Aruba Wireless is expensive."
"The solution's cost is affordable."
"​AP signal strength and price. I know this is a competitive market, but APs should not cost so much if they do not cover a large area. ​"
"The pricing is fair and similar to other products."
"The price of Aruba Wireless should be cheaper."
"The price point is pretty high compared to Ubiquiti and other equipment."
"The price is low. There is an additional cost for maintenance."
"I don't know the exact costs associated with Aruba Wireless, but I have a rough idea, and it's not too cheap, though it's less costly than Cisco Wireless. Pricing for Aruba Wireless is moderate. It's a three out of five."
"I am not a fan of Cisco's software pricing model. Their management software is far too expensive."
"It's expensive because a lot of the controls come with licenses."
"Cost is one of the reasons why we are switching to Aruba. Aruba is significantly lower than Cisco in price. We do the licensing on a three-year basis. Cisco makes licensing very difficult."
"This product's pricing is good. It's not too expensive."
"The solution is very costly."
"The license structure is confusing."
"As far as I know Cisco is very competitive, price-wise. Talk to your third-party vendor. It all depends on the company size - how many employees, how big the building is. If it's wireless, and you have only 50 employees but you're using a large building floor, in that case you need many access points. But if you have 50 employees using two or three rooms, then you probably don't need it and it's going to be high density, so there is a different design. So you need to talk to a subject matter expert. Talk to them and design accordingly."
"Users have to pay a yearly licensing fee for Cisco Wireless."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Wireless LAN solutions are best for your needs.
801,314 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

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…
 

Answers from the Community

NC
Nov 2, 2021
Nov 2, 2021
On the most basic level, Cisco Wireless can offer a rather straightforward initial setup. In the span of about three hours, the basic framework can be set up. Step-by-step instructions are available to ease the deployment of the Cisco wireless network. A small business will now be able to make use of this wireless product without being worried about having to make a massive investment of either...
See 2 answers
CK
Oct 28, 2021
Aruba is our choice for our WIFI solution as Aruba has a lot of features that can do the same with Meraki.  Aruba is saving costs vs Meraki in a long time operation.
DG
Nov 2, 2021
On the most basic level, Cisco Wireless can offer a rather straightforward initial setup. In the span of about three hours, the basic framework can be set up. Step-by-step instructions are available to ease the deployment of the Cisco wireless network. A small business will now be able to make use of this wireless product without being worried about having to make a massive investment of either time or resources. This peace of mind extends to the actual maintenance of the product as well. Cisco wireless’s network does not require very much in the way of maintenance. It does require occasional upgrades to keep it running smoothly, but other than that, a team tasked with maintaining it has very little to worry about. Organizations of all sizes will be able to benefit from both of these aspects of Cisco wireless’s design. Cisco wireless provides a very robust service that will continue to run over long periods of time and under heavy usage. Furthermore, the teams that are responsible for assisting users and resolving any potential issues that may arise are highly professional. These are two additional features that make Cisco wireless a valuable product. The wireless service is capable of running for years without any real need for replacements to be made to the hardware. Although no system is perfect, Cisco’s Wireless network shows that products can still be made to last. Long spans of time can pass without issues arising. When they do, Cisco’s technical support team is well-equipped to help handle it. They respond quickly to inquiries and they are extremely knowledgeable. They bring the kind of professionalism that one would hope to have in a product’s support team. Aruba Wireless can support many devices and provide the features that one would expect for this type of product. It is relatively cheap when compared to other products like Cisco Wireless. For that relatively cheap price, Aruba offers hardware whose performance can match anything offered by its competitors. It advertises what it can do and follows through with its promises. It is also very easy to configure. However, they do not guide users in different industries through the best practices that they should be employing when using Aruba Wireless. Conclusion Cisco Wireless offers an effective service. In terms of cost it is more expensive than Aruba Wireless. They both have a lot to offer. The price tag might just be the deciding factor.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
19%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Educational Organization
7%
Government
7%
Computer Software Company
18%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Government
7%
Educational Organization
6%
Computer Software Company
18%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Educational Organization
7%
Financial Services Firm
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series)?
If a customer has a budget of around five lakhs in Indian currency, they can afford Juniper products. But for a new c...
What needs improvement with Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series)?
HP recently acquired Juniper, and I'm not happy about that. Juniper is a brand, and HP acquired them because of Junip...
What are pros and cons of Aruba 515 Series AP vs. Cisco Meraki or Extreme Networks?
Depends. I have personally used both Cisco and Aruba so I am familiar with them. Extreme I am not, so unless they h...
Aruba Wireless or Ruckus Wireless?
At my organization, we researched Ruckus Wireless among other solutions but ultimately chose Aruba wireless. What di...
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 ...
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...
What do you like most about Cisco Wireless?
Cisco Wireless improves mobility and flexibility. The only case we are working on is with hospitals, focusing on the ...
 

Also Known As

Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series), Mist Access Points
Aruba WLAN, HP WLAN, HP Wireless, Aruba Instant On AP Series Access Point
Cisco WLAN Controller
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Consulate Health Care, Los Angeles Unified School District, Science Applications International Corp (SAIC), San Diego State University, KFC, ACTS Retirement-Life Communities
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 Wireless vs. Cisco Wireless and other solutions. Updated: September 2024.
801,314 professionals have used our research since 2012.