Auvik Network Management (ANM) Reviews

The primary use case is network monitoring.

One of the things that I like the most is being able to see what is connected to each switch port. If there are 300 switch ports, I can find out which port any given computer is connected to on the network, assuming it is physical. We then can label certain ports as uplinks, servers, or storage. It is easy to find where a lot of traffic is coming from because we can get to that individual switch level, which is a lot easier to do in Auvik than it is to do native in the equipment.

Remote accessibility of the network devices is the most valuable feature. I often have to log into switches and routers to make changes, and I can do so from any computer as long as I have an Internet connection. I don't need to have my laptop or a VPN. Auvik is faster.

Auvik automatically updates our network topology. The topology map is drawn in real-time. Seeing the network versus visualizing is helpful. With real-time and historical monitoring, we know when devices are offline or if there is high utilization, specifically with the SNMP monitoring and SSH monitoring.

Its network discovery capabilities are really strong. With the right access, it can detect additional networks, then scan those networks. 

It is easy to use, yet not easy to administer. If I am a technician, then I just need to log in to a switch or see what the network is doing and what it is connected to, which is very easy to do. If I am an administrator, then I have to maintain, clean, and label that environment. Auvik's utility in that regard is cumbersome. It is hard to find where certain things are configured. Also, it is sometimes hard to figure out why Auvik is doing what it is doing.

There is a weakness with the network discovery capabilities, e.g., if it has access to virtual machines, then it is picking up on networks that don't matter. These are private virtual networks on individual computers, but Auvik doesn't know the difference. So, it is constantly coming up with new networks that it thinks it needs to scan. In my environment, I have 250 computers with probably 100 people who are running Hyper-V. Each one of those instances is creating virtual networks that it is getting discovered, then I have to tell it to ignore it. I have never seen the ability to say, "Ignore the networks or submits that look like this."

Sometimes, the UX is difficult to navigate for certain aspects. For example, I like to keep the generic devices out of the topology, so I often will purge those, but I only want to purge the ones that are offline. In the managed devices section, although you can filter by generic device, you can't filter by up or down status. You can only do that in the device section, not the managed device section. So, I have to take a picture of the generic devices that are offline, then navigate to another area where I can actually delete these objects, then select them using a picture. I can filter in one place, but I can't delete. Then, in the other place, I can delete, but I can't filter the same way.

At this company, I have used Auvik for a year and a half. Prior to that, I would say that I used it for about three or four years.

The stability has been fine. I get notifications for network maintenance and there hasn't really been an issue with that.

It requires no maintenance.

The major limitation is the multi-tenant aspect. For example, if I was to put this in a business that had six corporate offices, which is a pretty big business, I wouldn't want all of that under one tenant. I would want that under separate tenants for each location, but there would need to be an eagle eye view of the six locations from a high level, and you wouldn't get that in multi-tenant.

Auvik for MSPs is great because you can segment/isolate the different clients. However, Auvik gets overwhelming when it is a big business with multiple locations, hundreds of networks, and thousands of ports. I think that would be difficult to manage. If you are talking 5,000 to 100,000 switch ports, then you are talking about a lot of networks with a lot of different viewings and protocols. There really is a limit. There is almost no support for any kind of routing protocol. Where there is the Layer 1 and Layer 3 bars that tell you if it is physically connected or Layer 3 routed, the Layer 3 router should really include things, such as, what is the routing protocol that it found or the ability to see a trace route of how it is routed.

Sometimes the technical support is really good, and sometimes it is just terrible. Some of the gentlemen and gals are extremely knowledgeable when it comes to networking. They know the product and are very helpful. Then, some of them don't really get engaged in the support. They will just send an article/link, like, "Read this and do it on your own." I don't reach out to support because I can't find an article or do it on my own. I reach out because there is something I don't understand or don't know how to do. Making sure that they understand what it is that I am trying to accomplish requires a conversation, and some are willing to get on a phone call and some of them are willing to. The ones who are willing to get on a phone call are the ones that I have the best experiences with.

The initial setup was pretty complex. The company that I work for moved out of an office where we had 60 to 70 switches. Now, we are down to about 12. Therefore, the setup was more complex back then, although we only had one location. Now, we have one location and one data center. The deployment took four to six hours.

Auvik's setup time and automated network mapping and documentation provides time-to-value. It is very valuable in that sense. For a small environment, it rolls out for you very quickly, e.g., five minutes. Roll out the collector and let it do its scan, label one or two networks that are there, throw in the credentials, make sure it is identifying everything, and you are done. Then, it just kind of works. The amount of value that you get then in perpetuity to the relative installation is very high, but as a single IT company or an employee in a single company, that quick rollout isn't as valuable because I am only doing it once.

