Cisco DNA Center vs Ixia Hawkeye comparison

Cisco and Keysight Technologies are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. Cisco is ranked #13 with an average rating of 8.0, while Keysight Technologies is ranked #34 with an average rating of 10.0. Cisco holds a 1.4% mindshare in NMS, compared to Keysight Technologies’s 0.2% mindshare. Additionally, 89% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Keysight Technologies users who would recommend it.

Cisco DNA Center

Read 41 Cisco DNA Center reviews

1,823 Views
1,148 Comparison Views

89% willing to recommend

Ixia Hawkeye

Read 4 Ixia Hawkeye reviews

433 Views
287 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Cisco DNA Center

Ixia Hawkeye

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 10, 2024

Ixia Hawkeye and Cisco DNA Center are competing products in network performance and management optimization. Ixia Hawkeye seems to have an advantage in flexibility and analytics, while Cisco DNA Center excels in integration and automation.

Features: Ixia Hawkeye offers end-to-end network testing, real-time analytics, and proactive monitoring, providing detailed insights into network performance. Cisco DNA Center focuses on network security, policy enforcement, and offers advanced AI insights, providing a comprehensive management solution.

Room for Improvement: Ixia Hawkeye could enhance its integration capabilities, improve its automated features, and expand its documentation. Cisco DNA Center could simplify its deployment process, offer more flexible configuration options, and improve user interface efficiency to cater to new users.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Ixia Hawkeye is praised for its flexible and speedy deployment, requiring minimal configuration, with responsive customer support. Cisco DNA Center's deployment is more complex due to its broad features but benefits from robust support systems and thorough documentation.

Pricing and ROI: Ixia Hawkeye is recognized for competitive initial costs and fast ROI due to efficient network testing and insights. Cisco DNA Center involves a higher initial investment but is valued for long-term ROI, achieved through its automation and integration efficiencies within Cisco environments.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco DNA Center vs. Ixia Hawkeye Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center vs. Ixia Hawkeye

April 2025

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Helped 850,491 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Cisco DNA Center

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

13th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Management Applications (1st), Network Automation (2nd)

Ixia Hawkeye

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

34th

Average Rating

9.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Unified Communications Monitoring (4th), IT Infrastructure Monitoring (36th)

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Network Monitoring Software category, the mindshare of Cisco DNA Center is 1.4%, up from 0.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Ixia Hawkeye is 0.2%, down from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Monitoring Software

Featured Reviews

AvrahamSonenthal

Senior Network Engineer at Inside Global

Efficiently manages our wireless network and provides valuable monitoring features

The platform's biggest benefit has been in managing our wireless network. Having a single pane of glass to control all wireless controllers and access points and to monitor activity has been a significant advantage. We're a small federal agency with around 300 network devices, so automation is a minor focus. It's more relevant for larger networks. The main benefits we've seen are in inventory management and the potential for configuration automation. However, I recommend using the DNA Centre only for larger networks with over a thousand devices; otherwise, it may not be cost-effective. Before proceeding, ensure that your devices are compatible with DNA Center, as not all Cisco devices are supported. Also, investing in proper training is different from plug-and-play. I rate it an eight.

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José Enrique Cano Rodriguez

Assistant Consultant at Tata Consultancy

A valuable tool for optimizing network performance and security with comprehensive network monitoring capabilities, user-friendly interface, and flexibility for scripting

Distinguishing itself from network management systems like SolarWinds Orion and Dataminer, Hawkeye offers a distinctive feature. It empowers network administrators to access specialized and detailed views for specific tests, including video streaming and performance related to specific applications like video games. In contrast, SolarWinds and Dataminer typically offer a more general evaluation of network health. Hawkeye's unique capability enables a detailed analysis of network performance through specific tests, allowing administrators to identify areas in need of improvement and take precise actions to enhance network performance.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The solution has the capability to scale."

"It is a stable solution."

"Has a good processing feature with a high level of accuracy."

"The solution helps in user microsegmentation."

"We can monitor all devices and get the required information using the product."

"People like to use the dashboards to get an overview of their network."

"It is simple to manage and it is all done from a single dashboard."

"The most valuable features of the solution are all of its security features...It is a highly scalable solution."

More Cisco DNA Center pros

"The most valuable feature is the deployment because it's very easy to deploy real flow through the network."

"The ease of setup is the most valuable aspect of this solution. It's easy to set up and run tests."

"It empowers network administrators to access specialized and detailed views for specific tests, including video streaming and performance related to specific applications like video games."

"Our customer was happiest with the price of this product."

Cons

"Technical support could be better. The price could be better, and it could be more stable."

"We encountered issues with their response times, which had a big impact on our workflow."

"An area that needs improvement is the integration with other vendors."

"An area for improvement in Cisco DNA Center is the latency in data correlation. For example, sometimes, when an issue happens, and I check the logs, I can't find the corresponding log. There's a delay in log replication, so this is what needs improvement in Cisco DNA Center. Reporting in Cisco DNA Center could also be improved because it only has a few templates, and you can't customize it based on your requirements. There aren't many options available in Cisco DNA Center regarding reporting, versus Cisco Prime, which has excellent features for different levels of detailed reports. I'd like to see real-time data replication in the next release of Cisco DNA Center, similar to what's done in Meraki. Data in Meraki is real-time with no delay, so data is immediately replicated in the cloud. Currently, there's a lag in Cisco DNA Center, and addressing that lag is the enhancement I'd like to see in Cisco DNA Center. The solution also needs to be more user-friendly."

