Aruba ClearPass – HPE Aruba Network Access Control (NAC)

Role-Based Network Access Control

Use Aruba ClearPass Policy Manager across wired, wireless and VPN access layers to authenticate users and devices, profile endpoints, and assign access by role rather than static VLAN membership. Its RADIUS and TACACS+ policy engine, plus integrations with Active Directory, LDAP, SQL and third-party network equipment, make it well suited to enforce consistent role-based controls in multivendor environments and support Zero Trust access decisions.

Guest Wi-Fi Access Management

Use ClearPass for visitor and contractor wireless access, where guest portals, sponsor workflows and temporary credentials separate guests from corporate users without manual network changes. It fits this use case because it combines guest access management with policy-based authentication and integrates with Aruba and third-party wireless platforms to keep temporary access controlled, auditable and easy to manage.

BYOD Onboarding and Policy

Use ClearPass Onboard for employee-owned devices that need secure network access without being treated as unmanaged guest traffic. It is suited to BYOD onboarding because it supports certificate-based enrolment, endpoint profiling and role-based policy enforcement, allowing IT teams to register personal devices and apply access controls based on user, device and compliance state.

IoT Device Profiling

Use ClearPass in device-dense campuses to identify printers, cameras, sensors and other headless endpoints, then apply access policy based on device type and risk. Its device profiling and role-based policy model are a strong fit for IoT environments because it gives security teams visibility into unmanaged devices and lets them enforce the right network access without relying on user credentials alone.

Wired and Wireless Access Enforcement

Use ClearPass across switch and WLAN access points to enforce the same policy for wired and wireless connections through RADIUS authentication, downloadable roles and Aruba infrastructure integrations. This makes it ideal for organisations that need one access control platform for multivendor networks, with consistent enforcement from the access layer rather than separate rules for each network type.

Posture and Compliance Checks

Use ClearPass where endpoint health must affect network access, linking posture assessment tools and endpoint security systems into NAC decisions before access is granted. It is well suited to this workflow because it can combine authentication, device profiling and compliance checks with role-based policy enforcement, helping teams allow, restrict or remediate access based on device state rather than credentials alone.