Cisco Prime [EOL] vs SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager comparison

"The solution helps with the management and support of the enterprise network."

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

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

"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."

"I have found the solution to be scalable."

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

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

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

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

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

"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."

"It is a stable solution."

"The most valuable features the solution offers are compliance, reliability, and information about reliability."

"It is pretty straightforward to set up."

"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 tool is useful for security purposes."

"We would like to see the inclusion of detailed alerts."

"The solution can be slow at times."

"The user interface of Cisco Prime could be more user-friendly and increase its performance."

"Some improvements are needed, specifically in the form of more updates and enhancements."

"If you look at some of the wireless site-survey tools that are available in the commercial space, Cisco should include similar solutions, which would help our on-plant engineers when they're doing a site survey."

"The reporting feature of Cisco Prime should be improved."

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

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

"The network logs could be improved. When the error logs come across with those false positive alarms in the error logs."

"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."

"There is room for improvement in automation."

"Our experience has shown that most of the problems we've had with SolarWinds NCM are related to software issues."

"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."

"Releasing a product compatible with operating systems other than Windows would be advantageous."

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

"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."

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

"We update the license every five years."

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

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

"The cost is quite high."

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

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

"Available at a moderate price"

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

"The pricing is good."

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

"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."

"Pricing is reasonable and competitive."

"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."