RUCKUS WIRELESS PROPRIETARY AND CONFIDENTIAL

Ruckus Unleashed architecture is a perfect fit for small deployments where customers expect to get top wireless performance with 802.11ac APs, which can be easily configured and managed via single GUI but without paying for external controller or for excessive features. Aruba makes a claim for high scalability of Aruba Instant solution without stating its capacity limits, this may force customers to install a dedicated controller at some stage due to the system capacity limitations. Enabling advanced features for Guest Access and for Onboarding would require integration with external portals as built-in functions are limited or not available at all. Aruba Central cloud service involves annual subscription fee charged per AP making overall solution much more expensive.

Ruckus Unleashed Aruba Instant •  Controllerless architecture•  Maximum capacity with 802.11ac APs•  RF innovation with BeamFlex+™•  Ease of use, intuitive setup•  High value solution at low cost, Guest Pass

and Onboarding features built-in

•  Controllerless architecture•  Mix of 802.11ac and 802.11n APs•  Transmit Beamforming•  Cluttered dashboard•  External portal is necessary for

Onboarding and Guest Pass features

High resiliency Master AP Standby Master AP All APs can service clients

Ruckus Unleashed

Scalability •  Up to 25 APs •  Up to 512 clients

Simplified Deployment

AP based Virtual Controller Integration with Aruba Central cloud based management solution

Scalability •  Undefined

Aruba Instant Aruba Central (optional)

What to Consider

What is similar First AP on the network activates standard SSID used for provisioning Navigation from a browser to Master AP or Virtual Controller via a known DNS name Subsequent AP’s added to the network get configured automatically What is different Ruckus Unleashed has a step by step Setup Wizard for Master AP configuration where Aruba Instant offers GUI screen with multiple inputs Aruba Instant has the following options for auto provisioning •  Via Aruba Central which requires a fee

based subscription •  Using Aruba AirWave system and Aruba

Activate service

SOLUTION OVERVIEW

Ruckus Unleashed vs Aruba Instant

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RUCKUS WIRELESS PROPRIETARY AND CONFIDENTIAL

Aruba Tx Beamforming Ruckus BeamFlex+™

Chip-based Transmit Beamforming attempts to optimize transmitted signals by adjusting phase and amplitude based on client feedback •  Relies on client support for calibration and

feedback •  Limited support by clients •  Without client support, there are no benefits •  Max theoretical gain is 3 dB •  Sacrifices spatial streams to use TxBF •  Static polarization can’t adapt to client

changes

BeamFlex+ is a custom multi-element antenna array that adaptively selects the best antenna pattern(s) for each user and each individual packet. •  Improves SNR (up to 9 dB), reliability, and

throughput •  Reduces interference from neighbor APs •  Fewer radios are required to support a

network •  PD-MRC polarization diversity •  Works at the same time as spatial multiplexing •  Patented and unique to Ruckus

BeamFlex+ increases signal quality and data rates. ChannelFly, client load balancing and band balancing further improve capacity. PD-MRC enhances the performance of mobile devices in any orientation.  

Aruba IAPs support enhancements like band steering, airtime fairness, and load balancing.  

BeamFlex+ increases SNR, decreases errors, and provides seamless coverage for stable links. Ruckus APs learn about the RF environment and adapt to changes and RF interference.  

Static omnidirectional antennas and limited system adaptation in Aruba IAPs cause unpredictable performance as the RF environment changes. Poorly designed antenna create coverage nulls in certain directions, making coverage and performance inconsistent.  

Capacity and Performance

ESSENTIAL DIFFERENCIES

Ruckus Unleashed vs Aruba Instant

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RUCKUS WIRELESS PROPRIETARY AND CONFIDENTIAL

   

What: Ruckus Unleashed R500 AP vs Aruba Instant IAP 205. Both AP’s are offered as a part of controllerless solution and are capable of supporting 802.11ac with 2 spatial streams. How: Validate wireless coverage on 5 GHz from single AP using AirMagnet Survey Professional. Test location, operating channel number and channel bandwidth were kept the same for both APs. AP transmit power was not manually limited. Why: AP with more advanced RF technology will provide reliable connection to clients at greater distances and with higher access rates. Fewer AP’s will be necessary to cover the area.