I did the deployment myself. I have used Auvik before, so I just set the collector using VMware OVA. I put a collector in our office, labeled the networks and set exemptions from the scan, and then just let it go. Obviously, I tried to enter all the credentials that I could at the time, but then I found I had to make modifications to group policy so the computers and servers could be accessed. So I probably just threw it out there and then added the credentials later. If I had to do it again, I would have put the credentials in first then threw it out there.

We are not making a profit on Auvik. It is an expense.

Although networking is only a small piece of what I am doing, it can be a time-intensive aspect. So, the time required is significantly less using Auvik than it is to manage the devices individually.

As an individual IP company, Auvik is a little bit pricey. It is a little expensive, but as an MSP owner, I have a small side business. So, I'm an Auvik customer in that sense too. In that, I think it's reasonable to pay $10 to $15 a device or less depending on the endpoint. For the amount of capability that it has, it is very reasonably priced.

There are devices monitored at no charge, such as:

• UPS batteries
• VMware ESX hypervisors
• Wireless access points
• Printers
• Dell EMC iLO cards.

I would probably compare Auvik to PRTG Network Monitor. I think Auvik is a lot faster than PRTG Network Monitor. I am not a very big fan of other solutions. I have never really tried them. 

Auvik gives us inventory. I don't think PRTG Network Monitor does that. So, I can integrate Auvik with our IT Glue cloud status, then we have an inventory of network devices that we don't have to manually create. It saves some time there. PRTG Network Monitor doesn't do that.

PRTG Network Monitor is easier and simpler to set up because it is not trying to do everything that Auvik is trying to do. Once you point it at a device and give it the credentials, it just starts monitoring. At the same time, it doesn't show the relationships between other devices; it doesn't show those connections. It is not an apples to apples comparison. 

We haven't had any SolarWinds Orion products. Now, we wouldn't buy that at all. Auvik is far easier than Orion.

My team members aren't really using it. The other guy is kind of a junior IT guy, and I think it is still intimidating to him. My boss is a higher level engineer, but he is too busy managing to do anything technical. He just relies on me to tell him if there is anything he needs. He mostly wants the solution for the monitoring. He wants to know when a hypervisor module is failing or a hypervisor server goes down.

If you don't put in the credentials, Auvik can't log in and grab those device backups. Once you put those in, then it is automated. It logs in and grabs the configurations. Although, Auvik doesn't support all devices. So if you don't think you have certain types of hardware, it doesn't do anything for you.

Networking has a high learning curve and Auvik lowers that learning curve. It doesn't eradicate or eliminate it though. You still need a pretty strong level of understanding of networking in order to understand the GUI visualization that it is presenting. Just like any other tool, the time invested is largely going to determine the quality of your return.

Auvik has a little ways to go, but I still highly favor it, so I would rate it as an eight out of 10.

We're using Auvik right now for switch backups and general network monitoring.

The switch backups are great. If a switch goes down or gets fried, we can just plug in a new switch and be good to go. 

Its interface is pretty intuitive.

The network map, on the main dashboard when you log on, offers general topography. While I have in my head where everything is, it's nice to have a visual reminder.

The solution is easy to use. It gives you full net visibility. You can dig pretty deep in, and it'll show everything - from server to switches to access points. 

We realized the value of the solution pretty fast. We already had it and we brought it back. We knew what we needed.

It does help with some use cases and would allow for entry-level technicians to solve more tickets on their own. We are a two-person team, so we don't have too many concerns in that respect.

Overall, it's pretty straightforward.

We spend less time on setup and maintenance. If we have a switch we need replaced, we can just copy the configuration, and that saves a lot of time. 

There are spots in the interface that could use a little more work as it is congested with a lot of information in one spot.

We had the solution a year or two ago, then ended our subscription, then about three or four months ago, resubscribed. We had a change of staff at the time and didn't see the value, and then ended up regaining it once we saw that it offered features we needed. 

I have never had any issues with the Auvik even being slow. It's always been very responsive for me.

The solution should scale well. If we added another store, it would be pretty straightforward. 

I've never reached out to technical support.

We didn't have a direct competitor to Auvik. We do have Cisco, which has some similar functionalities.

I did the initial setup with the team. I went and installed it on a few switches and enabled DHCP and SSH, et cetera. The implementation was pretty straightforward. The setup took around 30 minutes to an hour. 

