I have found user profiles and auto provisioning to be the two most valuable features.
Systems Administrator, Founder at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
It's more robust, reliable and easier to mange than our last solution. The initial setup was complex, though no more complex than a similar wireless solution.
What is most valuable?
How has it helped my organization?
Aerohive is significantly more robust, reliable and easier to mange (from anywhere) than our last solution.
What needs improvement?
The initial setup was complex, but no more complex than a similar wireless solution.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have used this solution for 3 years.
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How are customer service and support?
Customer Service:
Our VAR/customer service is very responsive and always goes the extra mile.
Technical Support:Tech support is excellent. We used our "trial" period to not only trial the solution, but to also trial tech support. If the support had not been excellent, I would have never purchased the product no matter how good it was.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was complex, but no more complex than a similar wireless solution. Honestly, hanging the APs and running cable was way more of a pain than the planning and deployment of the Aerohive system.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We evaluated Ruckus, Cisco and Aruba before selecting Aerohive.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Enterprise Systems Engineer at a educational organization with 1,001-5,000 employees
We spend less time configuring/maintaining/troubleshooting controllers at a multitude of sites. The initial configuration may seem a little daunting but is worth it.
What is most valuable?
- Centralized management of APs at separate locations (we have over 10,000 APs spread over more than 190 sites).
- VPN capability.
- Controller-less so that we don't have to worry about upgrading a controller to support newer models of APs when they are released, or having to configure many controllers.
How has it helped my organization?
- We spend less time configuring/maintaining/troubleshooting controllers at a multitude of sites.
- "Single pane of glass" to go to when we need to troubleshoot wireless.
- Good troubleshooting tools that are built-in.
What needs improvement?
- When there are errors, the description could be worded better to give you a better idea of what is wrong.
- GUI could be enhanced more to allow more advanced sorting, greater variety of bulk changes, and more useful information when making deletions in configurations.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've used it for over 2 1/2 years.
What was my experience with deployment of the solution?
We did have issues with deployment, but not because of Aerohive. The issues were because of the vendors doing the work (cabling contractors and AP installers).
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We didn't really have issues with stability, and they were a lot less than our previous solutions.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We had no issues with scalability at all. Aerohive scales very well.
How are customer service and technical support?
Customer Service:
Customer service is great.
Technical Support:Tech support has been great.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Yes, we were primarily a Meru shop with a little bit of Aruba and Xirrus. We switched because Aerohive presented a much better solution when our wireless RFP went out. The cost and feature set to scale for our deployment just made Aerohive a clear winner.
How was the initial setup?
The setup was a little complex because we had never used the product, and we were making network changes to how things were configured previously.
What about the implementation team?
The configuration was a collaboration between in-house and an Aerohive engineer. The implementation in terms of cabling and actual installation of APs were done through a vendor. The vendor expertise was not as great as we would have liked.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Meru, Aruba, Cisco, and one other that I can't remember were all considered before Aerohive was chosen.
What other advice do I have?
The initial configuration of the Aerohive solution may seem a little daunting, but it is worth it and becomes a lot easier as you begin to use it and understand how it works. If you are coming from a multi-controller environment, you will be extremely happy.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
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Network Administrator at a government with 1,001-5,000 employees
It enabled mobility and district-wide consistent performance.
What is most valuable?
It provides cloud-based management and superior resiliency.
How has it helped my organization?
It enabled mobility and district-wide consistent performance.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've used it for four years.
What was my experience with deployment of the solution?
The PoE switches we purchased were/are very difficult to configure.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We encountered no issues with stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We had no issues with scalability and, in fact, enlarging the environment was extremely simple.
How are customer service and technical support?
Customer Service:
I haven't used it much, but it's great when I have.
Technical Support:Top notch! The technicians manning the help desk are very knowledgeable and proficient. They offer great advice and help with best practices.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We had a completely different way of doing wireless, so this was a "start from scratch" project. I evaluated a number of vendors and visited several peer sites before choosing a solution, though.
How was the initial setup?
As straightforward as you could expect from a complex project. Aerohive was the easiest portion of it too.
What about the implementation team?
The vendor is a reseller of Aerohive and would get a C or C+ from me. We cut loose very early from needing their support though, and that is to the credit of Aeorhive who gets an A+.
