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DX Spectrum vs SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager comparison

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
7.1
DX Spectrum offers significant ROI and value through cost savings, automation, improved accuracy, and long-term process efficiency.
Sentiment score
7.2
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager offers quick ROI through improved visibility, automation, and reduced need for onsite engineers.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.1
DX Spectrum's customer service ratings vary, with praise for expertise but criticism for response time and inconsistent support.
Sentiment score
6.6
SolarWinds support is helpful with 24x7 availability, but users seek faster prioritization and improved response times.
Broadcom technical support is very good.
Senior Program Manager at Tata Consultancy Services
The support for SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager is quite supportive, and I can work with them in-depth, especially regarding installation.
Software Engineer at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
SolarWinds tech support is a strong point.
MD at Thembanet
Technical support is limited but generally acceptable as we possess skilled personnel, making us less dependent on SolarWinds.
Managed Services Engineer at Loop1 Systems
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
8.0
DX Spectrum is praised for scalability, handling large networks, easy server addition, and supporting numerous devices efficiently.
Sentiment score
7.6
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager offers scalability and seamless integration, ideal for diverse enterprises despite being pricier than alternatives.
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager is known for its network monitoring capability, where it started and continues to lead.
Software Engineer at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
The product is scalable as SolarWinds increased its licensing capacity from supporting 12,000 devices to 48,000 devices with stack licenses.
Managed Services Engineer at Loop1 Systems
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.2
DX Spectrum is stable with minimal downtime, quick bug fixes, enhanced performance, and valued for its long-standing market presence.
Sentiment score
7.6
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager is stable and user-friendly, with minor issues mainly due to system specifications or updates.
We found the process of DX Spectrum down from time to time, and we need to interfere manually to restart.
Network Engineer at a educational organization with 1,001-5,000 employees
I would rate the stability of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager at a nine out of ten.
Software Engineer at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
 

Room For Improvement

DX Spectrum needs simpler documentation, modern interface, improved user-friendliness, and better integration with third-party tools and HTML5.
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager needs enhancements in monitoring, UI, automation, reports, integration, and support to address user concerns.
Currently, they appear as pop-up messages, but I would prefer having alarm messages shown as a scrolling bar at the taskbar for easier visibility.
Solution Architect at SA Consulting
If we want to make others changes without paying for customization, we need to learn it deeply by ourselves.
Network Engineer at a educational organization with 1,001-5,000 employees
The event management should have more deduplication and alert correlation and check the bidirectional communication with ServiceNow.
Senior Program Manager at Tata Consultancy Services
It is essential to address how to deploy, discover, and remediate wherever possible.
Software Engineer at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Currently, there are limitations in performing tasks without logging into routers directly.
Managed Services Engineer at Loop1 Systems
I would like to see more features in terms of wireless reporting and more historical information for client connectivity in SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager.
MD at Thembanet
 

Setup Cost

DX Spectrum's pricing is high, more suitable for large enterprises, with robust features justifying the cost despite concerns.
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager pricing is moderate but varies by device and features, offering value with extensive support.
The price of DX Spectrum is not competitive when compared to other solutions, such as SolarWinds.
Solution Architect at SA Consulting
The price is very, very high.
Network Engineer at a educational organization with 1,001-5,000 employees
On pricing, I would rate SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager as one of the best in its segment among leading products and competitors.
Software Engineer at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
The licensing costs of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager are expensive, but considering its reliability, feature enhancements, and support, it is worthwhile.
MD at Thembanet
 

Valuable Features

DX Spectrum offers scalable monitoring, robust fault management, user-friendly interface, and seamless integration with CA Service Desk.
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager optimizes network management with monitoring, automation, compliance, backup, and customizable features streamlining workflows.
The interface has the needed configuration for visualization, and it's effective in providing a complete diagram of network links and connections across various stations globally.
Solution Architect at SA Consulting
The DX Net apps include all kinds of dashboards and integrate with event management tools, network tools, and all these tools from Broadcom.
Senior Program Manager at Tata Consultancy Services
We do not know everything about how to build the dashboard, but for what the management requires, it is very simple.
Network Engineer at a educational organization with 1,001-5,000 employees
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager handles the performance side, allowing companies to measure and improve their network performance, making it an excellent choice for enterprises needing a robust network insight tool.
Software Engineer at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
The solution facilitates compliance reporting through an NCM module, effectively generating out-of-the-box reports on software vulnerabilities and outdated software versions.
MD at Thembanet
Configuration pushing, upgrade capabilities, job backup, configuration backup, and real-time configuration change monitoring are highly beneficial features of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager.
Managed Services Engineer at Loop1 Systems
 