We do not have to handle any maintenance. We get the alerts and deal with those directly.

Auvik assisted us and we had an initial setup call during deployment. They ran us through the setup of one switch and showed us a few features.

I wasn't involved with purchasing; I can't speak to licensing costs. 

I'm a customer. 

I'd rate the solution a solid nine out of ten. I'd advise users to be prepared to go into all network devices and make sure they are talking to Auvik and reporting back. Just make sure you're spending a few hours getting it all setup.

As an MSP, we install Auvik on our managed service clients' networks to gain a comprehensive view of their network layout. This allows us to monitor overall network health, receive performance metrics, and identify outages across all SNMP-manageable devices like firewalls and switches. While Auvik excels in network device monitoring, we rely on other tools for managing aspects like Windows systems.

In larger environments, we typically deploy a dedicated agent directly on the network for comprehensive scanning and monitoring. For smaller environments, a cloud-based agent provides a more efficient solution.

Auvik provides a close to real-time picture of our network.

Integrating with a network map might seem straightforward, but the complexity depends on the network size. Larger networks require more effort. Fortunately, most of our clients have relatively small setups, typically one to two sites, two to three firewalls, and five to six switches. This keeps our integration time to a maximum of thirty minutes, making it a quick process to get them up and running.

While entry-level technicians don't heavily rely on Auvik for troubleshooting itself, they do benefit from its automated ticketing system. Auvik alerts them to device outages, allowing them to perform basic troubleshooting. If the issue persists, they can escalate the ticket to an engineer, who can then leverage both the technician's initial efforts and the information provided by Auvik for further diagnosis.

Auvik has significantly improved our ability to resolve issues quickly. It saves me at least 30 minutes per ticket because I no longer need to remote into individual network environments and run diagnostic tools manually. With Auvik, I can pull up an overview of the network, saving valuable time on troubleshooting, updates, and other tasks.

Auvik allows us to spend less time on setup, maintenance, and issue resolution.

I like Auvik's detailed device dashboards that show everything from uptime to configuration revisions. The new Northstar feature is particularly useful for troubleshooting network path issues. When someone reports slowness or connectivity problems, Northstar quickly maps the device's connection path, helping pinpoint or narrow down where the problem might lie.

Auvik's interface can appear cluttered at times, reflecting its feature-rich nature, but despite some occasional messiness, it remains fairly intuitive for new users.

It would be helpful to suppress credential prompts for specific sites in Auvik. Currently, we have to dismiss the "enter credentials" or "new devices found" alerts for each site, which can be repetitive. An ideal solution would be a per-site checkbox to indicate that we've discovered all the devices we expect on that network and don't want to be prompted for credentials again. This would streamline our workflow and eliminate the need to dismiss repetitive messages.

While Auvik offers good integrations with SNMP, WMI, and VMware, there's room for improvement with Hyper-V, a platform we heavily rely on. Additionally, enhanced UPS integration would be valuable, particularly for alerting on critical events like a switch to battery power, which currently seems to be missing. This limitation may be specific to our UPS setup, but improved UPS monitoring within Auvik would be beneficial.

The speed and performance can be improved.

I have been using Auvik Network Management for two years.

Auvik Network Management can be a bit slow at times, causing us to wait for it to fully load information. While it doesn't crash frequently, occasional lags can interrupt the workflow.

Our experience with Auvik's scalability is positive. While very large networks with many sites and devices can experience slow loading times, this isn't a concern for most of our clients, who typically have just a few sites. For the handful of larger clients we do have, sub-dividing their networks into smaller groups has mostly addressed performance issues. Even our largest client, with its complex network of eight core switches, 20 labs, and a main firewall, only experiences minor slowdowns when loading everything at once. Overall, Auvik's scalability seems well-suited for the needs of our client base.

In the past, I reached out to Auvik support a few times regarding general SNMP issues, where I had trouble getting Auvik to communicate properly with some devices.

My communication with Auvik technical support was via email, a back-and-forth process with replies within a few hours, which is fairly typical. While it took a few days to resolve and initially involved directing me to the knowledge base, the support escalated to someone who identified the specific fix needed. Overall, it wasn't exceptional but certainly not substandard either.

Neutral

The overall setup of Auvik is straightforward. One person is enough to handle the deployments.

I would rate Auvik Network Management nine out of ten.

Having used similar network monitoring tools in the past, I was already somewhat familiar with the core functionality of Auvik when I joined the organization.

