Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) vs NetMon comparison

Cisco and Exabeam are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. Cisco is ranked #25 with an average rating of 8.2, while Exabeam is ranked #52 with an average rating of 7.7. Cisco holds a 0.6% mindshare in NMS, compared to Exabeam’s 0.7% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Exabeam users who would recommend it.

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabri...

Read 26 Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) reviews

1,495 Views
1,435 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

NetMon

Read 12 NetMon reviews

1,466 Views
1,231 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabri...

NetMon

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 1, 2026

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller and NetMon compete in the data center management and network security category. Cisco holds the upper hand in comprehensive data center management, while NetMon excels in network security and threat detection.

Features: Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller is recognized for its automation, exceptional stability, and seamless integration, which simplifies data center management. Its ease of use and advanced telemetry enhance operational efficiency. NetMon's standout features include advanced traffic analysis, threat detection using a robust AI engine, and deep packet inspection, offering superior insights into network threats.

Room for Improvement: Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller needs to streamline integration with external tools and simplify its configuration process to enhance usability. Its setup complexity and pricing are also noted concerns. NetMon should improve database integration, address connectivity lag, and focus on better customization and cost efficiency.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller is versatile for both on-premises and hybrid environments, with excellent technical support. However, operational support could see improvements. NetMon is primarily deployed on-premises, with limited private cloud options. User feedback suggests its customer support may need better communication to improve user satisfaction.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller is seen as expensive but justified by its advanced features and support, resulting in good ROI. NetMon also has high pricing, which could be prohibitive for smaller companies. Although its threat detection capabilities validate the cost, both solutions would benefit from more affordable pricing models to expand their user base.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) vs. NetMon Report (Updated: February 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) vs. NetMon

February 2026

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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 Nexus Dashboard Fabri...

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

25th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

NetMon

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

52nd

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) (16th)

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Network Monitoring Software category, the mindshare of Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) is 0.6%, up from 0.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NetMon is 0.7%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Monitoring Software Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)	0.6%
NetMon	0.7%
Other	98.7%

Network Monitoring Software

Featured Reviews

Jagdev Dhaliwal

Network Engineer at a healthcare company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Flow monitoring has improved planning for east-west traffic and real-time capacity decisions

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) helps to understand the flows and data plane capacities, which are the primary use cases. Usually, people struggle with east-west traffic flow when they need to decide on firewalls or products. People typically understand north-south traffic flows but usually miss the east-west traffic flows in data centers. I was focusing more on this so that people can accordingly plan, such as after F5, the number of servers, the number of sessions needed, and whether we need to plan the interface for groups from the line capacity perspective. This kind of information was valuable to us. The real-time telemetry feature was beneficial. When experiencing performance issues, I could determine if there were any issues related to flows or areas where bottlenecks were occurring.

Read full review

SumitRangari

Pan India IT Infrastructure Management / End-user Services at Tata Group

Has supported real-time event detection and reporting accuracy while database integration has required extra effort

Sometimes it may be difficult to incorporate new additional databases in NetMon, and we faced some challenges at that time. However, currently, it is not giving many challenges.It is difficult to integrate NetMon with other databases. We can customize NetMon's monitoring views, but it is done by the team who handles it, as it is outsourced.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"VCNM provides a unique capability of managing the admin VDCs of Nexus boxes."

"You can integrate all the networks into the software."

"The automation capability is more than enough. It depends on how we consider and integrate the automation engine. We need to ensure the automation engine and then how to perform it. It depends on the policy making, API integration, and other integrations."

"I like that is easy to work on and straightforward."

"Stability is not an issue."

"It has a very nice dashboard so you can see what's currently happening in the network and the performance of the back story."

"Monitoring system provides a clear indication of what's going on in the network."

"The product makes the management of our environment simpler."

More Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) pros

"It has a very strong artificial intelligence engine."

"We are using NetMon's real-time traffic analysis regularly with a team of four members who effectively monitor all alerts and events, which has helped them identify whether there could be a severe incident."