"The solution's technical support is an area with which my company's clients have a problem. Cisco doesn't provide good technical support unless a user has a big account that Cisco wants to retain."

"The features of Cisco DNA Center and Cisco Prime could have more parity."

"The cost is very high."

"They can improve the network visibility. Licensing and its maintenance are also needed."

More Cisco DNA Center cons

"Ixia has one flaw, which is that they do not print the license code on the paper licenses that are shipped to the customers."

"The customization of tests and even the results can be improved."

"You can't delete more than one thing at a time. It would be great to be able to highlight three out of five things and delete them, whether it's a test or an actual report."

"Improvements in network performance are essential."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price could be better. It's a very expensive tool."

"We have a three-year license with them."

"The price of the solution is expensive. The hardware is licensed on the device, but the hardware on the server is expensive."

"Licensing for Cisco DNA Center is a little bit expensive, just like any Cisco solution. Its cost could still be improved."

"We get a yearly license at the time we buy the product."

"Cisco DNA Center is expensive."

"The product is very costly."

"The solution is a little bit expensive but depends a lot on the customer's usage. If you use it in the right place, you can easily pay for it."

More Cisco DNA Center pricing and cost advice

"In larger networks, the costs for licenses tend to be more reasonable, but for smaller networks, it appears relatively costly."

"It cost us approximately 25,000 for two years. This is cheaper than ThousandEyes."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

16%

Government

10%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

16%

Computer Software Company

13%

Energy/Utilities Company

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Cisco DNA Center?

The most valuable feature of the solution stems from the fact that it gives some kind of ease in operations, especially since our company is moving from CLI to GUI-based configuration.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco DNA Center?

The cost is very high.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Cisco DNA Center?

The system is working fine for me currently.

See all answers

What do you like most about Ixia Hawkeye?

It empowers network administrators to access specialized and detailed views for specific tests, including video streaming and performance related to specific applications like video games.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Ixia Hawkeye?

Improvements in network performance are essential.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Ixia Hawkeye?

Our objective is to evaluate the performance of GPON and DOCSIS networks which involves considering factors such as pricing, sales, and the technical aspects of conducting tests. To achieve this, v...

See all answers

Comparisons

Cisco Catalyst Center vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 11% of the time

Juniper Mist Wired Assurance vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 7% of the time

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 6% of the time

Fortinet FortiManager vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 6% of the time

Meraki Dashboard vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 5% of the time

More Cisco DNA Center Competitors

NETSCOUT nGeniusONE vs Ixia Hawkeye

Compared 32% of the time

ThousandEyes vs Ixia Hawkeye

Compared 29% of the time

Gigamon Deep Observability Pipeline vs Ixia Hawkeye

Compared 24% of the time

SolarWinds NPM vs Ixia Hawkeye

Compared 14% of the time

More Ixia Hawkeye Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center

May 2025

Download Cisco DNA Center product report

Buyer's Guide

Network Monitoring Software

April 2025

Download Ixia Hawkeye product report

Also Known As

DNA Center

No data available

Overview

Cisco DNA Center offers a comprehensive platform for network automation and management, providing detailed analytics, enhanced security, and streamlined operations for both wired and wireless networks.

Cisco DNA Center integrates with Cisco infrastructure to deliver efficient network automation and management, helping organizations improve network visibility, security, and control. It supports AI-driven analytics and automated workflows to enhance operational efficiency and reduce errors. Challenges include compatibility with third-party systems, steep learning curve, and complex deployment. Its interface facilitates centralized control, vital for troubleshooting, policy management, and configuration management, with support for zero-touch provisioning and SD-Access.

What are the key features of Cisco DNA Center?

Robust Analytics: Provides detailed insights into network health with AI-driven analytics.
Centralized Security: Integrates with ISE for comprehensive security management.
Automated Device Management: Simplifies device provisioning and configuration transfers.
Wi-Fi Analytics: Offers deep insights into wireless network performance.
Zero-Touch Provisioning: Streamlines new device deployments with minimal human intervention.
Scalable Segmentation: Efficiently segments network traffic ensuring security and performance.

What benefits should users consider?

Operational Efficiency: Automation reduces potential errors and streamlines workflow.
Enhanced Security: Integration with Cisco ISE bolsters security capabilities.
Network Visibility: Comprehensive dashboards and analysis tools enhance monitoring.
Troubleshooting: Real-time monitoring aids in identifying and resolving issues swiftly.

In sectors such as healthcare, finance, and retail, Cisco DNA Center is utilized for its ability to enhance security and compliance, manage large-scale networks, and provide detailed analytics for better operational decision-making. Its support for location tracking and policy automation ensures efficient network management across diverse environments.

Cisco

Hawkeye quickly and effectively validates network performance, isolates problems, and proactively detects issues by running scheduled verification tests. Using a combination of hardware and software agents called Performance Endpoints, Hawkeye simulates application traffic and sends key performance metrics to a central console for fast action.

Keysight Technologies

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

EMA

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center vs. Ixia Hawkeye

April 2025

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