HPE Aruba introduces new access points and access switches

HPE Aruba has unveiled a new range of wireless access points and associated access switches. It concerns 802.11ax IoT-ready access points. In addition, it has new innovations in the field of security, smart power management and AI-powered automation and service assurance.

The wireless access points, the Aruba 510 Series, support the latest Wi-Fi standard, and are the first to be certified by the WiFi Alliance (WFA) for the new WPA3 and Enhanced Open security standards, according to Aruba itself.

WPA3 provides new features that simplify network security, enable more robust authentication, and make encryption more powerful in markets where highly sensitive data is handled. This concerns, for example, the government and financial services.

The access points also include an integration of Bluetooth 5 with integrated ZigBee capabilities. This makes it possible to support 74 percent of the IoT devices. The wireless technologies come together in one access point, giving users, according to the company, powerful, comprehensive connectivity. It is also possible to reduce capital and operational expenditures, because a separate ZigBee network is not required with the Aruba infrastructure with ZigBee integration.

The accompanying Aruba 2930M access switches support the 802.3bt standard for a more powerful PoE with up to 60 watts per port. That is a requirement for some high-end 802.11ax access points, the company states.

Powermanagement

In addition, Aruba has announced innovations in the field of power management, making it possible to maintain existing investments in PoE switches and to reduce the power consumption of the access points outside user hours. The solutions are called Intelligent Power Monitoring, which runs in Aruba Operating System (AOS) 8, and NetInsight Green AP, which is part of the analytics and assurance solution.