I recommend Auvik Network Management. While the training and documentation are helpful, hands-on experience is key. In my case, after reading the manual, I dove right in with a client's network and spent a few hours exploring the software. This practical learning made a big difference during my first rollout, as I had a much better understanding of Auvik's capabilities. Having prior experience with network monitoring tools like Nagios and OpenNMS helped as well, since they share a similar core concept of agent-based monitoring and network mapping. This familiarity made Auvik relatively easy to pick up.

We use Auvik to gain visibility into our network across multiple locations. 

If you only want a better overview of your network, you will see the benefits immediately. And if something happens a few months later, you will have a powerful troubleshooting tool. It's a single pane of glass where you can see all your devices and try to coordinate between them to figure out where you have problems. It allows you to troubleshoot faster. 

Auvik helps entry-level technicians solve more tickets without assistance. Everything is laid out in the interface, and it gives suggestions about how to remedy a problem. For example, Auvik will highlight mistakes in a configuration between different devices and say, "Hey, you missed something." Our junior staff are not necessarily troubleshooting. They're often collecting information for a high-level engineer, and they can gather that information more easily. It will be easier for the senior engineer to troubleshoot faster. The more information you have at your fingertips, the better. 

Auvik enables you to export all your ports on your switch, and when they are connected to the switch, Auvik lets you set up a battery. For example, we are in the middle of a data center migration, and this feature was helpful. 

We have multiple locations, and navigating or switching between them is easy. It was quite straightforward to implement. The automatic network discovery feature makes things simple.  Sometimes, you might find switches that you didn't realize existed. Of course, it depends on how well-organized you are. 

Auvik comes with multiple automatic alerts, which you can tweak to make it more helpful. For example, we had a couple of devices connected to some ports that were showing many dropped packets. We had no idea about this before we implemented Auvik. It allowed us to troubleshoot all the problems and gave us alerts about the misconfigurations. 

You need to have a little technical expertise, but the interface is well-designed. There are still a few things that they can improve, but Auvik listens to the customers. If I tell them I want to see something, they usually put it on the roadmap. 

Auvik's network map gives you close to a real-time picture of the network if you set it up properly. For instance, if I have connectivity issues between two devices, I can see a warning message, and it's flagged on the network map in a different color.  

The alerts can always be improved. I have raised this issue with Auvik, and they are working to fix the event correlation and alerts. There is always room to improve the interface. When you have multiple sites, it would be nice to have a way to see the connectivity between them. I have one extension between my data centers, so I'd like to see if something goes down or if I cannot point to anything on my side.

They have a drop-down on the left to connect to your disconnected location. They call them locations. There is a map on the higher level where you see where your data centers are located, and you see a color code for an error or a warning in a location. However, you can't see if the communication between the two locations is up and running properly.

We have used Auvik for about six to eight months.

I haven't had any problems with Auvik's stability. They give us advanced notice when there will be downtime for maintenance. 

It's hard to say how scalable Auvik is. I only have three data centers. We've had some meetings with them where we've talked about adding more locations. It's scalable enough for our needs. Adding another data center won't be an issue. 

I rate Auvik customer support 10 out of 10. Their support is excellent, and their AI chat is helpful. When I have questions, the chatbot quickly points me in the right direction. It connects me immediately if I need to talk to one of their technical people. You'll get a callback in five minutes. 

Positive

We didn't have a tool like Auvik, but we used a combination of tools that did the same thing but were not within the same pane of glass. Auvik's advantage is that it gives you a unified view of all your different departments. If I wanted to troubleshoot something, I had to manually go to each switch and correlate the event. Now, I have them all in one place.

We have VMware, and we installed the Auvik agent as a virtual machine. The rest is uploaded to the cloud, so you could consider it a hybrid deployment. The implementation was straightforward. We primarily handled the implementation ourselves, but we go through an MSP model for the licenses. The initial deployment was short. It took us a couple of days per site. We spent some additional time fine-tuning and customizing things. We had a two-person team for all three sites. 

Auvik's licensing model is straightforward and easy to understand. You only pay for the network devices, not endpoint machines. For example, if I have 100 machines attached to one network device, I will buy a license for one device instead of 100 machines. I feel like it's a good value. 

I rate Auvik nine out of 10. It helps during implementation to have solid information about your environment's configuration. That will help speed up the implementation because it uses SMP to collect data from your devices. It helps to know your public and private keys and the versions of all your devices. 

