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A Quick Guide to Aruba’s Secure Business Continuity Solutions

Written by VLCM | Jun 2, 2020 3:50:21 PM

As the world responds to the current health crisis, the well-being of our customers and everyone impacted by this pandemic remains our top priority. To support healthcare providers, teachers and students, and the huge number of people working from home, Aruba and VLCM are committed to help maintain business continuity in these challenging times. 

In this guide, you will find a short-list of quick-to-deploy secure connectivity solutions Aruba has in its arsenal. For an in-depth look, please review our On-Demand webinar 

 

1. Remote Access Points 


Aruba's multi-functional Remote APs (RAPs) deliver secure and fast wireless and wired network access to enterprise resources for mobile, remote and temporary work spaces 

While any AP can be used as a RAP, the Aruba 203 and 303 Series APs are the most popular RAP models with features such as a small form factor, desk-mount capability, one or more local wired ports, the ability to add AC power or midspan adapters, and PoE-out support to power office tools like printers or VoIP phones. 

Why we love it:  

  • Seamless Application Access: Corporate apps work remotely without disruption 
  • Resilient WAN Connectivity: Wired and cellular access over any WAN transport 
  • Always-on Connectivity: Automatic discovery and failover between data center and remote sites 
  • WAN Independent: Easily move to a new site and use existing broadband connections or cellular networks 
  • Zero-Touch Provisioning: Easy-to-install design dramatically lowers the cost of deployment  
  • Wired and Wireless Security: Role-based policy enforcement and authentication for each user  
  • Highly Scalable Solution that is massively scalable to meet the needs of the largest workforce 
  • Regulatory Compliance: Built-in reporting and compliance auditing  
  • Flexible management and deployment options with Aruba Central and Aruba AirWave that support IAP-VPN, Aruba VIA VPN services, and RAP mode 

Key takeaway:

Aruba can drop-ship access points to any of your satellite locations without having to do any pre-staging. This is a quick-to-deploy option that works with any Aruba AP.  

 

2. Aruba VIA – the Soft VPN Client for Android, iOS, MacOS, Windows, and Linux Devices 


The Aruba Virtual Intranet Access (VIA) client is a secure VPN service for users who need corporate connectivity at home, temporary sites, or while they’re mobile. 

Aruba VIA is our answer to small businesses who don’t have a VPN and want a great, quick-to-deploy, inexpensive connectivity solution.  

How it works: 

Available as a software download for Google Android, Apple iOS, MacOS, Linux and Windows, VIA is a hybrid IPsec/SSL VPN client that automatically scans and selects the best, secure connection to terminate corporate-bound traffic.  

Unlike traditional VPNs which require dedicated hardware, Aruba integrates VPN services directly on existing Aruba secure infrastructure to simplify architecture and management.  

VIA can be downloaded directly from an Aruba Controller, or pushed from an existing software management platform. VIA connects to and receives both software and configuration updates directly from the Controller – no additional hardware or setup required. 

Let's talk about VIA security:

For military-grade security, VIA supports Suite B cryptography when used with the ArubaOS Advanced Cryptography (ACR) module. In this deployment model, mobile devices or desktop workstations can securely access networks that handle controlled unclassified, confidential and classified information. 

Key takeaways: 

  • With VIA, you can simplify VPN services by integrating directly with Aruba Controllers and Gateways  
  • VPN users can authenticate with the same credentials they use for WLAN  
  • IT can dynamically apply and enforce access policies based on the user’s role 

 

3. Aruba UXI – User Experience Insight Sensor 


For those who need extra help troubleshooting networking problems, look to Aruba’s User Experience Insight Sensor (UXI). It’s a cloud-based service assurance solution that validates network health and troubleshoots problems that affect day-to-day user experience. 

How does it work?  

UXI assumes the role of an end-user, evaluating the performance, connectivity, and responsiveness of network infrastructure as well as internal and external services such as corporate ERM or Office365 applications. This outside-in perspective is presented through a simple, intuitive dashboard that provides a proactive way to solve problems before they impact the business.  

Why would this help me 

  • Gain proactive user experience insights 
  • See first-hand intelligence over network health from a user perspective. By using a synthetic sensor, multiple combinations of common user workflows can be tested. 
  • Instantly deliver insights quickly for ANY network environment – just connect to any WIFI or wired network.  
  • Insights and outcomes include: 
  • Device association: All stages of connections including authentication, DHCP and DNS helps identify where in the process users may experience problems.   
  • End-to-end app responsiveness: Continuous visibility into the responsiveness of internal and cloud-hosted applications by location that gets in front of issues where there are no dedicated IT resources. •  
  • AI Alerts: Near real-time insight per area into critical services that require IT attention, such as guest portal load times, slow application performance, bad VoIP quality, packet loss and outages that IT can use to quickly troubleshoot issues. Alerts can also trigger external applications like ServiceNow and Slack using Webhooks. 

The takeaway: 

  • UXI is easy to configure, deploy and manage, and immediately begins providing insights once sites are online 
  • Level-up your insights with of AI-based alerts that bring attention to the most critical events 
  • Available for wired-wireless, and cloud application connectivity 
  • UXI is vendor-neutral – testing is available to any Aruba or third-party network environment 

 

4. Staying connected at home with Aruba Instant On


Fast, secure and affordable Wi-Fi from Aruba is designed to create an environment that maximizes your employees' productivity and creates a satisfying experience for your customers. Instant On access points are easy to manage via mobile app and are equipped with Smart Mesh for indoor and outdoor coverage, enabling users to get the consistent, fast connectivity they need to get the job done. 

Why we love it: 

  • It’s fool-proof to deploy (anyone can do it) 
  • They’re designed for heavy bandwidth, so they entire family can stay connected 
  • Ensures you have WIFI coverage throughout the entire house 
  • If they have to – users can manage Instant On from your phone 

 

 

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For more information, call VLCM at 1-800-817-1504, or visit us at www.vlcm.com.

 

About VLCM

We’re VLCM, and we’ve been serving enterprise technology and data solutions to Utah and the Rocky Mountain West since 1983. We help organizations and businesses of all shapes and sizes achieve their goals through dedicated technologies that help keep them secure, connected, smart, and agile. VLCM is unique in that our 25 engineers cater to entire IT environments, from networking, to storage, cybersecurity to big data, print and PC, and beyond. VLCM helps IT professionals stay informed of the latest in IT technologies with the best virtual IT events in the State of Utah, and by partnering with both dedicated and emerging technology vendors. Established at Utah’s Biggest IT Solution Provider by CRN, VLCM has in-house IT Professional, Managed Services, Cybersecurity, Communication Technology, and Managed Print Services teams that can tailor the right solutions to your business environment. VLCM is Aruba's largest partner in the Rocky Mountain region, and VLCM was recently awarded the Aruba Partner of the Year for the West .