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Aruba Wireless vs Cisco Wireless 9100 Access Points comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 9, 2026

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 Wireless
Ranking in Wireless LAN
2nd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
150
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Cisco Wireless 9100 Access ...
Ranking in Wireless LAN
21st
Average Rating
9.6
Reviews Sentiment
5.8
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Featured Reviews

UM
IT Infra Deputy Vice President at ESFB
Strong performance supports network team effectively but guest access compatibility needs improvement
We connect the network using Aruba Wireless. We connect our office network, and we use it primarily within our network team Aruba Wireless has many features, especially their state-of-the-art controller, which can be connected to the cloud. They also have an unlimited lifetime warranty, which is…
Syed Aathif Hussain - PeerSpot reviewer
Principal Associate IT at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
Has improved wireless connectivity by supporting high user density and signal reliability
Catalyst 9100 Access Points reduce network vulnerabilities. The frequency reuse technology is used in Wi-Fi 6 technology. The devices are nowadays intelligent compared to the legacy devices. They communicate with each other, adapt themselves, and improve the quality of Wi-Fi infrastructure connectivity within the premise. They are more robust and adaptable. They have significantly improved wireless connectivity compared to the legacy environment. The legacy environment was not effective with those kinds of algorithms, whereas Catalyst 9100 Access Points have different inbuilt features and are more optimized and adaptable to situations. Catalyst 9100 Access Points provide Wi-Fi connection to end users, similar to home routers with broadband connectivity. When a technician connects the device to the modem, it starts providing Wi-Fi. The configuration is inbuilt, requiring only an IP address to operate. It listens to the wireless controller, and whatever SSID is configured in the controller will be broadcasting. Catalyst 9100 Access Points are next-generation access points without the limitations of legacy access points. They have better reachability, signal strength, power utilization, and scalability. While legacy access points could accommodate 15 users practically, Catalyst 9100 Access Points can reach up to 40 or 50 users simultaneously on different radios with MIMO technology. There are different models of Catalyst 9100 Access Points depending on site requirements. Wi-Fi 6 technology has improved wireless connectivity significantly. Post-pandemic, everything has become hybrid, and wireless network has become an undeniable infrastructure requirement. Previously, LAN cable connectors were used for better speed achievement. Now, Wi-Fi 6 technology has improved wireless connectivity to such an extent that LAN cable connectivity is no longer necessary. Users can work remotely with Wi-Fi connectivity, achieving both speed and scalability. The sixth-generation Wi-Fi provides improved bandwidth and security on wireless infrastructure.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"​Stability and its ability to handle more devices has been an improvement for our organization.​"
"Aruba Wireless is stable."
"The stability is the best. It's very reliable."
"For my organization, the most critical feature of Aruba Wireless is guest management."
"The initial setup was very easy and intuitive."
"The web interface to manage the APs is intuitive and makes managing the system easy. Firmware updates are quick and do not require much downtime."
"I think Aruba Wireless' Wi-Fi 6 capability is something that really makes a difference. We used to have bottlenecks. Each user has one laptop on one mobile device, so that equals 40 devices connecting to one AP. The Wi-Fi 5 series couldn't handle the traffic during peak hours, and when I say "peak hours," I mean Monday at 11 a.m. We used to see a lot of packet drops, but we haven't seen that problem at all since we moved to Wi-Fi 6."
"Ability for a student or teacher to be able to roam freely from classroom to classroom, no matter the floor, without dropping a signal."
"Wi-Fi 6 technology has improved wireless connectivity to such an extent that LAN cable connectivity is no longer necessary, allowing users to work remotely with Wi-Fi connectivity while achieving both speed and scalability."
"The reliability of Cisco is the number one aspect I have seen, and the performance is pretty stable."
"The features in Catalyst 9100 Access Points that I have found most valuable include that it's a complete solution; we go with Cisco because you have access points, you have a controller, you have Cisco ISE, and you have Cisco DNA Center."
 

Cons

"The product’s performance got worse with newer releases."
"I wish the APs had the ability to enter in notes about a specific AP."
"Improvements to the GUI, such as being able to search in the Mobility Master, would be nice."
"We are not facing any difficulty in convincing customers to have Aruba Wireless, and there are no specific features that customers are particularly looking for in wireless."
"There were some settings which were confusing and unlabeled when trying to use the online help with the newer firmware.​"
"What I would like to have with these kinds of devices is the most enhanced security. For example, if I could apply security from wireless devices, that would be great. I would also like more enhanced reports on user adoption, who is getting what bandwidth."
"They should simplify the configuration flow."
"When we connect to Wi-Fi devices it could be easier because sometimes, it takes a lot of time to complete."
"Frankly, ease of use is one of the things that needs improvement, as the management interfaces have always been complex and not very intuitive."
"Theoretically, you can connect up to 100 clients simultaneously, but practically, this is not feasible. There will be bandwidth deterioration, and 100 clients using the same bandwidth will impact the quality of service."
"Technical support from Cisco has been a bit degraded lately because the first support we get is challenging."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Aruba is less expensive than Cisco."
"It offers a lower cost compared to other products, which is a significant advantage."
"​Trial different solutions and compare pricing to how well they perform, their stability, how easy it is to maintain, etc."
"Besides paying for the APs, you need to pay a license each year for their use. Therefore, watch out for that and do the best you can to keep costs down.​"
"Aruba Wireless is very attractive cost-wise."
"It comes with a relatively higher price tag, but it's essential to assess the value it brings to the market because it actively competes with other players in the industry and dedicates efforts to offer competitive devices."
"In terms of pricing, the pricing for Aruba Wireless is not bad for large-sized companies, but for medium-sized companies, it's on the higher end, but because Aruba has a good company image, medium-sized companies still go with Aruba Wireless."
"The price of Aruba Wireless is higher than other products, but you'll get stability, performance, and functionality out of it. On a scale of one to five, I'm rating the price of Aruba Wireless a three."
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Comparison Review

it_user212721 - PeerSpot reviewer
President at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
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…
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
7%
University
7%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business77
Midsize Enterprise47
Large Enterprise74
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

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 have some feature that I need or want, I wouldn't consider them. Do you have expe...
Aruba Wireless or Ruckus Wireless?
At my organization, we researched Ruckus Wireless among other solutions but ultimately chose Aruba wireless. What did we like about Ruckus? First, it was very easy to use, and anybody with minimal...
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 hours, the basic framework can be set up. Step-by-step instructions are availabl...
What needs improvement with Catalyst 9100 Access Points?
Frankly, ease of use is one of the things that needs improvement, as the management interfaces have always been complex and not very intuitive. I believe Cisco needs to enhance its visibility solut...
What is your primary use case for Catalyst 9100 Access Points?
We have recently deployed hundreds of access points in the last two years.
What advice do you have for others considering Catalyst 9100 Access Points?
I am currently working with Fortinet, but frankly, I have a team which is more working on Fortinet and other products because I am managing them, so I am a little less hands-on right now. Basically...
 

Also Known As

Aruba WLAN, HP WLAN, HP Wireless, Aruba Instant On AP Series Access Point
Catalyst 9100 Access Points
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Consulate Health Care, Los Angeles Unified School District, Science Applications International Corp (SAIC), San Diego State University, KFC, ACTS Retirement-Life Communities
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Aruba Wireless vs. Cisco Wireless 9100 Access Points and other solutions. Updated: March 2026.
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