Cisco Prime [EOL] vs SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager comparison

"Cisco Prime has been around for a long time, and it keeps getting better and better."

"The dashboard is a valuable feature. It's very clear, and the metrics make it easy to see the current network situation."

"What I found most beneficial from Cisco Prime is that it gives you an insight into what your network does, even when you're not actively monitoring what's going on with your network."

"It gives you the ability to upgrade switches remotely, schedule the upgrade time, perform backups, and monitor the health of all networks."

"The product's most valuable features are monitoring and configuration."

"If an AP or any wireless device goes into critical mode, Cisco Prime sends an alert. That is the most helpful feature."

"We use this solution to troubleshoot our wireless systems, specifically regarding signal strength."

"The interfaces are a valuable feature."

"NCM also helps with vulnerability assessment and remediation."

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

"The scanning features have proven to be highly valuable, particularly due to the comprehensive information they provide."

"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."

"What's nice with NCM is you can set up policies that you can then check against the configs to ensure that your device configs adhere to a baseline or standard that you've set in place."

"Its main functionality is highly beneficial as it centralizes the management of configuration items across the network."

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

"The installation is straightforward."

"The onboarding process could be improved and developed to enhance compatibility for non-Cisco devices."

"They could consider offering more flexible pricing options for their customers."

"Cisco needs to improve Prime's monitoring tab. If any device goes down, there is a 15-second lapse before we know. It would be much better if we were alerted two or three minutes before a device is about to fail, so we can dispatch a field engineer and avoid network downtime. I would like to see a feature that allows you to access the devices directly from Prime's monitoring tab. That would make work easier for us."

"Cisco Prime needs to have lower prices and more customization options."

"They can also improve the management of more enterprise devices."

"The product's performance monitoring feature could be more intuitive."

"I would love for Cisco Prime to show bandwidth usage and consumption, but I can't monitor bandwidth usage at a given time."

"Cisco Prime's initial setup is complex."

"When we run the SolarWinds NCM jobs at the cellular line, it runs in the morning. They're just not finishing. We're getting false processing."

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

"I would like to see more integration tools. Something like dialysis, for example."

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

"Its customer service response could be faster."

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

"The only thing that requires some experience, and training doesn't fix, is how to set up your custom policy-based reports to check compliance."

"I'd like to see additional features like support for devices that don't use CLI for configuration backups, expanded inventory support for other vendors beyond Cisco, and compatibility with newer SD WAN devices. These enhancements would further improve the product's versatility and utility for users. we hope for future enhancements, especially in supporting security devices that lack CLI backup options."

"If we have a license for Cisco DNA, we can use the same license for Cisco Prime."

"Cisco Prime is an expensive solution."

"I would rate the pricing of Cisco Prime a seven out of ten."

"You need to get special quotes from the company for each order."

"The solution is not inexpensive but is worth it for large-scale environments."

"The cost is quite high."

"The product's performance monitoring feature could be more intuitive."

"The price of Cisco Prime was reasonable because we purchased it as part of a Cisco One package. The package was a bundle of Cisco solutions together, such as Cisco ISE and CMX. The price is reasonable com compared to other solutions."

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

"Pricing is reasonable and competitive."

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

"The price of the solution is high compared to other solutions."

"Additional costs beyond the standard licensing fee are inevitable."

"Available at a moderate price"

"The pricing is good."

"You have a base license for 50 devices, and then you can add more licenses as you go."