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Aruba Wireless vs Ruckus Wireless vs Ubiquiti WLAN comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

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

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Aruba Wireless is 16.5%, down from 23.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Ruckus Wireless is 14.1%, up from 13.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Ubiquiti WLAN is 5.0%, down from 6.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Wireless LAN
 

Featured Reviews

Muhammad_Faisal - PeerSpot reviewer
Experience seamless connectivity with top-notch roaming capabilities
The Aruba Wireless solution has excellent roaming capabilities, ensuring seamless connectivity. Once installed, Aruba Wireless works robustly without overheating issues. This is particularly effective compared to other products I've used, like FortiMonitor and FortiAPs, which sometimes heat up. I am very satisfied with the roaming feature, as it ensures connectivity when moving from one location to another. The product's stability, after setting it up, adds to its value.
Xander Janse Van Rensburg - PeerSpot reviewer
Reliable and high-performance wireless networking with exceptional stability, scalability, and robust feature set
One of the most valuable features I appreciate is auto channelization, facilitated by a proprietary product called ChannelFly. This feature enables APs in a specific zone to automatically adjust their channels, optimizing performance. Additionally, Ruckus Wireless stands out for its ability to reuse certain beams, resulting in smaller data spots. In my experience with various products, Ruckus Wireless consistently delivers unparalleled throughput, coverage, and reliability in wireless networking across different environments. As a noteworthy point, the newly launched WiFi 7 standard is measured against Ruckus's WiFi 7 AP, establishing it as the global benchmark. When it comes to WiFi, Ruckus sets the standard, outperforming competitors with its superior performance and capabilities.
Gabriele-Pizzigati - PeerSpot reviewer
Managing installations through one interface enhances efficiency but AI features improvement
Ubiquiti Wireless LAN is reliable and offers a good quality product. It provides one interface to manage all installations, allowing me to monitor all customers through the same web interface. The web interface in the controller allows for quick configuration of devices with just one click, which is a significant advantage.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The coverage, concurrent user life, and visualization are the most valuable features of these solutions."
"Aruba Wireless is easily scaled between a lot of devices and a lot of endpoints. When we decided to use it as our solution, we had planned to use it exactly for its ability to scale."
"Ability for a student or teacher to be able to roam freely from classroom to classroom, no matter the floor, without dropping a signal."
"The web-based GUI is much simpler to use than similar products by Cisco."
"Support for both on-premises and cloud environments has proven effective for network management."
"Reasonably priced and great for small to medium size organizations."
"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."
"The overall product review rating is nine out of ten."
"The solution provides superior coverage."
"The most valuable features are the coverage and durability."
"The most valuable feature of Ruckus Wireless is its AI capability, which automatically scales up and down the coverage areas."
"The initial setup is very simple."
"Very reliable."
"We rarely had access points fail in the field. They were rock solid, durable, and had the best signal penetration from any we tested.​"
"One of the most valuable features I appreciate is auto channelization, facilitated by a proprietary product called ChannelFly."
"I haven't heard any complaints about the WiFi equipment at all causing problems."
"Ubiquiti WLAN's most valuable features are that it works well in a hybrid environment and isn't heavy on resources."
"The most valuable feature of Ubiquiti WLAN is its stability."
"The web interface in the controller allows for quick configuration of devices with just one click, which is a significant advantage."
"The most valuable feature is the level of security on the Wi-Fi network."
"The tool's deployment is very easy. The deployment of 15 access points can take a day."
"I have found Ubiquiti WLAN scalable. We have approximately 200 users using the solution in my organization and do not plan to increase usage."
"The initial setup is easy."
"The solution is not complex to deploy."
 