RF Coverage Test

IAP205 Access Point is described by Aruba as “Most popular wireless” in the Instant lineup. This coverage test demonstrates that it does not produce as good results as Ruckus Unleashed R500 Access Point. Both AP’s used in the test support MIMO 2x2:2 technology but only the Ruckus AP has BeamFlex+™ dual-polarized multi element directional antenna array with 64 antenna patterns capable to automatically select best antenna combination for any client location. As a result, clients can operate at extended range and with higher SNR. Red ovals on the coverage map show areas where IAP205 signal dropped below -60 dBm while Unleashed R500 still kept it above -60 dBm. Looking beyond highlighted areas the Ruckus AP produced 2 to 5 dB better signal strength and higher client access rates across the floor plan. IAP205 has the area of very poor coverage, which is below -70dBm cutoff, in top left corner. Key Takeaways: Greater range, higher reliability and faster wireless network connection with the Ruckus AP.

1 x Ruckus Unleashed R500 1 x Aruba Instant IAP205

How to understand results

Aruba Instant will need more than one IAP205 to cover the floor

Ruckus Unleashed can cover the floor with one AP

Area  with    very  poor    coverage  

PERFORMANCE TESTING

Ruckus Unleashed vs Aruba Instant

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RUCKUS WIRELESS PROPRIETARY AND CONFIDENTIAL

   

What: Ruckus Unleashed R500 vs Aruba Instant IAP205 member Access Points supporting 802.11ac 2-stream clients: Apple MacBook Air and Apple iPad Air2. How : Test downlink and uplink at multiple distances using Chariot high throughput script. Why : Maximum per client performance has a direct affect on WLAN service quality. High throughput at range enables fixed wired clients to transition to wireless only. With the right solution, mobile devices can have reliable service at all ranges. Efficient airtime utilization increases capacity and maximizes spectrum resources.

AP Throughput - Range vs Rate Test

Ruckus Unleashed R500 AP is capable to deliver much higher maximum data throughput than IAP205 from Aruba. This is true for both Uplink and Downlink test cases at all distances. In combination with having extended range and coverage, Ruckus Unleashed R500 Access Points will provide reliable and efficient Wi-Fi service with fewer AP’s installed. This will help reducing Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and improving Return On Investment (ROI) for the wireless solution.

Points to consider

Apple MacBook Air 5GHz TCP 802.11ac Downlink Mbps Uplink Mbps

Ruckus Unleashed R500 AP delivers 50% higher throughput on average

231   264   238  

362   334   315  

25 ft LOS 50 ft LOS 75 ft LOS

187   189   186  

321   320  266  

25 ft LOS 50 ft LOS 75 ft LOS

IAP205 Unleashed R500

Apple iPad Air2 5GHz TCP 802.11ac

243   254   253  325   309   299  

25 ft LOS 50 ft LOS 75 ft LOS

183   178   177  

292   266   272  

25 ft LOS 50 ft LOS 75 ft LOS

IAP205 Unleashed R500

Downlink Mbps Uplink Mbps

PERFORMANCE TESTING

Ruckus Unleashed vs Aruba Instant

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RUCKUS WIRELESS PROPRIETARY AND CONFIDENTIAL

Feature Ruckus Unleashed Feature Aruba Instant

Adaptive Antenna (BeamFlex)

Ruckus intelligently adapts transmissions using directional antenna patterns that maximize signal quality, minimize interference, and benefit reliability and capacity.

Aruba’s beamforming is a chip-based option that provides little-to-no real-world performance gain, requires tradeoffs with spatial multiplexing, is not supported by11n and many 11ac devices and doesn’t work for multi-stream users.

Native User Onboarding (Zero-IT Activation)

Built-in to the Ruckus solution is an onboarding tool that auto-provisions client devices with a connection profile. Easy access with no admin intervention.

There is no onboarding tool which is built-in into Aruba Instant. Any onboarding automation will require investing into external solution like ClearPass, increasing total cost and complexity of the network.

Per-User PSK (DPSK™) Dynamic PSK technology allows Ruckus customers to provision a unique PSK for each user. It’s secure, scalable, and easy to provision and manage.

Aruba does not offer a per-user PSK option and requires tradeoffs between PSK or 802.1X.

Polarization Diversity with MRC

Smart antenna design by Ruckus incorporates by horizontal and vertical adaptive polarization to match client device orientation and improve predictability.

Aruba Instant APs lack the optimal multi-polarization antenna design that contributes to reliability as client devices rotate and increase distance from the AP.

