Cisco DNA Center vs SolarWinds Network Automation Manager comparison

Cisco and SolarWinds are both solutions in the Network Automation category. Cisco is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.0, while SolarWinds is ranked #14. Cisco holds a 20.7% mindshare in NA, compared to SolarWinds’s 3.7% mindshare. Additionally, 89% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 50% of SolarWinds users who would recommend it.

Cisco DNA Center

Read 40 Cisco DNA Center reviews

3,227 Views
1,902 Comparison Views

89% willing to recommend

SolarWinds Network Automati...

Read 2 SolarWinds Network Automation Manager reviews

371 Views
202 Comparison Views

50% willing to recommend

Cisco DNA Center

SolarWinds Network Automati...

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 10, 2024

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Cisco DNA Center and SolarWinds Network Automation Manager are competing in the network management space, where each provides distinct features. Cisco DNA Center has the upper hand in integrating innovative functionalities, while SolarWinds stands out with its comprehensive feature set and broader compatibility.

Features: Cisco DNA Center provides advanced network analytics, policy-based automation, and seamless integration within Cisco environments. SolarWinds Network Automation Manager offers extensive network performance monitoring, automation capabilities that cover a wide range of devices, and customizable dashboards.

Room for Improvement: Cisco DNA Center could improve in non-Cisco device compatibility, pricing transparency, and user interface customization. SolarWinds Network Automation Manager might enhance ease of use for less technical users, offer more detailed Cisco integration guides, and broaden its security features scope.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco DNA Center is designed for seamless deployment within Cisco networks, supported by robust customer service. SolarWinds Network Automation Manager provides a straightforward installation process applicable to varied network landscapes, backed by substantial customer support and resources.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco DNA Center typically involves higher initial setup costs, offering substantial ROI through enhanced network efficiency and operational savings. SolarWinds Network Automation Manager offers more flexible pricing options, appealing to budget-sensitive organizations, delivering ROI through its extensive automation and monitoring features.

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To learn more, read our detailed Cisco DNA Center vs. SolarWinds Network Automation Manager Report (Updated: November 2024).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center vs. SolarWinds Network Automation Manager

November 2024

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Categories and Ranking

Cisco DNA Center

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

18th

Ranking in Network Automation

2nd

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Management Applications (1st)

SolarWinds Network Automati...

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

114th

Ranking in Network Automation

14th

Average Rating

5.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of December 2024, in the Network Automation category, the mindshare of Cisco DNA Center is 20.7%, down from 24.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SolarWinds Network Automation Manager is 3.7%, up from 1.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Automation

Featured Reviews

AvrahamSonenthal

Senior Network Engineer at Inside Global

Efficiently manages our wireless network and provides valuable monitoring features

The platform's biggest benefit has been in managing our wireless network. Having a single pane of glass to control all wireless controllers and access points and to monitor activity has been a significant advantage. We're a small federal agency with around 300 network devices, so automation is a minor focus. It's more relevant for larger networks. The main benefits we've seen are in inventory management and the potential for configuration automation. However, I recommend using the DNA Centre only for larger networks with over a thousand devices; otherwise, it may not be cost-effective. Before proceeding, ensure that your devices are compatible with DNA Center, as not all Cisco devices are supported. Also, investing in proper training is different from plug-and-play. I rate it an eight.

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Giulio Valeri

Owner at SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS SRL

Threat detection failures, poor technical support, and expensive

We use the solution to manage all of our customer's systems. We monitor and decide if everything is okay and if not, we do changes when needed. For example, if there is a need to change the antivirus software we can automate the process and install the new one. There are scripts within the software…

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"What I found valuable in Cisco DNA Center is the Software-Defined Access Network, so the entire LAN network can be centralized and managed from a single dashboard. Cisco DNA Center is suitable for centralized management and lets you deploy switches in a centralized fashion. You can also do multiple switch port configurations simultaneously and segregate your traffic into multiple fabrics. Another valuable feature of Cisco DNA Center is enhanced security through Scalable Group Tags. Cisco DNA Center can be integrated with your Cisco ISE to enhance the port securities, and this paves the way for Software-Defined Networking in the LAN segment, which is the main advantage of Cisco DNA Center. I also like that you can use Cisco DNA Center for data assurance or correlation. The solution shows your network and client health parameters, which I find convenient for troubleshooting."

"The most valuable features of Cisco DNA Center are wireless assurance and visibility."

"I like that we can easily configure any new hardware. It's also easy to deploy and easy to troubleshoot."

"The most valuable features of the solution are all of its security features...It is a highly scalable solution."

"What's most valuable in Cisco DNA Center is the ability to manage any Cisco infrastructure and device through it. Setup was straightforward."

"Cisco DNA Center is a user-friendly solution."

"It is very versatile in terms of analytics."

"The most valuable feature of Cisco DNA Center is the AI (Artificial Intelligence) that provides us with valuable information."

More Cisco DNA Center pros

"The solution offers so many great resources, it makes them a powerhouse in the market."

"The installation is easy."

Cons

"The solution's technical support is an area with which my company's clients have a problem. Cisco doesn't provide good technical support unless a user has a big account that Cisco wants to retain."

"The task failure reporting or provisioning failure reporting could be a little bit better in the UI, with more information given to the user."

"One area that needs improvement is the upgrade process."