Our corporation, headquartered in Ohio, operates across 36 locations in the United States and Canada under various brand names. These locations fall under different business segments: Roto Molding (Washington, Colorado, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio), Injection Molding and Plastics (Ohio, Missouri), Blow Molding (Oklahoma, Toronto), and Distribution (California, Utah, Texas, Central America, Massachusetts).

To manage this geographically dispersed network, we leverage Auvik. With a central data center in Atlanta and a backup in Houston, all locations are connected via SD-WAN. Auvik scans and tracks assets across all sites, notifying us of critical device outages, new device detections, configuration changes on network equipment (switches, routers, firewalls), and bandwidth or internet disruptions. Our main location acts as the master site, with individual locations as sub-sites. User access varies, with some having read-only privileges for specific segments and others having broader visibility. Importantly, during acquisitions, we deploy a new collector at the acquired site to scan their network before integration, allowing us to map their infrastructure before moving forward. With an active acquisition strategy of at least one per year, this process is crucial for seamless integration.

A standout feature of Auvik is its real-time network mapping. It provides a comprehensive overview but also allows for granular filtering. We can easily focus on specific elements, like only switches, their wireless access points, or even all wireless devices, making it an invaluable tool for network management.

The network map can get cluttered with information, but fortunately, it offers pre-filtered views and allows custom filtering as well. Many users might not be aware of this and might be struggling with the initial complexity. However, the ability to filter the view down to the most relevant details makes the overall functionality quite useful. I appreciate that the map provides a comprehensive view initially, while also empowering users to customize it for their needs.

The benefits of Auvik were clear from the start. Adding sites was a breeze, and the excellent training courses quickly got me up to speed. Since then, I've been using Auvik regularly, particularly to locate printers and conveniently connect to their web interfaces directly within the platform. It's a valuable tool for these tasks and more.

Auvik has significantly improved our mean time to resolution. Alerts ensure we're notified immediately of any downtime, and Auvik's centralized view of the network allows us to quickly diagnose issues. Furthermore, Auvik streamlines troubleshooting by enabling remote configuration of devices, saving valuable time in resolving problems.

Auvik allows us to spend less time on setup, maintenance, and issue resolution.

Auvik stands out for its user-friendly interface and its comprehensive configuration management features. I particularly appreciate the automated backup of configurations, centralized Syslog collection, and configuration comparison tool. This last feature allows us to easily see highlighted changes between previous and current configurations on switches, firewalls, and routers, which is invaluable for change management and understanding who made what modifications.

While Auvik excels in network management with a user-friendly interface, its customization and reporting features could benefit from improvement. Specifically, allowing more control over SNMP scans, like setting custom drive space alert thresholds instead of pre-defined values, would enhance flexibility. Similarly, the ability to tailor reports would be valuable. In contrast, PRTG shines in endpoint monitoring and alerting for servers due to its high level of customization. Lansweeper offers a wider range of reports, including custom and pre-configured options, making it a strong choice for detailed reporting needs. Overall, if Auvik could address these areas, it would solidify its position as a comprehensive network management solution.

I have been using Auvik Network Management for one year.

Auvik Network Management has been mostly reliable for us. While there have been a few outages, they haven't caused any major disruptions. My biggest concern was with occasional false positives, where devices were incorrectly identified as offline, then deleted and rediscovered. This caused some issues, but I recall receiving Auvik notifications about the problem, and it seems to be resolved now. Overall, things have been much smoother since then.

One of the key benefits of Auvik Network Management is its scalability. When we acquire a new site, setting up a collector and integrating it into the system is a breeze. Scanning and adding new sites is a smooth process. Currently, with two main collectors handling most of our locations, adding a third one seems unnecessary. However, as we continue to grow, strategically placing a third collector, potentially within the data center, might become beneficial.

The technical support team was both responsive and knowledgeable. While their answers on some of our tickets regarding server alert customization weren't always what we'd hoped for, it's understandable since this product isn't designed for server monitoring. After all, our billing isn't for network equipment. Overall, I was impressed with their support aside from these customization limitations.

Positive

Our IT toolset currently includes PRTG, Lansweeper, Wazuh, and Auvik. While consolidating everything into a single, unified solution might be ideal, we've discovered valuable functionalities within each of these existing tools. Therefore, we haven't replaced any and now manage four tools in total. Perhaps a single, all-encompassing tool will emerge in the future, but for now, this multi-tool approach is working effectively.

