A Comparison of HPE Aruba Switches: R8N86A and Q9H62A

 

HPE Aruba switches are a line of enterprise-class switches that provide high performance, security, and scalability for various network scenarios. In this article, we will compare two models of HPE Aruba switches: R8N86A and Q9H62A, and highlight their features, benefits, and differences.

R8N86A Overview

The R8N86A is a member of the HPE Aruba CX 6000 Series switches, which are fixed managed Gigabit Ethernet and Fast Ethernet switches designed for branch offices, midsize businesses, and small enterprises. The R8N86A has 48 10/100/1000 Ethernet ports and four 1G SFP ports. It supports PoE+ with a power budget of up to 370W, and offers simple device management and network management via a web GUI, CLI, or Aruba NetEdit. The R8N86A also supports advanced features such as sFlow, 802.1X, SPAN, BPDU Guard, and IP routing.

Some of the benefits of the R8N86A are:

It provides reliable and convenient wired access connectivity for enterprise branch offices and SMB networks.

It delivers enterprise-class Layer 2 capabilities with support for ACLs, robust QoS, traffic prioritization, static routing, and IPv6.

It enables PoE+ for powering devices such as access points, client devices, and IoT devices.

It simplifies IT operations with a consistent operator experience across the Aruba CX portfolio using the AOS-CX operating system.

It reduces ownership costs with no switch software licensing or subscriptions required.

Q9H62A Overview

The Q9H62A is a member of the HPE Aruba 3810M Series switches, which are high-performance Layer 3 access switches that provide resiliency, security, and ease of use for enterprise edge, SMB, and branch office networks. The Q9H62A has 48 10/100/1000 Ethernet ports and four 10G SFP+ ports. It supports PoE+ with a power budget of up to 1440W, and offers flexible management options such as Aruba AirWave Network Management, Aruba Central Cloud Management Platform, or Aruba ClearPass Policy Manager. The Q9H62A also supports advanced features such as OSPF routing, PIM-SM multicast routing, BGP routing (with license), VSF stacking (with license), and MACsec encryption (with license).

Some of the benefits of the Q9H62A are:

It provides high-performance and scalable wired access connectivity for enterprise edge, SMB, and branch office networks.

It delivers enterprise-class Layer 3 capabilities with support for dynamic routing protocols, multicast routing protocols, policy-based routing, and IPv6.

It enables PoE+ for powering devices such as access points, IP phones, cameras, and IoT devices.

It simplifies IT operations with a unified wired and wireless network management platform using Aruba AirWave or Aruba Central.

It enhances security with features such as MACsec encryption (with license), Access Control Lists (ACLs), Dynamic Segmentation (with license), and Aruba ClearPass Policy Manager.

Comparison Table

The following table summarizes some of the key differences between the R8N86A and the Q9H62A switches.

Feature R8N86A Q9H62A

Ethernet ports 48 10/100/1000 48 10/100/1000

Uplink ports 4 SFP 4 SFP+

PoE+ power budget 370W 1440W

Layer 3 capabilities Static routing Dynamic routing (with license)

Stacking No Yes (with license)

Encryption No Yes (with license)

Conclusion

Both the R8N86A and the Q9H62A are reliable and versatile switches that can meet different network needs. The R8N86A is more suitable for small businesses and branch offices that need simple, reliable, and cost-effective wired access connectivity. The Q9H62A is more suitable for enterprise edge, SMB, and branch office networks that need high-performance, scalable, and secure wired access connectivity. Depending on your network requirements, you can choose the switch that best fits your scenario.