What are HPE Aruba Switches?

Aruba switches are HPE Aruba Networking's wired switching platform, designed to connect users, devices, and infrastructure across campus, branch, and data centre environments. The current generation, the Aruba CX series, is built on ArubaOS-CX, a modern, programmable operating system that supports cloud-based management and AIOps via Aruba Central, automation and scripting via open APIs and Python, AI-driven network analytics and anomaly detection, native integration with Aruba ClearPass for Zero Trust access control and power over ethernet (PoE) for access points, IP cameras, and IoT devices Unlike legacy switching platforms, Aruba CX switches are built for the demands of hybrid working, high-density wireless, IoT proliferation, and cloud-first architectures.

Why Organisations Choose HPE Aruba Switches

AI-Powered Management

Aruba CX switches integrate with Aruba Central’s AIOps engine, providing continuous monitoring, automated troubleshooting, and predictive analytics, reducing Mean Time to Resolution and freeing IT teams from reactive network management.

Built-in Zero Trust Security

Aruba switches integrate natively with Aruba ClearPass, enforcing role-based access control and device profiling at the access layer. Every user and device is authenticated and authorised before accessing network resources, regardless of whether they connect via wired or wireless.

Cloud-Native Management via Aruba Central

The full Aruba CX switching portfolio is managed through Aruba Central, providing unified visibility across wired, wireless, and WAN infrastructure from a single cloud dashboard. IT teams can provision, monitor, and troubleshoot switches across every site without being on-site.

Scalability from Edge to Core

Aruba CX switches span access layer, distribution, core, and data centre tiers, meaning organisations can standardise on a single vendor and operating system from the desktop port to the data centre spine, simplifying operations and reducing training overhead.

High Availability and Resilience

Aruba switches are engineered for continuous operation, with features including Virtual Switching Framework (VSF), redundant power supplies, and hitless failover, keeping critical infrastructure running under demanding conditions.

Why Choose HPE Aruba Networking Solutions?

HPE Aruba switches are built to scale with your business. Whether you’re a small business or a large enterprise, HPE Aruba’s solutions grow with you. Their built-in security features safeguard your data and devices at every layer of the network, protecting your business from evolving cyber threats. With a wide range of switches, from entry-level to high-performance models, they also provide you with the flexibility to choose the right solution based on your needs and budget.

Powered by AI-driven insights, HPE Aruba’s switches offer proactive management, troubleshooting, and automation to ensure optimal network performance. They are built to handle the growing demands of modern workloads, ensuring consistent and reliable performance for all applications. On top of all this, the combination of HPE Aruba’s AI-driven software and advanced analytics allows businesses to gain real-time insights into their network performance, helping to make data-driven decisions and optimise operations.

Advanced AI-Powered Automation

HPE Aruba's software, like Aruba Central, uses AI to automate operations and streamline IT processes.

High Availability and Reliability

HPE Aruba switches are built for high availability, keeping your business connected even under demanding conditions.

Comprehensive Security

HPE Aruba’s security features, like Zero Trust and role-based access control, provide robust protection against internal and external threats.

Cloud Ready Networking

Aruba offers cloud-managed solutions that provide the flexibility and control you need, all accessible from anywhere.

Aruba Switches for Every Need

Aruba CX Switches

covering access, aggregation, core, and data centre deployments. Models range from compact access switches for small offices to high-density 10/25/100GbE core switches for enterprise data centres. All are managed via Aruba Central and supported by ArubaOS-CX.

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Aruba Fabric Composer

Aruba Fabric Composer automates the deployment, management, and scaling of large network fabrics, simplifying operations for data centre and high-density campus environments where manual configuration at scale is impractical.

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Switchshop: Your Aruba Switching Partner in the UK

As an HPE Aruba Networking Platinum Partner and Partner of the Year, Switchshop delivers HPE Aruba switching solutions with a depth of expertise and vendor backing that lower-tier partners cannot offer.

Aruba-Certified Engineers: Our team holds current HPE Aruba accreditations across the full CX switching portfolio, providing expert design, deployment, and ongoing support.

Tailored Design: We architect Aruba switching solutions around your specific environment, access layer requirements, PoE budgets, resilience needs, and integration with existing wireless and security infrastructure.

End-to-End Delivery: Site survey, design, supply, installation, configuration, testing, and handover documentation, all delivered by Switchshop directly. We don’t outsource.

Competitive Pricing: Platinum Partner status means we offer the most cost-effective Aruba switch pricing and support contracts available in the UK market.

Proven Delivery: Switchshop has deployed Aruba switching infrastructure across education, healthcare, government, and enterprise environments throughout the UK.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Aruba CX switches?

Aruba CX switches are HPE Aruba Networking’s current-generation intelligent switching platform, built on the ArubaOS-CX operating system. They are designed for campus, branch, and data centre environments and support cloud management via Aruba Central, AI-powered analytics, Zero Trust security integration, and open API programmability.

What is the difference between Aruba CX switches and legacy Aruba switches?

Legacy Aruba switches, including the 2530, 3800, and 5400 series, ran on ProVision or ArubaOS-Switch and are approaching or past end of support. The Aruba CX series is the replacement platform, built on a modern cloud-native OS with full Aruba Central integration, automation capabilities, and AI-driven management that legacy platforms do not support. Most organisations upgrading Aruba switching are migrating to CX.

Which Aruba CX switch do I need?

The right Aruba CX model depends on your deployment tier, port count, PoE requirements, and uplink speeds. Access layer switches for connecting end users and devices differ significantly from aggregation, core, or data centre switches. Switchshop provides free scoping consultations to identify the correct model and configuration for your environment.

Do Aruba switches support Power over Ethernet (PoE)?

Yes. Many Aruba CX access switches support PoE and PoE+ for powering wireless access points, IP cameras, VoIP phones, and IoT devices directly from the switch, eliminating the need for separate power injectors or local power supplies.

How are Aruba switches managed?

Aruba CX switches are managed via Aruba Central, HPE Aruba’s cloud-native management platform, providing unified visibility, configuration, and AI-powered analytics across all switching, wireless, and WAN infrastructure. On-premises management via Aruba AirWave is also available for organisations with specific regulatory requirements.

Do Aruba switches support Zero Trust security?

Yes. Aruba CX switches integrate natively with Aruba ClearPass to enforce Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) at the wired access layer, authenticating users and devices, profiling endpoints, and applying role-based access policies automatically before granting network access.

Can Switchshop supply and install Aruba switches across the UK?

Yes. Switchshop is an HPE Aruba Networking Platinum Partner and supplies, installs, and supports Aruba CX switches across the UK, for single-site projects and large multi-site rollouts. All installations are carried out by our own Aruba-certified engineers.

HPE Aruba Networking Switching Solutions: Powering the Intelligent Edge