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Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) vs NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG comparison

Cisco and NETSCOUT are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. Cisco is ranked #28 with an average rating of 8.3, while NETSCOUT is ranked #77. Cisco holds a 0.6% mindshare in NMS, compared to NETSCOUT’s 0.5% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 92% of NETSCOUT users who would recommend it.
Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabri...
Read 26 Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) reviews
  • 1,625 Views
  • 1,560 Comparison Views
92% willing to recommend
NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG
Read 13 NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG reviews
  • 1,249 Views
  • 1,187 Comparison Views
92% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 10, 2024

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller and NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG compete in network management. NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG has an edge due to its extensive network monitoring and analytics features.

Features: Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller offers efficient integration with the Cisco ecosystem, enabling seamless fabric automation and streamlined network operations. Additionally, it supports a cohesive approach to managing complex data center environments. NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG provides advanced network monitoring capabilities, offering comprehensive analytics and extensive insights into network performance, enhancing detailed network visibility.

Room for Improvement: Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller could enhance its adaptability for non-Cisco network infrastructures, offer more flexible analytics, and improve user interface intuitiveness. NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG could improve integration with various network management tools, optimize deployment in specific environments, and offer more intuitive dashboard interfaces.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller is noted for straightforward deployment within Cisco-integrated environments, making it ideal for companies heavily invested in Cisco products. It offers cohesive support within the Cisco framework. NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG provides flexibility in deployment across various network infrastructures, supported by robust service. Its flexible infrastructure is advantageous for diverse network setups, providing robust customer support.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller generally entails higher initial costs but offers significant ROI for enterprises within the existing Cisco framework due to its seamless integration. NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG offers a cost-effective solution; its strong analytics features justify its value, presenting a strong ROI for organizations focused on detailed network monitoring. The decision between Cisco and NETSCOUT often depends on pre-existing infrastructure investments and the organization’s network management priorities.

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To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) vs. NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG Report (Updated: March 2026).
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) vs. NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG
March 2026
Download the complete report
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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
28th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.2
Number of Reviews
26
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG
Ranking in Network Monitoring Software
77th
Average Rating
8.4
Number of Reviews
13
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of March 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 NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG is 0.5%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Network Monitoring Software Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)0.6%
NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG0.5%
Other98.9%
Network Monitoring Software
 

Featured Reviews

Jagdev Dhaliwal - PeerSpot reviewer
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
Michael Gideon Genita - PeerSpot reviewer
Michael Gideon Genita
Associate System Engineer at SMS Global Technologies, Inc.
Easy to set up with good documentation and helpful support
I'm using it for a customer The packet flow switch is the most valuable aspect of the solution.  It's an easy product to set up. We can scale the solution if we need to. It's stable.  The documentation is well-written and quite useful. It's compatible with other products.  Under the pocket flow…
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

"There are many valuable features in this solution: The automation of the ILS, the automation of the small changes, the lands updates, scheduling, integration - basically, the pushing of features that we used to do manually."
"It uses push technology, which pushes the changes to all relevant devices to ensure they are updated accordingly."
"After installation, you almost forget that it is working."
"Stability is not an issue."
"More than good enough as we have new clients everyday connected using this product"
"The tool's most valuable feature is the consolidated dashboard, providing insights into parameters and overall usage of network features. It allows us to easily summarize insights through the dashboards. The solution offers automation capabilities, particularly in the context of connecting LAN sites with websites."
"Data Center Network Manager is absolutely stable."
"The feature I find most valuable, is the stability of the solution."
More Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) pros
"It is very rock solid, and we hardly have any hardware issues."
"We are attracting customers in good sized numbers as we advertise and market this solution."
"This solution has saved us hours (three to four) per problem when troubleshooting."
"The real-time troubleshooting and application segregation that you can do within it."
"It has cut our troubleshooting down by days. Once we have a product in place, we show people examples of how it can streamline their troubleshooting process."
"It helps us get to root cause quickly. With utilization and consumption of bandwidth, we can usually see what application is taking as much as they should (or shouldn't), then account for it accordingly."
"The packet flow switch is the most valuable aspect of the solution."
"When we have mobile operators who are signal partners, where one is the roaming host and another is the roamer, we are able to see their traffic. Their packets are able to detect if any faults to develop, and at what point they fail."
More NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG pros
 