We realized the advantages of Auvik much quicker than with PRTG, Lansweeper, and Wazuh. This is due to Auvik's user-friendly interface, which is significantly easier to navigate than those of its competitors. While competing products offer greater customization, they are often more complex to set up and use. Auvik excels at guiding users, but this can come at the cost of some customization options. Once familiar with the software, customization in Auvik becomes slightly more challenging compared to some competitors, however, it remains the most user-friendly option.

The initial setup was straightforward and took a couple of months to complete. Five people from our end were involved with the deployment.

We worked with Auvik directly in the engagement team. And then our infrastructure team was primarily involved with getting it deployed.

Auvik's pricing structure is a perk. You only pay for the network devices you manage, like firewalls, routers, and switches. Computers, access points, and other devices Auvik scans are not billed. While their pricing aligns with competitors, the benefit of having these additional devices monitored for free makes Auvik a compelling option.

I would rate Auvik Network Management eight out of ten.

In addition to our participation in the beta program for endpoint monitoring which hasn't been a major focus yet, we're constantly on the lookout for a unified solution. Ideally, this unicorn product would offer everything we need – reporting, scanning detection, and alerting. Currently, we rely on a patchwork of tools like Auvik, PRTG, Lansweeper, and Wazuh. While consolidating everything into one solution might be wishful thinking, Auvik's feature set is particularly impressive, and we hope it might eventually encompass all our needs.

While our infrastructure division within IT restricts access to Auvik for entry-level technicians, we do provision read-only access to some other tools. For example, the information security department can view network maps and devices within these tools, which likely aids their visualization of our network connectivity. Overall, Auvik access is limited for most first-level technicians.

Our network monitoring solution for our clients' sites is Auvik Network Management. With over 60 sites under our care, Auvik helps us efficiently monitor their network uptime and performance. It utilizes data collection, remote tunneling, and device management functionalities to provide us with a comprehensive view of each network's health.

The interface is reasonable and for the most part, operates as we need.

The network map dashboard offers a near real-time view of our network activity. While targeting specific devices for monitoring can be straightforward once set up, initial configuration may require some effort to fine-tune for optimal results. We are able to see 85 percent visibility into our network.

The benefits of Auvik became apparent within the first three months. It provided us with the network visibility we craved. We could now easily see the entire configuration of an environment, allowing us to quickly assess and understand what we were managing. Onboarding a new client became a breeze. Auvik granted us a complete view of their network, including VLANs. The collector itself was also easy to install.

Auvik allows us to spend less time on setup, maintenance, and issue resolution.

Auvik's GUI is user-friendly and well-designed. While there's room for improvement in some aspects of device targeting, overall I find it to be a positive experience. The device management features, particularly credential management and network discovery, are especially valuable. These functionalities streamline the process of identifying and managing all the devices on our network.

I'd like to see an improvement in how we target individual devices. Currently, we can only target a single device by including it within a large SaaS 32 subnet, which is inefficient. Ideally, we should be able to target specific devices directly. This would allow us to include relevant networks and label them accurately, something that's not possible with the current method.

I have been using Auvik Network Management for two years.

We have only encountered one unscheduled outage with Auvik where their website was done.

I would rate the scalability of Auvik Network Management seven out of ten.

The technical support team is responsive and aims to answer inquiries quickly. However, there may be occasions where they encounter issues that require further investigation. In these instances, we have to escalate for a solution.

Neutral

We switched to Auvik because our previous monitoring software, LogicMonitor, was too expensive for our needs.

The initial deployment was straightforward. Five people were involved in the deployment and it took three weeks to complete.

The implementation was completed in-house.

Auvik's pricing model is good.

Our wireless controllers are monitored by Auvik free of charge.

I would rate Auvik Network Management seven out of ten.

Once integrated with our existing system, Auvik requires minimal ongoing maintenance.

Once you've configured the connectors on the site, be mindful during the connector installation process. Make sure your website URLs are accurate. On the technical side, most data transfers from the beta multi-site can be handled automatically. So, if you encounter any errors during installation, they can likely be resolved easily.

It provides comprehensive visibility into your network infrastructure, automates network mapping, sends timely alerts for potential issues, and facilitates configuration management. With Auvik, you can receive notifications directly, ensuring you stay informed about the health and performance of your network.

When I integrated Auvik, the primary goal was to uncover issues that might be occurring without my awareness. Essentially, I wanted to identify potential problems before they escalated to a point where I became aware of them, often when it was already too late. I sought early warnings for network issues to proactively address and mitigate them.