Cons

"Aruba is missing some features that are available in other solutions, such as the email notifications. It's a bit complex to configure the notification part. Mainly I'm talking about the rogue WiFi detection. This email notification is crucial for us, but it isn't possible to configure with the built-in software. You need something else, like an external system log collector or another Aruba software. These notifications are essential in hospitality for PCI compliance. My colleagues in famous luxury hotel chains need that report."
"We have had issues with the availability of the equipment."
"The Help option within the GUI needs to be improved."
"Aruba Wireless is a little bit complex to use and operate."
"The solution is now taking eight to 12 months to deliver the product."
"Because it's cloud-based, it takes time for the floor maps and the heat map to load."
"They should simplify the configuration flow."
"They should have more support for implementing Aruba Wireless in Smart Cities and outdoor applications."
"Ruckus is a bad solution in general. It's pretty old and outdated."
"It would be nice if there was a way to compare access points and hardware so you can always get the same level of performance."
"While the Virtual SmartZone appliance has improved in the last few years, it isn’t without issue and the performance of the Web page leaves something to be desired."
"One area where Ruckus Wireless could improve is its technical support."
"The current reporting is limited to 30 days, and it would be helpful if there was an option to extend it to one year."
"They have so many products that there are so many different part numbers for the US and other countries. That means it's easy to make a mistake with the licensing. You have to have somebody knowledgeable on the other end with the licensing. If you make one mistake, it can be a $2,000 mistake."
"It would be better if there were more visibility on the cloud. We have some lack of visibility because of wireless interference, and you have to do some troubleshooting for the packet capture. They have a built-in packet capture, and we can monitor the application. You can see all things over the cloud. They also provide an on-premise solution, so they need to improve the on-premise version and ensure an output with more visibility. Live monitoring in a live environment should be good. What is happening with wireless is that the wireless client is not connected due to interference, and there should be a shield zone on their wireless cloud. If they give us more features on both Ruckus Cloud or on-premises, that will be best. Nowadays, security is more important for everyone using wireless technology. If they implement a little bit of reduction and prevention features for some packets on the wireless cloud, some features like web filtering and some prevention for blocking will be good for the network."
"The tool is expensive."
"The room for improvement is in the controller levels."
"Ubiquiti WLAN is not a cheap solution."
"When they release new products, you should know if there backward compatibility, or do you have to replace the entire forklift, It is useful to understand their strategy and where they are headed."
"I have never used cloud solutions. My first approach would be something related to the cloud, and backups on the cloud, and maybe an easier way to connect to it because I have an on-premises environment."
"Ubiquiti WLAN needs to expand the models with external antennas. It needs to improve stability."
"The solution should support a larger bandwidth or distance between the access points and the main stations."
"Ubiquiti lacks troubleshooting tools. For example, there aren't tools that your clients can use to gather input on the AP itself. There's no visibility in the application layer or reporting. It doesn't have a lot of management features."
"There is room for improvement in providing the flexibility to change the default management VLAN from VLAN one to another for enhanced security."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price could be better. Competitors offer more features for a similar cost."
"Customers have to pay for perpetual licenses with Aruba controller licenses, depending on the features they are looking for."
"The pricing is fair and similar to other products."
"Aruba Wireless is the best for the price. Aruba Wireless is the least expensive, the second is Huawei, and the most expensive is Cisco."
"Get multiple bids/quotes, and talk to the representatives about the limitations of the product; pretty standard."
"I think it would be better if they lowered the price."
"The price is low. There is an additional cost for maintenance."
"Pricing is competitive. Licensing is needed to maintain access to the latest firmware, which wasn't made clear originally when we started with Arbua (or things changed, I'm not sure which). I would just say, make sure you budget for it."
"It is reasonably priced. I would rate the price a three out of five."
"It's a lot more expensive."
"​The cost can be prohibitive for many as it is a high-end product in the WiFi market.​"
"Ruckus Wireless is an expensive solution."
"The cost per AP license should be worked on."
"The price of Ruckus Wireless is less expensive than other solutions, such as Cisco."
"The price is high and I give the price a four out of ten."
"It depends on the client. You have an initial license cost that you need to buy to bind the access point with the controller. This is a one-time fee. You also have to pay the support fee that, if I remember correctly, is about $25 per access point. Its pricing and licensing can be improved."
"Ubiquiti WLAN is cheap. It can work without licensing."
"This solution is reasonably priced."
"The pricing is very reasonable."
"Ubiquiti WLAN is fairly well priced and available as a one-time purchase."
"The software to control it is free. The license is when we buy the Cloud Key."
"The tool's price is very friendly."
"Ubiquiti WLAN’s price is higher than other competitors."
"This product is more cost-effective than some others on the market."
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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…
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
17%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Computer Software Company
14%
Comms Service Provider
11%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Educational Organization
6%
Computer Software Company
13%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Educational Organization
7%
Government
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

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 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 - 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...
How does Ruckus Wireless compare to Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN?
Cisco’s Meraki Virtual MX is a virtual instance of the Meraki SD-WAN appliance. We liked the Meraki. The Wifi APs are...
What do you like most about Ruckus Wireless?
Ruckus Wireless is an easy to manage solution.
Is Ubiquiti Wireless better than Ruckus Wireless WAN?
Ubiquiti Wireless is extremely easy to set up and is an excellent option for small businesses, offering enterprise fe...
Which is better - Ubiquiti WLAN or Aruba Instant?
We researched Ubiquiti and Aruba when looking for a WLAN solution. Ubiquiti offers good WLAN access both indoors and ...
What do you like most about Ubiquiti WLAN?
Anyone can buy the product off the shelf and configure it.
 

Also Known As

Aruba WLAN, HP WLAN, HP Wireless, Aruba Instant On AP Series Access Point
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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
American University of Sharjah, Baruch College, Centro Escolar Liceo Santo Tomšs, Chevalier College, Chico Unified School District, Colegio de Fomento El Prado, Columbia Public Schools, Delta School District, Dordt College, Douglas County School District, Drew University, Armonea, Central Utah Clinic, Grove Hill Medical Center, Inner South Community Health Service, Midwest Surgical, Satilla Regional Medical Center, Lyndoch Living, Polonus, Roaring Fork School District, Sonora State, Vivid, Sydney, Players Club, Sandals, Scandic Hotels, Sheraton LAX, Sunbird
NASCAR Grand-AM, Maritime Parc, Outdoor Music Festival, One Republic Tour, British Armed Forces, Arcadia School District, Bartlett School District, Universidad del Azuay, Estelar Hotels, Intercontinental Bali, Moscow - Enforta, Miami - Sling Broadband, Manhattan - MST, Ecuador - Aire.EC
Find out what your peers are saying about Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Ruckus, Cisco and others in Wireless LAN. Updated: June 2025.
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