Cisco Prime [EOL] vs SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager comparison

"I have found the solution to be scalable."

"The VLAN mapping function has been most impactful in simplifying our network management tasks."

"Enables oversight in order to tweak and tune."

"The technical support team is very good."

"The hardware Cisco provides is excellent. It's a well-made product."

"The solution's configuration management tool is amazing because it centralizes and pushes configurations which saves a lot of volume and effort."

"The solution provides data that allows us to time travel through logs and perform remote operations or troubleshooting."

"Cisco Prime is a good tool for inventory monitoring and wireless management."

"SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager improves the mean time to repair significantly, bringing measurable benefits to customers."

"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."

"I use it for monitoring the entire network for the company. We oversee nodes down, we oversee devices heading up to crossing the threshold for CPU usage. We oversee power so power backups on the switches, we oversee if they're down or if they're failing. We oversee any node down or any router from any vendor."

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

"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."

"It is a stable solution."

"We push all our configurations to the servers with ease and the logs capture almost all the transactions needed for an internal audit."

"Configuration refers to the specific settings and options that determine how a device or system behaves. It can include things, such as network settings, security settings, and other options that are specific to the device or system in question. One of the most valuable features of the solution was its ability to track and monitor changes to the configuration of devices on a network. This can be useful for troubleshooting and identifying potential issues. By keeping track of who made changes to the configuration and when it can be easier to determine the cause of any problems that may arise."

"Cisco can only be used for Cisco environments and is not compatible with other vendors."

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

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

"I want the tool to improve data visibility."

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

"The overall management capabilities of Prime need to be improved."

"The solution has issues with real time monitoring of devices and NetFlow such as inadequate visualization for reports, sources, and destinations."

"The product is expensive compared to other vendors in the market."

"The AI features do not work well."

"Its customer service response could be faster."

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

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

"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."

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

"On NCM, reporting could be a bit better. It's completely become just one report. When I try to create a custom report, the solution just commits old server data."

"Further improvements in automation are needed. Currently, there are limitations in performing tasks without logging into routers directly, and we expect more comprehensive device control."

"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."

"The product is expensive compared to other vendors in the market."

"I rate the solution's pricing an eight out of ten."

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

"We update the license every five years."

"Cisco Prime is an expensive solution."

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

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

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

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

"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."

"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."

"I have a yearly subscription."

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

"Available at a moderate price"