HPE Aruba Networks Wireless WAN vs. UniFi Cloud Gateways

Aruba Networks Wireless WAN is an excellent solution for small to medium-sized implementation, especially on-premise. The ability to centrally manage all policy-based access requirements for both registered users as well as guests using the portal is effortless. This is backed up by good documentation which is available and excellent vendor support (HP).

Incentivized

Ubiquiti's wireless WAN solution is suitable for usage in businesses of all sizes. Smaller businesses may not profit as much from the integration of Wi-Fi devices due to the high expense of doing so, hence the cost-benefit analysis favors larger businesses. In big and medium-sized businesses, having access to such tools improves network security and administration by allowing for several, conceptually separate networks to be managed and made available from a single Wi-Fi access point.

Incentivized

• It has cloud management for administration of access points remotely.
• Automatic replication of custom settings to access points.
• Solution with WIFI 5 and WIFI 6 hotspots.
• They are powered by POE or power injector.
• Compact access points.

Incentivized

• Automatically load balances based on band. Makes it simple to spread out users.
• Updates can be set to automatic or manual. Automatic uses rolling updates, happens every time we update the controller.
• Continually add new features and improvements with their FREE software upgrades

Incentivized

• Licensing is slightly complicated and not bundled, separate costs for cloud controller is a no-no.
• UI needs an uplift.
• Coverage is good but can be better.

Incentivized

• Supply can be a problem, especially for new products. We have had to sometimes wait for months for supply to come in.
• No phone support. Only email/chat. can be frustrating sometimes just texting someone, but have not had to contact them very often.

Incentivized

The combination of performance, range, low-power use, and manageability made it ideal for us.

In the least concern we have, the support team has always been available and responds very quickly.

Incentivized

We have not needed to contact support, except to replace one device that was damaged in shipping. The company immediately issued an RMA without delay, and we had our replacement product within a week

We used Xirrus wifi before we moved to Aruba. Xirrus is a great niche brand that has been sold to other companies a few times in the life we used the products. This negatively impacted the product availability in our country, local support, and amount of implementation partners. Due to Aruba their broad product range, availability in the market, and knowledge with implementation partners we feel that we can build upon their products not only for a product cycle but for the decade to come.

Incentivized

In the past, we used D-Link wi-fi devices, where centralized management was not possible, distributing the same SSID through several devices. Which cost configuration time and instability in the use between one point and another, because eventually, this transition between a device and another by a client was not transparent and functional as it is today with the Ubiquiti solution.

Incentivized

• We have better coverage for our visitors and during trainings
• We have enough bandwidth to accommodate everyone
• No more dead spots in the building that effects our users.

Incentivized

• Huge cost savings. Buy it once and you are done, no annual renewals.
• Extremely reliable and scalable. We went from 0 to 900 Chromebooks in 2 years.
• Very little maintenance, set it and forget it. Allows us to focus on other tasks.

Incentivized