What was our ROI?
This is a school district, so N/A.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We evaluated Aruba, Rocket, Cisco, HP and one or two others.
What other advice do I have?
It has been a total success and well-received by our staff and students. If you need a wireless infrastructure, you cannot go wrong with Aerohive.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

it_user543477Inside Sales Territory Manager - New England at a tech vendor with 501-1,000 employees
MSP
Gary...Thank you for the great review. I love working at Aerohive and it makes me happy to see my customers taking time to share their viewpoint about Aerohive.
Michael
Senior Engineer- Network Consulting at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Stability could be improved but the multitude of features is valuable
What is most valuable?
- Flexible Configuration
- Multitude of features
- Cloud Management
How has it helped my organization?
- Rediced TCO
- Simplified troubleshooting
- Simplified network mangement
What needs improvement?
- Stability
- UI Layout
For how long have I used the solution?
One year (AP121)
What was my experience with deployment of the solution?
Yes, we had problems integrating it with Novell.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Yes, problems with user handovers and load balancing across multiple APs.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
No issues encountered.
How are customer service and technical support?
Customer Service:
No direct access to vendor tech support, but distributor support (Aero-IT) is 9/10.
Technical Support:9/10
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Yes, we had standalone solutions and we switched because we needed more centralized management.
What about the implementation team?
We implemented in-house as we are a systems integrator company.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Yes, we also looked at Cisco, Meracki and Ruckus Wireless.
What other advice do I have?
Don't do it yourself, get a professional integration team.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: We are both a partner and a reseller
Principal System Engineer at a tech company with 51-200 employees
Very easy to configure with a private and guest SSID although the UI needs improving
What is most valuable?
- Controller-less Access Points
- Option of private or public cloud
- Private Pre-shared Key
How has it helped my organization?
Easily make changes to the WLAN via the online portal rather than through a hardware controller. Reducing time spent by our team to make changes as when required.
What needs improvement?
I personally think the user interface could do with touching up but that’s being overly critical as I can’t think of anything hardware related that requires improvement.
For how long have I used the solution?
2 years.
What was my experience with deployment of the solution?
Deployment was a piece of cake.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We have only had one WLAN drop since installing the Aerohive AP121.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We only use a couple of these in the office so we cannot comment on scale at this point.
How are customer service and technical support?
Customer Service:
We have never needed to approach customer service as the device has never given us any troubles.
Technical Support:We have never needed to approach technical support as the device has never given us any troubles.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
TP-Link Business Wireless Router.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was a doddle. Very easy to configure with a private and guest SSID. We have now moved to using an External Radius which works without issue.
What about the implementation team?
We handled all implementation ourselves.
What was our ROI?
The amount of time spent troubleshooting wireless issues is now non-existent so our ROI is priceless as it stands.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
£500 for the unit. Zero cost for the day to day usage.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Motorola WING but it was overkill for our needs of a small business.
What other advice do I have?
Try it out as a demo first. It might not suit everyone’s need.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
IT Consultant at a tech consulting company with 51-200 employees
A better UI is needed as it's more complex than other vendor's interfaces.
What is most valuable?
The possibility to use a web cloud interface to manage the customer's wireless network.
How has it helped my organization?
It allows you to provide a fast customer service. If a customer asks me to make a change on his wireless LAN I can modify it through cloud management. I don't need to connect to his network via a VPN.
What needs improvement?
A better user interface is needed as it's more complex than other vendor's interfaces.
For how long have I used the solution?
2 years.
What was my experience with deployment of the solution?
During my first project I asked my vendor to help me to implement some specific features of my customer's wireless LAN. If someone doesn't explain to you how the interface works, you can spend a lot of time working with it without obtaining a good result.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
None encountered.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I have never had a scalability issue yet.
How are customer service and technical support?
AeroHive provide very good technical support with user guides and technical documentation.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Cisco and HP were used previously, and we decided to switch because we were attracted to AeroHive's cloud management.
How was the initial setup?
You have to know how the network works and how the interface works. If you follow a course you can create a wireless network in an hour or less.
What about the implementation team?
