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CEO at WilCom Systems Ltd
Real User
Top 5
Stable network monitoring solution that is effective in testing the L state of routers and firewalls
Pros and Cons
  • "The benefit of this solution is the reporting. We're able to report on and see our network in a graphical form. We are able to detect when a device is added to a network."
  • "Being able to detect devices that are trying to connect wirelessly would make using this solution much easier."

What is our primary use case?

We use this solution for checking databases and new devices that are added to the network. We test the L state of routers and firewalls.

What is most valuable?

The benefit of this solution is the reporting. We're able to report on and see our network in a graphical form. We are able to detect when a device is added to a network.

What needs improvement?

Being able to detect devices that are trying to connect wirelessly would make using this solution much easier.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for two years.

Buyer's Guide
SolarWinds NPM
February 2025
Learn what your peers think about SolarWinds NPM. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: February 2025.
838,713 professionals have used our research since 2012.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This is a stable solution. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have not experienced any challenges with scalability. 

How are customer service and support?

The support for this solution is satisfactory.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is not that straightforward and could be made easier. We have approximately 500 devices using this solution. We require only two team members for maintenance. 

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to other users. I would rate it an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1289460 - PeerSpot reviewer
SOC Expert at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Easy to use and understand and very quick to set up
Pros and Cons
  • "It's easy to understand, even if you are not too technical."
  • "There isn't support available to us as they don't offer support in our country."

What is our primary use case?

We use SolarWinds for monitoring internet bandwidth, both outbound and inbound. We also use it to check out network tools like switches, routers, and other things including user monitoring for RAM and CPU. We typically get a report on the internet interface about, for example, HTTP traffic and other software traffic. 

What is most valuable?

The solution is easy to use. It's easy to understand, even if you are not too technical.

It's quite stable and reliable. 

The reports are excellent. They give good graphical information. It gives a lot of great details about everything that's going on in my network and it's easy to read and understand due to its visual nature.

The scaling is quite good.

It's a very easy solution to set up.

What needs improvement?

If SolarWinds integrated with other solutions, for example, something like in a SIEM, security operations system, it would be more useful for customers. It would be ideal if they could integrate more with security solutions down the line. 

There isn't support available to us as they don't offer support in our country.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for more than five years at this point.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability and reliability of the solution are very good. It's got more stability than other software options. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. The performance is good.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution can scale well. It's not a problem if a company wants to expand it.

Currently, we have more than 50 users on the solution. 

How are customer service and support?

Unfortunately, in our country, we do not have access to official support channels. We need to find answers online. It would be ideal if they could establish agents in the country that can help with setup and questions. It would be good for customers like us and good for SolarWinds. 

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We did not use a different solution previous to SolarWinds. 

How was the initial setup?

The implementation process is quite simple and straightforward. In fact, it's easier than a lot of other solutions. I wouldn't describe the process as difficult. 

The deployment is fast. It likely didn't take more than ten minutes or so. 

We have a technical team of about five or six people that are able to handle deployment and maintenance tasks. Two of those team embers are managers. 

What about the implementation team?

We didn't need any assistance with the implementation process. We did not use any integrators or consultants. We did it ourselves. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

You do need to pay for a license in order to use it. We have a license paid for two years. 

What other advice do I have?

I would rate the solution at an eight out of ten. We're pretty happy with it overall. The downside is that there is no official support available in my country. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
SolarWinds NPM
February 2025
Learn what your peers think about SolarWinds NPM. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: February 2025.
838,713 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Network/Systems Administrator at TRSP
Real User
Provides good monitoring capabilities, generates useful reports that save us time
Pros and Cons
  • "The most important feature is reporting. The reports that are generated are useful and they save a lot of time with respect to monitoring."
  • "I would like to have a Syslog server module for this product. That would make the solution better."

What is our primary use case?

This product is useful for monitoring our network devices.

It monitors bandwidth utilized on the network and tells us whether particular nodes or particular services are available or not. 

How has it helped my organization?

This product is of good caliber and we get better results by using it on our network.

Not many technical people are needed for administration.

What is most valuable?

The most important feature is reporting. The reports that are generated are useful and they save a lot of time with respect to monitoring.

What needs improvement?

I would like to have a Syslog server module for this product. That would make the solution better.

For how long have I used the solution?

We began using SolarWinds NPM a few months ago.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This is a very stable solution and we use it extensively.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

SolarWinds NPM is scalable.