It provides an intuitive interface, supporting ease of use, and I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly I grasped it. The installation process was swift, and their team proved exceptionally helpful in offering expert guidance on setup and addressing any specific product configurations. Most elements were pre-configured, requiring minimal adjustments. Auvik efficiently scanned and identified network components, generating a comprehensive map crucial for my PCI compliance needs—all accomplished within a day.

The network map and the dashboard provide a near real-time snapshot of my network—about as real-time as I could expect. The system regularly pulls device information, the frequency of which is customizable based on alert settings. This flexibility is advantageous, especially when it comes to specific devices like credit card readers. If immediate notification of issues is crucial, Auvik ensures it is delivered.

The user-friendliness of the network map is contingent on the size of your network. A larger screen is advisable for extensive networks as it encompasses a comprehensive view. Managing a complex network might require some manual manipulation of the map to focus on specific areas. Alternatively, you can utilize the search feature, which proves efficient. Whether you prefer a manual approach or a quick search, both options are available. The search function allows you to easily select a category and device, promptly highlighting the desired item on the map.

It significantly reduced my meantime to resolution. Initially, I was unaware of certain issues within the network, and upon discovering them, I felt a sense of urgency to address multiple problems. However, once these issues were resolved, I gained confidence in the system's ability to alert me promptly to any future issues, providing a proactive approach to network management.

The most valuable aspect, primarily for a solo IT practitioner like myself, is its simplicity in setup. This was a significant factor that led me to choose it. The appeal lies in the unified dashboard, providing a single view encompassing all aspects of my network. The decision was driven by the ease of use—setting up reporting and alerts was straightforward without the need for complex coding or intricate configurations. It served its purpose precisely as designed, meeting my requirements effortlessly.

A notable feature is the ability to filter out static elements, allowing me to focus solely on what matters. Initially, I appreciated the panoramic view as my network unfolded on the map. From there, I could selectively identify areas of interest and importance. Auvik facilitated this process by enabling me to set up alerts for specific aspects, promptly notifying me of any relevant occurrences.

One enhancement I'd appreciate is the ability to configure the network map based on specific criteria. It would be valuable if Auvik allowed users to customize their view, defining what elements they want to see consistently. For example, configuring the map to display only printers in a retail store upon launching Auvik would streamline the process, eliminating the need to filter down the entire network map each time. Implementing a configurable dashboard for the network map would enhance user experience in this regard.

I have been using it for approximately two years.

When it comes to stability, there was an initial issue where one of my servers, set up to handle scanning and reporting, experienced a service interruption. The service would stop, requiring manual restarts. However, upon investigation, it was identified as a configuration problem, which was promptly addressed and resolved. Since then, the system has been stable without any further disruptions.

In terms of scalability, Auvik conducts a network scan. If you expand your network size, the system automatically identifies new devices and seamlessly integrates them into its operations.

Accessing tech support and raising an issue through the ticketing system was a seamless process. The challenges I encountered were device-specific, particularly with some Cisco devices that weren't configured correctly for Auvik utilization. Their tech support team was well-versed in addressing such issues. Initiating a ticket involved a simple phone call, and the response time, although not immediately critical, was reasonable. The overall process was straightforward and relatively easy to navigate. I would rate it ten out of ten.

Positive

We utilized a different solution before transitioning to Auvik. However, this shift occurred concurrently with a network upgrade. In my initial role, I developed an access application to generate a map and reports based on raw data, which was suitable for a simpler network. As our network evolved and became more intricate, the initial application became impractical, leading me to experiment with less robust solutions. While these alternatives provided some features, they fell short of the comprehensive functionality Auvik offers. Throughout this exploration, it became evident that Auvik encompassed all the essential aspects I was seeking, consolidating them into a unified platform.

Regarding issue resolution, it heavily relies on the specific device, but the crucial aspect of becoming aware of the issue is indeed present. The setup process was straightforward, and maintaining the system was equally uncomplicated. The programming is well-executed.

The deployment process was completed within a day, and I utilized the assistance provided. Although I believe I could have easily handled it on my own, their proactive help was voluntary—I hadn't requested it. Throughout the process, they were readily available and seemed invested in seeing it come together smoothly within the day. The primary task in setting it up involved opening a port and sharing the necessary network information for them to initiate network scanning.

I recognized its value on the very same day when I witnessed the network map coming to life, devices being detected, and a wealth of information being captured by the system.

While having an all-encompassing network monitoring solution may come at a cost, my initial approach was to seek cost-effective modules and integrate them seamlessly. While it was feasible to assemble and make various modules work together, the maintenance and usage of multiple modules would have been more cumbersome compared to the convenience of accessing a unified dashboard for all monitoring needs.