Categories and Ranking

DX Spectrum
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
118
Ranking in other categories
Network Management Applications (8th), Network Monitoring Software (17th), IT Infrastructure Monitoring (20th), Network Troubleshooting (6th), DX NetOps (1st)
SolarWinds Network Configur...
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
28
Ranking in other categories
Configuration Management (12th), Network Automation (3rd)
 

Mindshare comparison

While both are Network Management solutions, they serve different purposes. DX Spectrum is designed for DX NetOps and holds a mindshare of 23.5%, down 32.6% compared to last year.
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager, on the other hand, focuses on Configuration Management, holds 3.1% mindshare, up 1.5% since last year.
DX NetOps Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
DX Spectrum23.5%
AppNeta by Broadcom31.8%
DX Performance Management25.7%
Other19.0%
DX NetOps
Configuration Management Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager3.1%
Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform10.3%
Microsoft Configuration Manager7.4%
Other79.2%
Configuration Management
 

Featured Reviews

PinchasAlbalya - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Engineer at a educational organization with 1,001-5,000 employees
Monitoring has become centralized and management now sees real‑time health of key network assets
The time investment required is significant, not because of difficulty but because of the need for free time to invest in it. We need to get the knowledge. We know there are many options, but we took an external vendor to install and make the customization. If we want to make others changes without paying for customization, we need to learn it deeply by ourselves. The tutorials are very complicated. They could work on that area. The tutorial part could be more simplified. I know there are many explanations, and you can get help or documents in one click on the current page in the product, but it is not very clear. If you want to do something new that you did not see from the vendor in the installation, it is not very simple. The documents are good for people that know how to operate the product well, but for new users, it is not simple.
reviewer1327239 - PeerSpot reviewer
Software Engineer at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Automated configuration management has improved monitoring, backups, and policy control
I do not think there is anything I would like to improve at this point in time because SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager compares almost perfectly to what it is supposed to do. I think it is one of the best products in its category. Regarding the automation capabilities of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager, I think that is an area they will need to explore in making it more autonomous. Discovery happens through IP address scanning, but building out automation is something they need to focus on. I absolutely believe in providing automation for SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager. It is essential to address how to deploy, discover, and remediate wherever possible. I think that is something they should already be looking at because AAFS is currently something everybody is focused on, and storage also needs to consider it.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
16%
Construction Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Outsourcing Company
7%
Government
11%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Construction Company
7%
Computer Software Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business25
Midsize Enterprise19
Large Enterprise90
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business15
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise9
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with DX Spectrum?
The time investment required is significant, not because of difficulty but because of the need for free time to invest in it. We need to get the knowledge. We know there are many options, but we to...
What is your primary use case for DX Spectrum?
The university purchased DX Spectrum, called ICE. DX Spectrum NAC is working for us only on Cisco 9200 switches. It is not working on any other switch like C1000 or HG or any 2960X. Even other Cisc...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager?
On pricing, I would rate SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager as one of the best in its segment among leading products and competitors. SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager is positioned as...
What needs improvement with SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager?
I do not think there is anything I would like to improve at this point in time because SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager compares almost perfectly to what it is supposed to do. I think it is...
What is your primary use case for SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager?
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager is used for managing a large number of IPs, distributing them within my enterprise, and addressing issues related to them. People typically manage this thro...
 

Also Known As

CA Spectrum
SolarWinds NCM
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

National Informatics Centre India, Banese, Olympus, AlphaServe Technologies, Sicredi
United Lincolnshire Hospitals, Air Rarotonga, NetSuite, Thai AirAsia, REA Group, 335th Signal Command, Agilisys, Marine Expeditionary Force