Cons

"More integration features would be beneficial."
"I do not believe it integrated well with different infrastructures for hybrid environments."
"The visibility of applications is not great."
"It's very costly."
"The product is good but quite expensive."
"It would be nice to have the ability to more easily collect information from other software when doing some types of analysis."
"The delivery Cisco Data Center Network Manager could improve if it was easier. Additionally, some feature improvement is needed."
"The technical support is a gap for us as a company."
More Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) cons
"It's not able to communicate with our probes."
"Being able to manage the packet flow switches in nGeniusONE would be great."
"There is a timeout feature that we have been asking for awhile."
"The single pane of glass feed still needs work."
"I'd like them to make the product more user-friendly."
"The scalability has some limitations and quirks to it. I would like to be able to upgrade rather than replace the whole thing."
"I'd like them to make the product more user-friendly."
"I would like to see an improved level of stitching between IPs."
More NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."
"When we purchase a Nexus box, the MDS CM license comes with it."
"The product is licensed with contracts that work on a yearly basis rather than a monthly model."
"On average, Data Center Network Manager's pricing isn't too costly unless you choose a premier license."
"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 price of Cisco Data Center Network Manager is expensive compared to other vendors on the market."
"The price is a little high."
"It can be scalable. It just costs too much. With a company as big as ours, it gets too expensive to accommodate every single site."
"To capture more with the solution that we bought, you have to buy another InfiniStreamNG, and there are only four ports in the back."
"This product could be cheaper."
"The scalability is good, but it comes at a cost. E.g., if you need 100 InfiniStream because you are sending gigs or terabytes of data to one InfiniStream, then you will have to purchase another InfiniStream, which are not cheap."
"I would like it to be more scalable with less spend."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Government
10%
Construction Company
9%
Healthcare Company
9%
Computer Software Company
8%
Manufacturing Company
17%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Construction Company
8%
Educational Organization
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business10
Midsize Enterprise6
Large Enterprise16
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise8
 

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
Ask a question
Earn 20 points
 

Comparisons

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Compared 24% of the time
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SolarWinds NPM vs Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)
Compared 12% of the time
Zabbix vs Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) Logo
Zabbix vs Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)
Compared 11% of the time
Arista Data ANalyZer vs Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) Logo
Arista Data ANalyZer vs Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)
Compared 10% of the time
SolarWinds Network Automation Manager vs Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) Logo
SolarWinds Network Automation Manager vs Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)
Compared 10% of the time
More Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) Competitors
Riverbed NPM+ vs NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG Logo
Riverbed NPM+ vs NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG
Compared 18% of the time
Flowmon vs NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG Logo
Flowmon vs NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG
Compared 15% of the time
Cisco Secure Network Analytics vs NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG Logo
Cisco Secure Network Analytics vs NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG
Compared 13% of the time
cPacket cClear vs NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG Logo
cPacket cClear vs NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG
Compared 11% of the time
NETSCOUT vSTREAM vs NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG Logo
NETSCOUT vSTREAM vs NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG
Compared 11% of the time
More NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)
March 2026
Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) reportDownload Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) product report
Buyer's Guide
NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG
March 2026
NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG reportDownload NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG product report
 

Also Known As

Cisco Data Center Network Manager
InfiniStreamNG, NETSCOUT ISNG, Infinistream
 

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

NETSCOUT’s new ISNG platform harnesses the power of IP intelligence by mining traffic in real-time to deliver accurate and actionable data for service assurance, cybersecurity and business intelligence applications. The InfiniStreamNG platform fully supports the nGeniusONE and Iris application suites.

NETSCOUT
 

Sample Customers

Banco de Guayaquil, Cox Communications, Kuwait Petroleum Italia, Roper St. Francis, University of British Columbia
U.S. Department of Defense
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) vs. NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG
March 2026
Free Report: Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) vs. NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG
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