The pricing is reasonable, neither exceptionally cheap nor excessively expensive—it aligns well with what I anticipated.

Auvik's pricing structure is primarily based on servers, and the monitoring of actual endpoint devices is either included in the server license price or provided at no extra cost. While I'm not certain of the specific details, I have observed that the billing is influenced by new network nodes.

As a product, it is robust, and it's easy to generate comprehensive information. The key learning curve involves understanding how to refine and customize the data it provides, essentially eliminating unnecessary static. For me, the primary task was configuring it to align with my environment and specific use case, tailoring the information to my needs. The ongoing training they offer, with the flexibility to attend sessions at any time, is invaluable. Overall, I would rate it ten out of ten.

We're an MSSP serving many customers. Auvik is one of a set of tools that we offer our clients, including network monitoring and management, SIEM, and endpoint protection. They buy the bundle and get access to Auvik. 

We use Auvik for network monitoring, availability, and troubleshooting. The solution provides asset visibility and inventory management. Most people don't know what they have and where it is. They also use it to centrally monitor remote access from multiple sites. 

Auvik's alerts speed up troubleshooting because you can correlate them. It decreases the mean time to resolution because it's easier to zero in on a customer's site or device. That is so much faster than pulling up a spreadsheet, looking up a device, and connecting to your remote access point. Auvik streamlines many of the steps you must take to begin troubleshooting.

It's more convenient to manage the devices in Auvik instead of going directly to them. Having them all in one place is convenient, and you can easily compare configs and revisions. If you don't have a central management platform for the vendor you use, Auvik is probably the next best thing.

The UI is more accessible to lower-level technicians because you typically need to know the syntax to gather information from the command line interface, but Auvik does that for you.  

If you have all the information you need to begin the discovery, you begin to see the value immediately. When I'm doing an on-site deployment for our customers, they're always amazed at how quickly the map starts to fill out and the inventory begins to populate, they realize the value right away.

Auvik's network map is cool, and the automatic discovery process is effortless. The map gives you a representation of your network that's nearly in real-time. It's a good starting point. If you can see when there has been a significant change or a critical problem. The visibility is as good as your deployment. You can gain total visibility if you deploy it well.

The interface is intuitive and consistent. All of the menus are in the same place. The various buttons for devices and the dashboard all have a theme that's cohesive, so it's easy to learn. When you learn how to do something in one area, it generally applies to other parts of the tool. The UI is so easy to navigate that you don't really have to think about how to get the information. You just get it and start using the tool.

When mapping complex network architectures or nonstandard things, the map doesn't always accurately reflect reality. Sometimes the interface is pretty sluggish. It's much worse if the customer environment is relatively large and complex. But even if you split a site that's large into a couple of multi-sites, The performance is still a bit slow sometimes.

I have used Auvik for three years.

Auvik is mostly stable. They have regular maintenance windows, but they let you know that well in advance. There haven't been other problems aside from occasional slowness on some networks. 

Auvik is growing with us. We started with two customer sites, and now we have nearly two dozen. 

I rate Auvik support nine out of 10. Their response times are good. They have this live chat feature that's available most of the time, and they respond quickly. The support team can access what you're asking them to look at immediately and typically resolve issues quickly. Most of my problems are addressed during the chat session and don't require a follow-up email or phone call.

Positive

I've used PRTG. Auvik is simpler to deploy and the licensing model is more straightforward. I like PRTG, but it's expensive and more complicated.

The deployment in general is super easy. Auvik is probably the easiest tool of this nature to deploy. Our internal team did the deployment following the provided documentation and Auvik's knowledge base. Everything is in the cloud except for the collectors. I was still learning the tool when we first deployed it, but it was still relatively straightforward. The hardest part was going in and setting up the monitoring.  If you don't already have SMPP configured on your network devices, you need to figure out how to do all that so Auvik can take over.

Auvik requires very little maintenance after deployment. Once, there was a collector update for the Linux-based collectors, and there was a process of redeploying all the collectors and migrating some to this new version. That was the most invasive maintenance I've ever had related to Auvik.

I'm not in charge of purchasing, but I like the fact that some network devices don't count toward the license. Licensing is probably the area I know the least about. I know that it's based on the number of devices instead of the sensors. It seems pretty straightforward.

I rate Auvik nine out of 10. New Auvik customers should be prepared with their device monitoring setup, credentials, IP addresses, etc. documented and ready to go. That will make the deployment process smooth and fast.