"It seems to be a little bit more centered toward wireless than wired. You've got more options you can do wirelessly than you can with the wired switches, but it works for what we need it to do. We would like to see a little bit more about the traffic, and we're looking at what's out there to see about that. We are looking at something that might give us a bit more insight into the actual traffic. If they had the full functionality on the wired side, as they do on the wireless side in terms of being able to view traffic and everything, it would be good."

"We encountered issues with their response times, which had a big impact on our workflow."

"Cisco DNA Center should improve its configuration management. It is better to have a dev version before pushing it."

"There are some software problems from version to version. It takes a long time for DNA Center to recognize the video and control access devices."

"An area for improvement in Cisco DNA Center is the latency in data correlation. For example, sometimes, when an issue happens, and I check the logs, I can't find the corresponding log. There's a delay in log replication, so this is what needs improvement in Cisco DNA Center. Reporting in Cisco DNA Center could also be improved because it only has a few templates, and you can't customize it based on your requirements. There aren't many options available in Cisco DNA Center regarding reporting, versus Cisco Prime, which has excellent features for different levels of detailed reports. I'd like to see real-time data replication in the next release of Cisco DNA Center, similar to what's done in Meraki. Data in Meraki is real-time with no delay, so data is immediately replicated in the cloud. Currently, there's a lag in Cisco DNA Center, and addressing that lag is the enhancement I'd like to see in Cisco DNA Center. The solution also needs to be more user-friendly."

More Cisco DNA Center cons

"The price could be a bit lower."

"We did not like SolarWinds because it was not able to communicate between UPSA and our accounting system. They should have better integration."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We get a yearly license at the time we buy the product."

"The solution is a little bit expensive but depends a lot on the customer's usage. If you use it in the right place, you can easily pay for it."

"The licensing cost for Cisco DNA Center is not more than that of other solutions."

"Our licensing agreement is for three years."

"I rate the product's pricing an eight on a scale of one to ten, where one is very cheap, and ten is very expensive."

"It is an expensive solution."

"I would rate the pricing a six out of ten, with ten being expensive."

"Cisco DNA Center is too expensive."

More Cisco DNA Center pricing and cost advice

"The price of SolarWinds Network Automation Manager is fair. However, it is more expensive than ConnectWise."

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824,053 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

19%

Government

10%

Manufacturing Company

University

Educational Organization

62%

Computer Software Company

Government

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Cisco DNA Center?

The most valuable feature of the solution stems from the fact that it gives some kind of ease in operations, especially since our company is moving from CLI to GUI-based configuration.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco DNA Center?

I would rate the pricing a six out of ten, with ten being expensive.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Cisco DNA Center?

One area that needs improvement is the upgrade process. The time required for downloading and installing packages during upgrades is too long, often taking around ten hours. This is a significant i...

See all answers

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Comparisons

Juniper Mist Wired Assurance vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 9% of the time

Meraki Dashboard vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 8% of the time

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 7% of the time

Fortinet FortiManager vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 7% of the time

Huawei eSight vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 7% of the time

More Cisco DNA Center Competitors

NetBrain vs SolarWinds Network Automation Manager

Compared 100% of the time

More SolarWinds Network Automation Manager Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center

December 2024

Download Cisco DNA Center product report

Buyer's Guide

Network Automation

November 2024

SolarWinds Network Automation Manager report

Download SolarWinds Network Automation Manager product report

Also Known As

DNA Center

SolarWinds NAM

Learn More

Cisco

SolarWinds

Overview

Cisco DNA Center offers a comprehensive platform for network automation and management, providing detailed analytics, enhanced security, and streamlined operations for both wired and wireless networks.

Cisco DNA Center integrates with Cisco infrastructure to deliver efficient network automation and management, helping organizations improve network visibility, security, and control. It supports AI-driven analytics and automated workflows to enhance operational efficiency and reduce errors. Challenges include compatibility with third-party systems, steep learning curve, and complex deployment. Its interface facilitates centralized control, vital for troubleshooting, policy management, and configuration management, with support for zero-touch provisioning and SD-Access.

What are the key features of Cisco DNA Center?

Robust Analytics: Provides detailed insights into network health with AI-driven analytics.
Centralized Security: Integrates with ISE for comprehensive security management.
Automated Device Management: Simplifies device provisioning and configuration transfers.
Wi-Fi Analytics: Offers deep insights into wireless network performance.
Zero-Touch Provisioning: Streamlines new device deployments with minimal human intervention.
Scalable Segmentation: Efficiently segments network traffic ensuring security and performance.

What benefits should users consider?

Operational Efficiency: Automation reduces potential errors and streamlines workflow.
Enhanced Security: Integration with Cisco ISE bolsters security capabilities.
Network Visibility: Comprehensive dashboards and analysis tools enhance monitoring.
Troubleshooting: Real-time monitoring aids in identifying and resolving issues swiftly.

In sectors such as healthcare, finance, and retail, Cisco DNA Center is utilized for its ability to enhance security and compliance, manage large-scale networks, and provide detailed analytics for better operational decision-making. Its support for location tracking and policy automation ensures efficient network management across diverse environments.

Scale environments from 1,000 to tens of thousands of nodes with comprehensive performance, traffic, WAN, and switch port monitoring, automated change and configuration management, and IP address management in an integrated network automation software solution.

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Maalem Financing Company, School City of Hammond

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center vs. SolarWinds Network Automation Manager

November 2024

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We monitor all Network Automation reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.