PACKETPERF

Primary Device

Aruba AP-515
Aruba AP-515
★ 3.4 Value Score

Technical Specifications

  • Wi-Fi Standard: Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), dual radio, OFDMA, MU-MIMO, Target Wake Time
  • Spatial Streams (MIMO): 4x4:4 on 5 GHz; 2x2:2 on 2.4 GHz
  • Aggregate Throughput: 5375 Mbps combined (4800 Mbps on 5 GHz + 575 Mbps on 2.4 GHz); some listings cite 2.69 Gbps PHY
  • Radios (bands): 2.4 GHz (2x2) + 5 GHz (4x4), concurrent dual-band
  • Uplink Port Speed: 1x HPE SmartRate E0 RJ-45 (100/1000/2500BASE-T, 2.5 GbE); 1x E1 10/100/1000BASE-T
  • Max Clients: 512 associated clients per radio per the 510 Series spec (one retailer lists 256 per radio)
  • PoE Requirement: 802.3af/802.3at PD on E0 (802.3at recommended; 802.3af requires IPM enabled, draws about 13.5 W); 20.8 W at 802.3at/bt
  • Bluetooth / IoT: Bluetooth 5 and Zigbee (BLE radio)
  • Security: WPA3, TPM

Curation Review

  • ✔ Pros: Wi-Fi 6 with 4x4 5 GHz radio for high per-client rates; 2.5 GbE uplink on the E0 port relieves a 1 GbE bottleneck; Broad 802.3at PoE support with a 1 GbE fallback port; Built-in Bluetooth 5 and Zigbee for IoT use; WPA3 and TPM support for enterprise security; Managed through Aruba Central or Mobility Conductor; Dual-band, concurrent operation with the 2.4 GHz radio for legacy clients
  • ✘ Cons: The 2.4 GHz radio is only 2x2, so it is much slower than the 5 GHz radio; Needs 802.3at PoE for full function; 802.3af with IPM disabled is unsupported; Aggregate throughput and max-client figures vary across listings; Only one multi-gig port, so no second 2.5 GbE uplink; Higher price than many Wi-Fi 6 APs in its class
  • Est. Price: $1,135 - $1,757

Compare Against

Cisco Catalyst 9178i
Cisco Catalyst 9178i
★ 4.3 Value Score

Technical Specifications

  • Wi-Fi Standard: Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)
  • Spatial Streams (MIMO): 4x4 MU-MIMO per client-serving radio (4 spatial streams per radio)
  • Aggregate Throughput: 24 Gbps aggregate (concurrent 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 6 GHz radios)
  • Radios (bands): 4 client-serving radios: tri-band 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz / 6 GHz with a 4th radio (quad-radio design)
  • Uplink Port Speed: 2x 10 Gbps mGig ports (multi-gigabit Ethernet)
  • Max Clients: 1200 (400 per radio)
  • PoE Requirement: 802.3bt (PoE++) required for full operation; 802.3at/af supports reduced functionality; draws approx. 30-52 W

Curation Review

  • ✔ Pros: Wi-Fi 7 with tri-band 2.4/5/6 GHz and 4x4 MU-MIMO on every radio; 24 Gbps aggregate throughput for high-density environments; dual 10 Gbps mGig uplinks avoid a 1 Gbps bottleneck; rated for up to 1200 clients; supports 802.3bt PoE on the mGig ports with at/af fallback; manageable from Catalyst 9800 WLC/Catalyst Center or Meraki cloud depending on SKU
  • ✘ Cons: Requires 802.3bt PoE for full functionality, which raises switch and injector cost; needs Catalyst 9800 controller running IOS XE 17.15.2 or later for the Catalyst SKU; Wi-Fi 7 benefits need Wi-Fi 7 clients to be realized; list pricing varies widely by reseller and SKU (CFG vs Global vs RTG), and reseller spec figures differ in places; cloud-managed (Meraki) deployment requires separate licensing; premium cost compared with Wi-Fi 6E alternatives
  • Est. Price: $1,681 - $2,996

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