How are customer service and support?

Up to now, we haven't opened any cases to tech support. Our local support is helping us to deal with the issues and if required, we will contact the vendor for support.

How was the initial setup?

This product is easy to install.

A single technical person can deploy it.

What about the implementation team?

We have a technical team aligned with our support SLA and they are helping us in this regard.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We pay a yearly licensing fee.

What other advice do I have?

In summary, this is a good product and I recommend it.

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1168221 - PeerSpot reviewer
Works at a energy/utilities company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
An extensible and scalable solution that suits our expanding network
Pros and Cons
  • "It is very extensible with 'SWQL' and APIs to where we are beginning to integrate it with network automation."
  • "This solution would benefit from expanding on the capabilities within the API."

What is our primary use case?

We use this solution for network node monitoring and alerting.

How has it helped my organization?

This solution has scaled as we have grown.

What is most valuable?

It is very extensible with 'SWQL' and APIs to where we are beginning to integrate it with network automation.

This solution has a very large and active user community.

What needs improvement?

This solution would benefit from expanding on the capabilities within the API.

Network automation is a hot topic now, and SolarWinds needs to be focused on developing the product with that in mind.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for two years, but it has been in my company for much longer.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We are a larger and dispersed company so there are many, many network nodes monitored by NPM. It has been able to expand and scale to manage that well.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Senior Security Consultant at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Reseller
Top 5Leaderboard
An network monitoring solution that offers insights into servers and virtual machines
Pros and Cons
  • "SolarWinds NPM provides an overview of network monitoring, extending its capabilities to cover other aspects, such as virtual machines and servers. The platform has features like NetPath, which is particularly beneficial for end-users, offering insights into issues like latency, packet loss, and connectivity problems with routers, switches, or servers."
  • "The tool can only monitor up to 1000 instances in a single SolarWinds console. Customers may have over 1000 instances. Hence, it needs to support a minimum of 1500 instances. It should also improve support."

What is our primary use case?

We use the product for network monitoring. 

What is most valuable?

SolarWinds NPM provides an overview of network monitoring, extending its capabilities to cover other aspects, such as virtual machines and servers. The platform has features like NetPath, which is particularly beneficial for end-users, offering insights into issues like latency, packet loss, and connectivity problems with routers, switches, or servers. NetPath helps identify where the network path is disrupted or experiencing problems. For instance, if accessing Google services encounters issues, NetPath can pinpoint where the problem lies.  Another valuable feature is that it provides real-time data on device performance, including resource utilization, RAM status, and responsiveness.

What needs improvement?

The tool can only monitor up to 1000 instances in a single SolarWinds console. Customers may have over 1000 instances. Hence, it needs to support a minimum of 1500 instances. It should also improve support. 

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I worked with HPE for about six to seven months in 2016. It had similar features to SolarWinds NPM. However, the deployment process was complex.

How was the initial setup?

Deploying SolarWinds NPM is a straightforward process. The deployment steps include extracting the files, mounting them on the server, and deploying them. The documentation provided by SolarWinds is clear. 

What other advice do I have?

While I haven't extensively worked with ManageEngine, I've observed some of its features, and customization stands out as a strong aspect. ManageEngine can be a good option for those with budget constraints, as it offers similar features to SolarWinds NPM at a more affordable price. I rate the solution an eight out of ten. 

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1054686 - PeerSpot reviewer
Managing Director at a consultancy with 51-200 employees
Real User
Scalable, traditional brand; multitenancy needs improvement
Pros and Cons
  • "What I've found most valuable about the solution is that it's scalable."
  • "The solution is not always good with new features, so it's take a long time."

What is most valuable?

What I've found most valuable about the solution is that it's scalable.

What needs improvement?

An area of the solution that needs improvement is the multitenancy. I'd like to see more features that deal with multitenancy in the next release.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for a couple of years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable. 

How are customer service and support?

There are issues with newer features so it can take a long time to adjust. The solution is in bad shape because of software hacks.

How was the initial setup?

The installation takes about one day. However, it can take more than a couple of days to work with SolarWinds NPM or other products. The integration is part of the project.

What about the implementation team?

We have specialists that take care of the installation. Usually you need two or three technicians to implement, depending on the company's experience. The main part is integrating the customization.

What was our ROI?

