The Aruba AP305 is part of the Aruba 300 series. These are 802.11ac access points. It offers two modes to meet your requirements. The Aruba 300 Series consists of the Aruba AP304 and the Aruba AP305. Most of what is said here will apply to both models. The 300 series are medium-density, entry-level devices. They provide quite fast gigabit speeds and superb, easy user experience for mobile devices and applications
As with other Aruba APs, you can run the Aruba AP305 either controller-based, or controllerless (Instant) mode.
When deployed with an Aruba Mobility Controller, the Aruba AP305 offers centralized configuration, data encryption, and policy enforcement. It will also give you network services and distributed and centralized traffic forwarding.
In controllerless (Instant) mode, the controller function is virtualized in a cluster of APs. As the network grows or requirements change, Instant deployments can easily migrate to controller-based mode.
Adaptive Radio Management
Importantly, the Aruba AP305 features ClientMatch, AppRF, Clarity and AirMatch. They ensure the AP305 will have the best radio connection. At the same time, ARM provides control and visibility to the WLAN and applications dynamically. This is especially useful in changing environments.
The AP305 can automatically detect and classify 802.11ac Wave 2 mobile devices. This allows ClientMatch to automatically collect Wave 2 capable devices under a single radio so that performance benefits of multi-user MIMO can be realized. And without the adverse effects of slower 802.11ac and traditional 802.11n capable mobile devices. This means increased network capacity and a boost in network efficiency.
Aruba AP305 by the numbers
The Aruba AP305 has a concurrent data rate of 1.3 Gbps in the 5 GHz band and 300 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz band. That’s an aggregate peak data rate of 1.6 Gbps. The AP305 is ideal for device-dense environments like schools, retail branches, hotels and enterprise offices. The 802.11ac 300 Series supports 160 MHz channel bandwidth (VHT160), 4-stream multi-user MIMO and 3 spatial streams. They also provide simultaneous data transmission to multiple devices, maximizing data throughput and improving network efficiency.
Difference between the Aruba AP304 and the Aruba AP305
It’s the antennas. The AP304 has four RP-SMA connectors for external dual band antennas. Worst-case internal loss between radio interface and external antenna connectors (due to diplexing circuitry): 0.8dB in 2.4 GHz and 1.6dB in 5 GHz. In case you were interested. So the antennas are external.
With the Aruba AP315, they are 3 integrated dual-band downtilt omni-directional antennas for 3×3 MIMO. They achieve peak antenna gain of 3.9dBi in 2.4 GHz and 5.4dBi in 5 GHz.
What we like about the Aruba AP305 access point
The Aruba AP305 has great, easy-to-use technology, and has great range! It’s easy to set up multiple AP’s, including guest access. There is no dedicated controller needed, although it is a snap to employ one, and they are excellent in their own right. Simply power up, plug it into your network, and connect.
Even if you are not familiar with Aruba products, they are easy to master quickly. And if you need to reconfigure, using Instant Mode makes configuration straightforward. Support gets consistently high marks, and the Airheads online community is top notch.
Initial config is a snap. And with the aforementioned ARM technology, you can automatically assign channel and power settings. You can also provide airtime fairness and ensure that APs stay clear of all sources of RF interference. This will ensure reliable, high performance WLANs.
Summary
The Aruba AP305 access point is excellent for medium-to-enterprise companies. It is very well suited for organizations that require a large number of wireless access points and need simple intuitive management over them. And when it comes to Wi-Fi management, Aruba gives you the flexibility to choose. You can use an Instant access point or a controller to manage an entire cluster of access points. On the other hand, you can manage them with a cloud-based or an on-site network management platform.
Aruba also has plenty of switches to integrate with your access point for ease-of-access and peace of mind. The Aruba AP305 access point delivers superb user experience for medium-to-high density environments.
And Corporate Armor gives you uninterrupted 5-star service and years of specialization in Aruba’s whole family of products. So call us at 877-449-0458, or email us with any and all questions. Thanks for reading!
Aruba AP305 access point highlights
| Choice of operating modes; Controller mode, and Aruba Instant mode |
| Supports up to 1.3 Gbps in the 5 GHz band |
| Supports up to 300 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz band |
| Built-in Bluetooth Low-Energy (BLE) radio |
| Resolve sticky client issues with MU-MIMO-aware ClientMatch |