"LogRhythm NetMon's most impressive feature is that it's a bundled package, so you're not just relying on monthly data; you get a six-month view for more comprehensive indicators of compromise. This dual approach is precious. We implement LogRhythm NetMon in our cybersecurity strategy mainly for compliance and correlation of network, user, and decision activities, particularly for network firewalls and access control."

"The protocols with which you see the traffic for a particular website that a client has in their environment, for example, are valuable. We can monitor whether the traffic is up to the mark or whether they need to add more bandwidth. Also, we can see if we're able to get real-time environment data as well. The customization dashboard is really good. LogRhythm NetMon has its own in-built dashboards which are helpful in guiding customization."

"The initial setup is straightforward because we can deploy an open server."

"NetMon's best feature is traffic analysis."

"It is a stable solution...It is a scalable solution."

"The analytics feature is the most valuable feature."

More NetMon pros

Cons

"I do not believe it integrated well with different infrastructures for hybrid environments."

"The automation feature could be improved."

"Data Center Network Manager is a little complex because it includes a lot of hardware to be installed."

"The solution needs to improve reports."

"The visibility of applications is not great."

"More integration features would be beneficial."

"The tool should be more user-friendly and improve AI integration."

"The reporting is not very intuitive and has room for improvement."

More Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) cons

"The training for this product is not very good and needs to be improved."

"LogRhythm NetMon's pricing model is an area of concern that should be made a little bit cheaper in comparison to the other players in the market currently."

"Could use a topology diagram which would help get an exact visual."

"Sometimes it's hard to find the network devices' self-audit logs."

"Some of the automated tasks we can perform on QRadar cannot be performed on LogRhythm because the solution has limitations."

"The platform's integration features often need to be improved."

"There is an issue with tunneling in relation to how the connectivity is established between the end devices and where NetMon is installed. On the console, I often observe that there's a difference of a few seconds or maybe a minute, and this lag time should not be there."

"The main concern is that LogRhythm has not improved NetMon but instead introduced a separate product, which many customers, including us, would prefer to be integrated into a single platform for easier management."

More NetMon cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of Cisco Data Center Network Manager is expensive compared to other vendors on the market."

"On average, Data Center Network Manager's pricing isn't too costly unless you choose a premier license."

"When we purchase a Nexus box, the MDS CM license comes with it."

"The solution is very expensive."

"I would say that the pricing offers great value for the money."

"The tool is always expensive, but their service, product quality, and support are good. We're happy with it, but it's still an expensive solution. There are cheaper alternatives but no similar platform across all domains."

"We usually opt for a yearly plan, commonly for three or five years upfront. Some customers may not utilize all the features included in the product, and this can lead to them paying for functionalities they don't need."

"The product is licensed with contracts that work on a yearly basis rather than a monthly model."

"I don't have visibility into the pricing of LogRhythm NetMon as it's handled through our commercial partnerships."

"LogRhythm's licensing part is something that depends on the license you want since they offer it on a perpetual and subscription basis."

"Pricing is okay. There were some competitors that were extremely expensive and there were some which were really inexpensive but LogRhythm stayed in the middle of them."

"The price of this solution is too high, so it should be made more practical and more valuable for the customer."

"NetMon's licensing costs about $85k per year, with some extra costs for support."

"The product is expensive for smaller companies."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Government

13%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Transportation Company

18%

Performing Arts

12%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	10
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	16

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	2
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	7

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Cisco Data Center Network Manager?

It uses push technology, which pushes the changes to all relevant devices to ensure they are updated accordingly.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Data Center Network Manager?

The tool is always expensive, but their service, product quality, and support are good. We're happy with it, but it's still an expensive solution. There are cheaper alternatives but no similar plat...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Cisco Data Center Network Manager?

I do not believe it integrated well with different infrastructures for hybrid environments. I am uncertain because we have never attempted that in our environment, so they could perform better in t...

