As the idiot who's ultimately responsible for the decision to change the Aruba AP mount brackets, I'd like to add a few comments:
- We do not change these systems often or randomly, but when we introduced the AP-5xx products we felt we had no choice to change the previous mount system we had used for years and multiple AP generations (for various reasons). Part of that was a desire to change from plastic brackets to metal. Unfortunately we could not do that with a compatible solution.
- We offer an adapter bracket that fits some of the previous generation mounts (the "box style" secure ones), but have avoided doing that for the more basic ones, to ensure we're not compromising strength and reliability of the combined mount solutions (especially when the original plastic mount may have been first installed 10+ years ago).
- When using mounts that attach to a solid surface (wall/ceiling) the new mounts can reuse existing mount holes. Admittedly not ideal, but it should help a bit.
Happy to discuss more in detail.
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Onno Harms
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Original Message:
Sent: Feb 10, 2022 02:29 PM
From: Cathy Fasano
Subject: Aruba 500 Series Access Point Brackets
This is not just an isolated incident -- there are all sorts of examples of apparently pointless bracket redesigns! Aruba maps out a whole upgrade path for what newer device should replace which older device, and it would save us gigantic amounts of hassle and money if we could just mount the successor device to the previous device's bracket unless there is some actual reason for them to be incompatible.
It would save Aruba money, too, as they could just reuse the old bracket engineering and manufacturing specs, the engineers who are engineering new devices will already have the brackets on hand, etc.
Not to mention the bad karma you guys accumulate as network managers the world over are rolling their eyes and muttering sarcastic comments about you guys being idiots!
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Cathy Fasano
Original Message:
Sent: Feb 09, 2022 11:36 PM
From: Michael Overholser
Subject: Aruba 500 Series Access Point Brackets
Just food for thought, but why not just make a bar bracket for the new AP's that has the nubs that just snaps into the existing W1 mount vs having to unscrew the old one, and risking that when I go to screw it back in that either the drywall cheaters or whatever I screwed into won't sufficiently hold the screws anymore?
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Michael Overholser
Original Message:
Sent: Jul 23, 2020 07:33 PM
From: Onno Harms
Subject: Aruba 500 Series Access Point Brackets
Attaching the updated template