Alcatel-Lucent OmniVista vs SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager comparison

"Being able to see the health of the network is most valuable. It is very strong in terms of stability and scalability. Their technical support is also good."

"I really like Visual RAF. I use that a lot and then I use the up and down status reports because it'll send me emails and text messages when access points go up or down. That way, I'm aware of what's going on."

"The most valuable feature of Alcatel-Lucent OmniVista is the monitoring of wired and wireless equipment."

"OmniVista is a unified solution. It makes management easier in case the router, switch and the WiFi are of the same brand. It also allows us to monitor the WiFi signal strength, switch speed, and bandwidth consumption, and easily block users. We also use the analytics feature, which provides a dashboard showing the number of users per WiFi access point, signal strength, and internet performance. It also monitors the temperature of the equipment."

"The command line is very user-friendly, making it easy to implement the network."

"It is a good investment for features."

"The reports are good."

"Network management solution that's very stable and scalable. It has a straightforward installation, fast technical support, and multiple features such as reporting, network health analysis, etc."

"The feature that I really enjoy is the ability to script changes across all of your devices."

"The solution's view is very nice, and they have a great customized dashboard."

"The features we find most valuable is the configuration backup automation, the configuration compliance, the security vulnerability detection and upgrading devices."

"It allows us to manage backups in big companies. It is also useful in managing the configuration changes."

"The installation is straightforward."

"SolarWinds NCM provides updates on the status of your network infrastructure. If any issues arise, such as a link failure or a device going offline, you will receive notifications and alerts. Additionally, if someone unplugs a cable, SolarWinds NCM will detect it. It also features a Topology Mapper that displays the connectivity of your network devices, giving you a visual representation of the network's structure. With SolarWinds NCM, you have a clear understanding of what's happening within your network and can generate comprehensive reports."

"NCM also helps with vulnerability assessment and remediation."

"The network performance monitoring of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager is a vital feature"

"They should add more security features."

"The support of Omnivista could be better. It's very expensive because it requires a subscription for support, and the licenses are proprietary. If you want to scale or expand your operation by adding more WiFi access points, you have to buy another license for that. The web-based interface of OmniVista is user-friendly, but for some administrative tasks and functions, you have to use the CLI, which is difficult if you don't have enough training. It relies heavily on CLI guides and manuals. For improvements, I'd suggest making the WiFi access points lighter.. Lighter access points like those from TP-Link or Ubiquiti would be better. Additionally, the switches struggle with heat in our environment. They can get very hot and damage the electrical components due to inadequate cooling."

"Adding a reliable and proper heatmap for the access points would make this solution better."

"It needs to be infused with more artificial intelligence and machine learning."

"One feature that is missing is the netting feature, which allows for public-to-private network transitions and vice versa."

"I would like to see a little better reporting, not reporting features, the report maker to be a little better."

"Alcatel-Lucent OmniVista could improve by adding more cybersecurity features."

"The support of Omnivista could be better. It's very expensive because it requires a subscription for support, and the licenses are proprietary. If you want to scale or expand your operation by adding more WiFi access points, you have to buy another license."

"The third-party plugins available in the solution could improve. I have received some issues with the templates."

"The network flow is a problem for this solution."

"We want to be able to store it in a data warehouse format and integrate it with Google single sign-on."

"Its look and feel can be improved. They can also put in more effort into building the THWACK community and use the information about various customer issues and requests to build the new releases."

"Improvements are needed in the automatic network mapping function."

"The Network Configuration Manager needs to improve the access control list compliance."

"When it comes to the way of managing the network devices, SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager should provide the simplest way that devices can relate to the server. For example, when we want to get the devices on board, we go by SSH to make the SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager create the connectivity with the device. After that, we pull the configuration. It would be helpful if they could combine both so that everything will be done in one step."

"There are certain limitations of node-related monitoring"

"The price of Alcatel-Lucent OmniVista is cheaper compared to other tools on the market. The license for this software is a one-time license only, so there is no renewal needed. It's a perpetual license."

"This is an open-source solution, we do not pay any money to use it."

"Its price is reasonable."

"I would rate OmniVista's pricing seven out of ten since it is expensive."

"Pricing is reasonable and competitive."

"Available at a moderate price"

"The pricing is good."

"With a minimal bundle, we pay about $3000 a year in licensing costs. If you have multiple devices in your network, you must buy the bundle, which is 100% identical for your infrastructure. If you have 15 devices, you need 15 licenses, for example. That's one bundle. You don't pay for anything over and above that."

"We have to pay additionally for its support and maintenance."

"There is a license for the use of this solution and it is priced well, there is a lot of value for the money."

"There is a license needed to use SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager."

"In Africa, the cost is a major factor in decision-making for many companies. As a result, some companies may choose cheaper solutions, even if they are open-source, over more expensive ones, such as SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager. However, as an engineer, I believe that the functionalities and services offered by SolarWinds justify the cost. Nonetheless, many companies in Africa may still view the prices as unaffordable."