Cisco Prime [EOL] vs SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager comparison

"Enables oversight in order to tweak and tune."

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

"The installation is easy."

"The interfaces are a valuable feature."

"Cisco Prime allows us to manage all the wireless controllers and access points."

"As a large organization, it is difficult to individually monitor every device. Instead, we use Cisco Prime to keep an eye on the network and services. We do not use it as a node tool, as we have other tools for network operation centers. When services go down, it can cause issues, we rely on Cisco Prime to monitor and notify us of any service disruptions. We mainly use Cisco Prime Infrastructure for configuration-level tasks."

"The technical support team is very good."

"The most valuable feature of Cisco Prime is the heat map."

"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."

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

"Compared to other vendors, like NetBrain, managing the solution is easy. They made it very user-friendly."

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

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

"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."

"The configuration compliance aspect of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager allows for easy comparison of configuration settings across branches, ensuring adherence to security guidelines and best practices. Automation capabilities have greatly impacted workflows, enabling tasks such as configuration backups, template deployment, and firmware upgrades to be automated, thereby streamlining processes and saving time. Compliance reporting features provide valuable insights into network compliance, offering pre-built security audit reports and customizable options to meet specific requirements."

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

"Cisco Prime could improve the graphical user interface."

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

"The reporting could be simplified and the information made clearer to the user."

"I would rate the scalability of Cisco Prime a six out of ten. To scale up from a hundred to a thousand devices, the platform needs to be rebuilt logically. This process might require a downtime window and may involve changing the hardware or upgrading to a larger appliance."

"If you think about a centralized monitoring system, Cisco Prime is not good because it does not support third-party vendors like Palo Alto or FortiGate."

"The product needs to improve its stability."

"Maybe it could be a little cheaper."

"I rate Cisco Prime seven out of 10 for affordability. All Cisco solutions are expensive."

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

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

"The AI features do not work well."

"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."

"For each device, when you open the network performance monitor, it will give you all of the information about the device, but many of the natural configuration management features are not on that page."

"The interface of solar winds could be improved."

"It would be great if they include a network service manager, network performance manager, or a privileged assessment in the next release."

"I would like to see more features in terms of wireless reporting and more historical information for client connectivity in SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager."

"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."

"We update the license every five years."

"Cisco Prime is an expensive solution."

"I rate the solution's pricing an eight 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."

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

"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."

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

"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"

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

"I have a yearly subscription."