Guest access

Ruckus Unleashed has fully integrated guest services with easy user connectivity, simple guest access control and provisioning, and client traffic isolation. Wide range of options for Guest Portal customization is available built-in into product•  Authenticated access with Guest Pass •  Access without authentication•  Customizable Web Portal logo•  Onboarding with Zero-IT device registration from

Guest Portal•  Guest Pass delivery via Email or SMS•  Generation of multiple Guest Passes

Aruba Instant APs offer only basic features available built-in for guest access and splash page generationSplash page options for guest network include:•  Internal Authenticated •  Internal Acknowledged•  No splash page •  External captive portal pageAdvanced features like Guest Pass generation with SMS or email delivery would require additional services from external portal

Application recognition and reporting

Ruckus Unleashed Application Recognition and Control (ARC) will automatically recognize and display top 10 applications and top 10 port numbers. Additional applications can be added to the list with classification based on TCP or UDP port numbers.

Configurable application denial policies are supported and can be set using either domain names or port numbers.

Aruba’s AppRF feature is available in the later models of Aruba Instant access points. It can detect hundreds of applications using deep packet inspection and web classification. Enabling the feature during lab testing demonstrated measurable impact on Aruba Instant AP performance. AP maximum achievable throughput reduction ranging from 10% to the much higher numbers was observed consistently when AppRF was switched on. Aruba’s AppRF looks as an over engineered solution for such platform.

GUI look and feel

Staring from a Wizard based configuration screen that invites user to create Master AP, Ruckus Unleashed GUI design follows the lines of simplicity. It has streamlined configuration flow. Using PC or tablet to configure Unleashed Master is quick and easy. All configuration screens are easy to locate and follow.

GUI of average complexity with multiple configuration areas and some link activated menus. Users will have to find location of appropriate configuration menu first, these do not lead from one to another and can be scattered around the screen. Such GUI design is functional and it works well for engineers who are well versed in configuration of complex Wi-Fi equipment but for users with limited networking experience it may look too complex and confusing.

Summary Ruckus Unleashed Access Points offer excellent performance and come with well balanced feature set for small deployments. Guest Pass generation and onboarding with Zero-IT features are built-in. Aruba Instant APs come with with many wireless controller features but the solution looks over-engineered for such platform i.e. enabling some processing intensive features penalizes AP performance. Additionally, having no clearly stated limits on scalability of virtual controller raises even more questions. At the same time IAP built-in Guest Access options look very basic, no Guest pass generation, no onboarding features at all i.e. enabling them would require deploying an external solution like ClearPass.

FEATURE LIST

Ruckus Unleashed vs Aruba Instant

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Copyright © 2015, Ruckus Wireless, Inc. All rights reserved. Ruckus Wireless and Ruckus Wireless design are registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Ruckus Wireless, the Ruckus Wireless logo, BeamFlex+, ZoneFlex, MediaFlex, FlexMaster, ZoneDirector, SpeedFlex, SmartCast, SmartCell, ChannelFly and Dynamic PSK are trademarks of Ruckus Wireless, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks mentioned in this document or website are the property of their respective owners. September 2015.

Ruckus Unleashed Aruba Instant Comments

Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

•  Ruckus’ solution requires fewer AP’s to cover same area yet provides higher data throughput

•  Ruckus Unleashed has built-in rich features for Guest access, Zero IT for easy device on-boarding

•  Aruba Instant would require external solution (ClearPass) with additional cost

Dynamic PSK (DPSK)

•  Ruckus DPSK technology uniquely encrypt over the air traffic for every client.

•  Aruba Instant does not offer such option.

Onboarding (BYOD)

•  Ruckus’ patented built-in Zero IT solution enables customers to onboard devices securely and easily.

•  Aruba Instant does not have a built-in solution for onboarding and external solution (ClearPass) is complicated

Guest Access

•  Ruckus has built-in rich features for Guest access such as logo customization, guest pass that can be emailed or texted

•  Aruba Instant has basic Guest features

Ease of use•  Both solutions are easy to use.

However, Ruckus Setup wizard makes it easier for initial deployment

AP performance•  Higher data throughput with

Ruckus Access Points

AP density•  Aruba will need more APs to

provide coverage and same level of performance for multiple users

Excellent value, features available built-in

Average value, some features are present or can be made available with an external solution

Features are not available

VALUE PROPOSITION

Ruckus Unleashed vs Aruba Instant

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