To get the positive business case within ROI, return on investment, sometimes also use the NCV, the net constant value.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

There's standard licensing, and then it depends on the size of the customer. I have customers that pay anywhere from 25K up to 200K, depending on the subscription model.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

The competitors can be PRTG in combination with, for example, log monitoring features. There are lots in that space.

If you look at SolarWinds, it's a very traditional brand, and there are a couple of competitors who are far more modern, also in the layout. Some of the competitors have better visibility, and also have licenses more suitable for some customers.

What other advice do I have?

We have a couple hundred customers using this solution.

Whether the solution is right depends on the customer's needs. What does he want? What is the company's strategy? What expertise does he have? Does the company have its own technicians? Does higher management have the strategy to help their specialists or not? 

I would rate the solution a seven out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Ankur_Yadav - PeerSpot reviewer
Solution Architect at Accenture
Real User
Good technical support and comparatively cheaper than other solutions
Pros and Cons
  • "It is considerably cheaper compared to other tools."
  • "The scalability can be better."

What needs improvement?

There are modules in SolarWinds NPM which are better than other competitive tools. However, some areas require new releases or updates. For example, there have not been many updates to cloud monitoring, containerization or serverless environments. In that regard, SolarWinds NPM is not as good as other solutions in the market.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is a stable solution, and rate the stability a nine out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability can be better.

How are customer service and support?

The technical support has been a good experience.

What was our ROI?

The ROI has been good.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

It is considerably cheaper compared to other tools and available technologies in terms of LMS or EMS.

What other advice do I have?

I rate this solution a seven out of ten. Regarding advice, I would recommend concentrating on gaining some expertise. A foundational or intermediate understanding of different network protocols and technologies would be helpful when using SolarWinds. In addition, understanding the underlying technology that will eventually be monitored or managed will be good.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
PeerSpot user
Implementation & Support Specialist at 360Factors
Real User
Helpful support, good alerting and reporting facilitate troubleshooting of network problems
Pros and Cons
  • "We have configured multiple alerts for our network devices, including routers and switches, so that we are notified if any interface goes down."
  • "Fortigate firewalls are one example of a product that we are unable to monitor properly via SolarWinds NPM."

What is our primary use case?

We have been using this tool to monitor our multiple network devices, interfaces, physical and virtual memory, application servers, databases, and applications to keep a track of what is causing an issue that we are having.

Either it is the network, or it is the application, or it is the database queries that are causing our users to experience slowdowns. Due to alerting mechanism, we get notified if anything is responding slowly or if anything goes down so that we can resolve the issue as quickly as possible and keep providing best services to our customers.

How has it helped my organization?

We had been having some issues recently with network choking at a specific time, and we had been working on multiple things to identify the root cause. Using those methods, we were unable to trace it.

We decided to install a tool that would show us where the issue is being produced, and we can monitor our internal and external network traffic. We are able to determine whether the issue is being caused at the ISP end or our internal network, and with the help of SolarWinds NPM, we were able to track down the root cause of the issue.

What is most valuable?

We have configured multiple alerts for our network devices, including routers and switches, so that we are notified if any interface goes down.

In the event an interface goes down, we have multiple reports that include availability monitoring, network uptime monitoring, and network downtime monitoring. These reports are on multiple schedules such as the end of the day, end of the last business day of the week, monthly, and quarterly. This gives us the ability to provide reports to our management and let them know the performance of our network.

What needs improvement?

Even though SolarWinds NPM provides monitoring for a vast number of vendors and products, they do not support all of them. They should keep in mind that due to ongoing threats and daily malware attacks, companies have deployed network security and hired security professionals who are doing penetration testing. Certain devices provide ongoing security features, which can keep our network secure.

Fortigate firewalls are one example of a product that we are unable to monitor properly via SolarWinds NPM.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using SolarWinds NPM for more than two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of SolarWinds NPM is very good.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Scalability-wise, it is very good.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support from SolarWinds is the best.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We previously used ManageEngineOpManager, but we switched because it did not have enough features.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was pretty straightforward. We had to do some customizations, which was great to provide better visibility of our entire network.

What about the implementation team?

We implemented it through a vendor and their level of expertise made us choose this tool. They gave such a great demo that we didn't even have to consider other options.

What was our ROI?

We achieved ROI within six months.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The licensing is based on the number of nodes, interfaces, and volumes.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We were recommended SolarWinds by a friend so we tried it and purchased it. We did not evaluate other options.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free SolarWinds NPM Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: February 2025
Buyer's Guide
Download our free SolarWinds NPM Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.