Adam,
I do generally agree with you and the Eero is a great solution for people with minimal IT knowledge or basic WiFi needs. However The Instant On is designed for power user / entry level IT knowledge so it's not that complicate unless you want to get fancy like you have with your LAN. But if you are coming in with minimal experience your right there can be a learning curve.
IMO I find many of the "higher quality" residential broadband / AP gateways to be much more complicated, poorly organized, and difficult to configure than the Instant-On product line. Also the Instant-On hardware are solid pieces of equipment. I think as "baby" versions of the enterprise Aruba equipment the quality of the hardware hits above what it's price point would suggest. I can't think of a single time I have had to reboot one in the last two years and I have never had one go bad. The integrated GW/APs I work with and actually also Ubiquity AP's I have to reboot a few time a year when I get reports that they started to act goofy.
Original Message:
Sent: 6/10/2025 1:17:00 PM
From: adam_h
Subject: RE: HPE Networking Instant On Access Point AP22 Question
There's a level of sophistication which breeds complexity that a commercial system such as HPE [Aruba] Instant On has that just seems like it could be more than you bargained for. Jumping into a commercial system for just one AP for just one location seems like overkill to me. Is there a standalone router/WiFI AP solution that can accomplish what you need?
I came over from UniFi in a small home where I had a fairly sophisticated configuration but only a couple of APs. I have a vastly larger system now which consists of 7 APs. I struggled in the beginning learning the intricacies of the HPE system and getting everything configured optimally, to where it just hums along today with multiple switches, VLANs, and SSIDs. It took a lot of time and effort, but it was worth it.
I recommend you check out Amazon Eero. I have installed a mesh pair of these at the homes of several family members and friends and they work great. It's my understanding that their "business subscription" supports a captive portal. (According to Google.) Being that it's Amazon, it may be simple to return if it does not meet your needs. For the non-business home user, there's very little to configure. You don't need to buy a subscription for their extra features. The only real limitation is that it only supports two networks and the secondary network which is for guests, doesn't have the configurability that someone like me (an IT guy) needed. I actually used these temporarily after moving into my current home until we finished remodeling, then invested in the Instant On system I have now.
Anyway, that's my two cents. Feel free to tell me to pound sand.
Original Message:
Sent: 06-08-2025 11:22 AM
From: Tazzy666uk
Subject: HPE Networking Instant On Access Point AP22 Question
Hi,
I am needing an access point with a good GUI (which i have been told this is a good one) for a small cafe. Technically, i don't need an access point as the WIFI router would cover the area, but i want the captive portal functionality of it.... Can i just connect this using the power adaptor and an Ethernet cable to my SIM router? (no ability to get a landline in).
Thanks :)
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Keith Brandon
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