See all answers

What do you like most about LogRhythm NetMon?

It has a very strong artificial intelligence engine.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for LogRhythm NetMon?

I don't have visibility into the pricing of LogRhythm NetMon as it's handled through our commercial partnerships.

See all answers

What needs improvement with LogRhythm NetMon?

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 38% of the time

SolarWinds NPM vs Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)

Compared 14% of the time

SolarWinds Network Automation Manager vs Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)

Compared 13% of the time

Zabbix vs Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)

Compared 12% of the time

Cisco Secure Network Analytics vs Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)

Compared 8% of the time

More Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) Competitors

SCOM vs NetMon

Compared 11% of the time

Niagara Visibility Controller vs NetMon

Compared 10% of the time

SolarWinds NPM vs NetMon

Compared 9% of the time

PRTG Network Monitor vs NetMon

Compared 9% of the time

ObserverLIVE vs NetMon

Compared 8% of the time

More NetMon Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)

February 2026

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) report

Download Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) product report

Buyer's Guide

NetMon

January 2026

Download NetMon product report

Also Known As

Cisco Data Center Network Manager

LogRhythm Network Monitor

Overview

The Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (NDFC) offers a comprehensive solution for managing Cisco NX-OS switches in hybrid-cloud environments, providing automation, visibility, and consistent operations. Designed to simplify and enhance data center management, NDFC integrates with Cisco Nexus Dashboard to streamline network connectivity, reduce deployment times, and ensure seamless transitions with minimal disruptions. Its modular architecture, new user interface, and support for non-Nexus OS platforms make it a robust tool for LAN, SAN, and IP Fabric for Media management. Additionally, NDFC enhances fabric reliability, automates workflows, and supports cloud connectivity with AWS and Microsoft Azure, making it ideal for businesses adapting to increasingly complex digital environments.

Cisco

NetMon offers significant capabilities in log aggregation, traffic analysis, and real-time network insights. Its ease of use accommodates both entry-level and advanced functionalities, enhancing network visibility and threat detection.

NetMon provides seamless analytics with its real-time dashboards and advanced AI integration. The platform is designed for comprehensive monitoring and detailed analysis, making it indispensable for identifying network traffic, origins, destinations, and facilitating threat detection through lateral traffic visibility. Despite its powerful analytics and customization features, improvements in product integration, customer support, and pricing could increase its competitive edge. Connectivity, topology visualization, and server performance are areas noted for enhancement. Integration with protocols like Gflow and Netflow might alleviate agent-based restriction challenges. NetMon sends correlated data to LogRhythm SIEM for enhanced threat analysis and is used for tasks like traffic analysis and DPA.

What are NetMon's key features?

Log Aggregation: Seamless collection of diverse network logs for analysis.
Traffic Analysis: Detailed inspection of network traffic for identifying irregular patterns.
AI Integration: Advanced analytics powered by robust AI capabilities.
Customizable Dashboards: Real-time insights tailored to user requirements.
Correlation Engine: In-depth correlation of network activity for comprehensive reports.
Deep Packet Analytics: Thorough examination of data packets for granular insights.

What benefits and ROI can users expect?

Enhanced Threat Detection: Significant improvements in identifying lateral threats.
Comprehensive Insights: Complete visibility into network and user activities.
Efficient Monitoring: Real-time analytics streamline network monitoring processes.
Compliance Support: Strong integration supports adherence to compliance standards.

NetMon is widely adopted in industries requiring detailed traffic monitoring and security, such as finance and healthcare. Its capabilities in traffic type identification and correlated analysis make it essential for environments where detecting irregular patterns is critical. It's utilized for network security through comprehensive analysis and integration with SIEM systems.

Exabeam

Sample Customers

Banco de Guayaquil, Cox Communications, Kuwait Petroleum Italia, Roper St. Francis, University of British Columbia

Sera-Brynn

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) vs. NetMon

February 2026

Free Report: Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) vs. NetMon

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