What is our primary use case?
I use SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer to get insight into the traffic from different locations, even if there are no interfaces or routers. The solution helps me to clearly understand if there is an issue, for example, if traffic is being blocked, what exactly the issue is, and anything else that the network team needs to look into.
What is most valuable?
What the network team found most valuable in SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer is that it helps them to troubleshoot or analyze the issue. For example, traffic that comes from our location: India, goes to the US, so for the network team to analyze where the traffic comes from and where it is directed, and whether the packets are being dropped, they use SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer.
The network team also likes that through the solution, they can analyze the complete traffic utilization and how they're going to use it.
SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer is user-friendly. The team finds it comfortable to use.
What needs improvement?
There are some areas for improvement in SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer. There are some challenges with the solution when compared to other monitoring tools such as difficulty in operations and difficulty with backup installation. My team is currently trying out different solutions but would need to see how it goes.
What I'd like to see in the next release of SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer is a change in the way data is being collected and displayed on the graph. Currently, data is being measured every fifteen seconds, but it would be better if it's measured in minutes, in particular, five, ten, or fifteen minutes. As an administrator, I feel it would be easier and more helpful if SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer collects data every five, ten, or fifteen minutes, rather than in seconds. Doing this would also give more accurate data.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer for the past eight years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer is a stable solution. It works perfectly. Sometimes, there may be services that hang because we're doing something in the backend, so we'll just restart the service and that'll be taken care of. Stability is not a problem with the solution.
How are customer service and support?
I haven't used the technical support for SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I utilize multiple tools and I can say the same for my company and the clients. The reason for choosing SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer over other monitoring tools is that it's very comfortable to use. It's a user-friendly tool.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup for SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer was easy. There was no problem with setting it up. From start to finish, deploying the solution took two hours, but if you'll do some configurations, it could take more time.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We have licenses for SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer. In terms of pricing, its license is not that expensive versus other tools such as HP.
What other advice do I have?
Currently, I'm using version 4.6 of SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer.
I'm a tech lead and I'm in different teams, and my company supports different clients. Clients have consultations with my team of fifty members.
I would recommend SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer to others because it's very easy to use. Once the solution's installed, you can immediately use it to find issues and gain insight into the traffic that comes from different locations. It can also analyze whether packets are being dropped and at what time and on which day. SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer is also a lot better in terms of cost when compared to other tools, so I'm recommending it to others.
I'm rating SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer eight out of ten. What would make my rating a ten is if the display of data or the reporting is improved. For example, rather than me selecting different graphs to see the data I need, if I could see everything such as the minimum, maximum, and averages in terms of data in one shot or in one timeline, that would raise my rating from an eight to a ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
*Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: customer/reseller