In-house, we design the network using a planning tool and we follow the entire project step by step.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We used to implement wireless networks using traditional Access Points when our vendor proposed this product to us. Therefore, we weren't interested in finding another solution.
What other advice do I have?
I would advise you to take a good course that is organised by an AeroHive vendor.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Senior Security and Infrastructure at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Initial deployment is very easy but tuning and understanding can take some time
What is most valuable?
- Very easy deployment
- Great radio performance
- Application signatures – very powerful L7 firewall
- Tools for troubleshooting of Wi-Fi clients
How has it helped my organization?
We implemented more advanced Visitors networks on our sites and also more strict security rules for bring your own device and other wireless access networks. That wasn't possible without L7 firewall on AP itself. Also before we didn't have central management for all APs at our organization – now we can change anything we want from within one place.
What needs improvement?
Aerohive configuration management can be little hard to understand for someone who has never worked with it. The initial configuration is easy but advanced tuning needs deeper knowledge of Wi-Fi technology and also about Aerohive management.
On the other hand – the support is very helpful and documentation is very large and contains almost everything that can be found at HIVE console.
For how long have I used the solution?
One year and 6 months.
What was my experience with deployment of the solution?
No. Deployment was smooth with any major problems
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We had/have some problems with stability, but it’s not problem with Aerohive itself. We are covering manufacturing/industrial environment, which is emitting lots of interference on the 802.11 b/g/n band. Stability on this band is very poor due to the environment, but on 802.11 a/n band (because of more channels) stability is very good.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability is not a problem at all. At some places we have “high density mesh” and L2 roaming along with automatic channel distribution is working very well.
How are customer service and technical support?
Customer Service:
Customer service is very helpful. Before deployment we were speaking with our regional customer service and then directly with Aerohive. Both gave us the necessary information for deployment and initial configuration.
Technical Support:Customer service is very helpful. I am using two different ways to solve the problems – one is through my regional contact (Aerohive reseller + support) and second is directly with Aerohive support. We submitted some cases and all were solved with an explanation of function or a bug fix in a new release.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We had “non central management” wireless solution before Aerohive. That was our primary goal for switch – to have central control over wireless connection at whole company and enforce different set of security policies.
How was the initial setup?
Initial setup was straightforward – it’s very easy to deploy it. We had a pilot on one site, where all our needs were tested and then solution was deployed to the rest of company.
What about the implementation team?
We deployed by “in-house company” team. Initial/tuning configuration was done by me and physical deployment was done by local IT support on remote sites.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Yes – we did evaluations of some other products.
We tested Cisco Meraki – Meraki is very good product, straightforward with configuration, but they don't provide central management which can be kept in-house, but only hosted on their cloud. We were not satisfied with it, because we want to keep all our info inside our network.
We also tested Cisco APs with controllers, but again this architecture is not something that would suit us, because of absent central management.
What other advice do I have?
Initial deployment is very easy but tuning and understanding of all things at management can take some time. Once it is set and working – it is very good solution with wide range of possibilities.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Voice Engineer at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees
Easy web interface for general system maintenance makes the product a joy to work with despite the some software bugs
Valuable Features
The automatic PPSK is a great feature that a lot of clients use. For me personally I find the easy web interface for general system maintenance makes the product a joy to work with.
Room for Improvement
There are some minor bugs in parts of the software which can cause some issues from time to time, but it's like any other piece of software. These are often quickly fixed in updates and patches which are easy to deploy but better detail in the release notes would be useful from my point of view supporting the product.
Use of Solution
Approximately 2.5 years as an end user, and 18 months looking after it from a technical standpoint.
Deployment Issues
No - plenty of deployments done easily. Just ensure for HMOL deployments the firewall ports are open!
Stability Issues
Once the system is up and running not had any stability issues.
Scalability Issues
Nope the system scales very easily, just add AP's and licenses and off you go.
Customer Service and Technical Support
Aerohive support are very responsive albeit sometimes takes a bit of time to filter through the intial layer 1 of support.
Initial Setup
Very simple to deploy initially - There's a Wizard to generate a basic SSID and get connected. More in depth configuration can then be done easily once basic connectivity has been established.
Implementation Team
In house implementation.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner

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customer service is key, thanks for the opinion!