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HPE Aruba Networking Switches vs. HPE Networking Comware / FlexFabric Switches

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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    HPE Aruba Networking Switches

    Score8.7 out of 10
    N/AFor campus, branch, and data centers, HPE's Aruba CX switches are presented as a flexible, programmable, and cloud-native ASIC design solution, boasting the power, precision, and versatility of a microservices-based wired architecture.

    $503.63

    one-time fee

    HPE Networking Comware / FlexFabric Switches

    Score9.2 out of 10
    N/AHewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) offers the FlexFabric and Comware product line of data center networking equipment.N/A
    Pricing
    HPE Aruba Networking SwitchesHPE Networking Comware / FlexFabric Switches
    Editions & Modules
    HPE Aruba Networking CX 6000 Switch Series
    Starting at $503.63
    one-time fee
    HPE Aruba Networking CX 6100 Switch Series
    Starting at $935.20
    one-time fee
    HPE Aruba Networking CX 6200 Switch Series
    Starting at $1,054.12
    one-time fee
    HPE Aruba Networking CX 6300 Switch Series
    Starting at $4,483.55
    one-time fee
    HPE Aruba Networking CX 5420 Switch Series
    Starting at $3,158.76
    one-time fee
    HPE Aruba Networking 2930F Switch Series
    Starting at $574.72
    one-time fee
    HPE Aruba Networking CX 6400 Switch Series
    Starting at $7,394.82
    one-time fee
    HPE Aruba Networking CX 8100 Switch Series
    Starting at $19,102.26
    one-time fee
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    HPE Aruba Networking SwitchesHPE Networking Comware / FlexFabric Switches
    Free Trial
    NoNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional DetailsHPE Aruba Ethernet Switch prices vary significantly based on features, model, and quantity purchased.
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    HPE Aruba Networking SwitchesHPE Networking Comware / FlexFabric Switches
    Considered Both Products
    Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)
    No answer on this topic
    Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)
    Chose HPE Networking Comware / FlexFabric Switches
    Compared to Cisco, HPE was easier to get support contracts and customer service was far more helpful. Aruba is part of HP but the Aruba line cannot stack up to the Flexfabric in a high-performance data center environment.
    Incentivized
    Chose HPE Networking Comware / FlexFabric Switches
    Compared to the competition, FlexFabric products are easy to describe to the customer and post-sales management is simple.
    Incentivized
    Chose HPE Networking Comware / FlexFabric Switches
    Aruba line cannot compete with the HPE FlexFabric, we got nowhere close to the performance when using the Aruba and the Aruba had a couple fan failures.
    Incentivized
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Delivers good value for the price
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Happy with the feature set
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation went as expected
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Best Alternatives
    HPE Aruba Networking SwitchesHPE Networking Comware / FlexFabric Switches
    Small Businesses
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Medium-sized Companies
    RUCKUS Ethernet Switches
    Score10 out of 10
    Cisco Nexus Series Switches
    Score9.1 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Cisco Ethernet Switches
    Score9.1 out of 10
    Cisco Nexus Series Switches
    Score9.1 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    HPE Aruba Networking SwitchesHPE Networking Comware / FlexFabric Switches
    Likelihood to Recommend
    9.0
    (13 ratings)
    8.8
    (4 ratings)
    Usability
    8.7
    (3 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    10.0
    (6 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    HPE Aruba Networking SwitchesHPE Networking Comware / FlexFabric Switches
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)
    These devices are rock solid, you will se them up once and not have to mess with them for years. They are work horses that don't die. We use them in an office environment and have only ever had 1 fail due to a PSU issue, we got a replacement next day and it's been working great.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)
    The switch is intuitive and very simple to configure so I would recommend it to anyone for their data center. It allows for someone who might just be a server expert and not a switching expert to have a far simpler time than would normally be expected.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)
    • REST API capability
    • Wired & Wireless 802.1x configuration easiness
    • Wireless Access Points (APs) zero touch provisioning
    • Its high-end family (running the AOS-CX firmware) supports a virtualization technology called VSX (Virtual Switching Extension) which allows 2 switches to present itself as one virtualized switch under Layer 2, and as 2 separate routers under Layer 3; thereby providing high availability.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)
    • SCSI support.
    • No additional license to unlock features.
    • High availability.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)
    • I have had issues finding monitoring software that natively supports Provision/Aruba OS. Most are designed primarily with Cisco in mind.
    • HPE/Aruba switches have historically had issues with corrupt flash. This seems to be less common in more recent models.
    • HPE/Aruba's switching portfolio can be confusing. Some models run on the Aruba OS while some others run on Comware. There is some overlap in these model lines so at times is can be tough to tell which switch is right.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)
    • Consistent upgrades and updates considering the breaches spreading in the network.
    • Interoperability with third party software.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)
    I have not had that many issues with these products. Aruba Central has been really helpful. The Integration Capabilities allows us to use Clearpass . For individuals new to enterprise-grade networking, there can still be a learning curve associated with understanding the concepts and the specifics of the Aruba configuration.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)
    No answers on this topic
    Support Rating
    Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)
    HPE Support is very easy to reach. A knowledgable rep can be reached in a few minutes. After some basic troubleshooting if the failure is due to hardware I can receive a replacement within a day or even in a few hours.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)
    No answers on this topic
    Alternatives Considered
    Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)
    We used to have a lot of Cisco switches which are great, but
    the support contracts and other expenses mount up quickly; one of the main
    reasons for switching to HP for networking was the cost, but the hardware and
    software have gotten so much better over the years.

    I can’t see us changing network hardware unless the price increases dramatically.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)
    HPE FlexNetwork 5510 HI delivers outstanding resiliency, security, and multiservice support while Aruba is more suitable for mobile network support
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)
    • I really like the idea of paying for the switches one time and just pay for support going forward. The prices are on the high end but I think it is worth it. I wish they would include all the features in one go so we would not have to pay for every new feature.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)
    • Performs well under stress, it is the core of our data center for over 3 years without any failures.
    • Simplified our topology in our data center.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots