DX Spectrum Reviews

Name: DX Spectrum
Brand: Broadcom
Rating: 4.2 (117 reviews)

Vendor: Broadcom

4.2 out of 5

117 reviews
89% willing to recommend

2,410 followers

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What is DX Spectrum?

DX Spectrum is a complete event and fault management system for network operations teams. The tool provides powerful capabilities for managing your dynamic, complex IT infrastructure, which includes physical, virtual, and cloud environments.The technology allows you to manage and optimize the infrastructure and the professional services that operate on top of it. DX Spectrum is a unified platform that helps your company enhance network service levels while lowering monitoring costs.

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DX Spectrum is the #1 ranked solution in top DX NetOps solutions, #6 ranked solution in top Network Troubleshooting solutions, #7 ranked solution in top Network Management Applications, #17 ranked solution in Infrastructure Monitoring tools, and #21 ranked solution in best Network Monitoring Tools. PeerSpot users give DX Spectrum an average rating of 8.4 out of 10. DX Spectrum is most commonly compared to Datadog: DX Spectrum vs Datadog. DX Spectrum is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 68% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a financial services firm, accounting for 18% of all views.

Helped 859,579 peers since 2012

Featured DX Spectrum reviews

DickBaker

Network Design Engineer DTCC at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees

The product helps to correlate events. The solution's most valuable features are its integration with Broadcom tools and scalability. DX Spectrum needs better documentation on its complex features. I have been using the product since 2005. I rate DX Spectrum's stability an eight point five…

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Kc Njokuoma

Solution Architect at SA Consulting

I would like to see improvements in making the interface more user-friendly. Many people find it not simple to use. One of the common customer complaints is about the alarm notifications. 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.

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reviewer2507703

Diplom Informatiker at a transportation company with 10,001+ employees

Support from Broadcom could be better. Sometimes we wait a very long time for a solution to level three problems. Challenges and Limitations The only other challenge is the price, which is the main reason for considering a switch to SolarWinds. Spectrum is expensive, and the people at my company have suggested replacing it with SolarWinds. They claim SolarWinds is 85% cheaper than Spectrum. I am looking for documentation to support the continued use of Spectrum. While I think Spectrum is priced at market value, we did have a significant price increase from Broadcom two years ago, which we passed on to the other company's locations. This has caused some pushback, and one location has made a proposal to switch to SolarWinds, claiming it is 85% cheaper. My boss has asked me to investigate this, as 85% is a compelling argument for change. However, I don't believe this claim and am looking for evidence to support the continued use of Spectrum.

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DX Spectrum mindshare

Product category:

As of June 2025, the mindshare of DX Spectrum in the DX NetOps category stands at 32.6%, down from 37.5% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

DX NetOps

PeerResearch reports based on DX Spectrum reviews

Type	Title	Date
Product	Reviews, tips, and advice from real users	Jun 30, 2025	Download
Comparison	DX Spectrum vs DX Performance Management	Jun 30, 2025	Download
Comparison	DX Spectrum vs AppNeta by Broadcom	Jun 30, 2025	Download

Title	Rating	Mindshare	Recommending
Datadog	4.3	N/A	97%	187 interviews Add to research
Zabbix	4.2	N/A	95%	106 interviews Add to research

Valuable Features

DX Spectrum provides valuable features such as scalability, integration with other tools, and a comprehensive network topology view. It offers reliable alerting, fault management, and root cause analysis, simplifying network monitoring. Users benefit from its customizability, automatic network discovery, and SNMP trap handling. The interface facilitates easy navigation and device management, while global collections enable efficient organization across distributed environments. Robust stability enhances network operations, ensuring minimal downtime and optimized performance across diverse devices and infrastructures.

"Generally, I would recommend DX Spectrum because, despite its pricing issue, it is a valuable solution."
"The performance manager is very good."
"DX Spectrum uses an SNMP Trap to accept all the details, especially for device monitoring of faulty devices, allowing me to use Spectrum effectively."

Room for Improvement

Users report that DX Spectrum lacks intelligence, causing it to misinterpret network changes. The setup of new events and alerts is complicated, and the coding is intricate. The tool's topology and reporting features are underdeveloped. Java reliance creates complications, and the interface needs updating. Integration with other platforms and devices is insufficient, making management difficult. The product is complex, requiring specialized knowledge. Performance issues and inefficient documentation also frustrate users, who seek better customer support and lower costs.

"The price of DX Spectrum is not competitive when compared to other solutions, such as SolarWinds. The high price has caused us to lose many deals."
"DX Spectrum should have an automatic ticketing mechanism with ServiceNow. I need to use other tools for event management."
"DX Spectrum should have an automatic ticketing mechanism with ServiceNow."

ROI

Users find ROI from DX Spectrum through efficient infrastructure monitoring and automation despite its cost. They report significant time savings, reduced manual work, and improved workflows. Some note ROI figures between 55% and 100%. CA Spectrum integrates with various tools, enhancing data accuracy and system management. Even when exact ROI figures are unspecified, multiple organizations appreciate its enhanced operational efficiency, faster issue resolution, decreased labor costs, and overall value delivered.

Pricing

DX Spectrum pricing is considered high, with some viewing it as neither expensive nor cheap, while others find it costly compared to competitors like SolarWinds. Licensing costs represent about 30% of the total TCO, and the solution is ideal for large enterprises. The tool operates on a device-based license model, with Broadcom's CA offering flexibility in negotiations. Smaller companies may find the pricing challenging, making it more suitable for larger organizations seeking comprehensive network management.

"Spectrum is expensive."
"DX Spectrum's pricing is neither expensive nor cheap."
"DX Spectrum's pricing depends on the license number. It is affordable."

Popular Use Cases

DX Spectrum's primary use case is network monitoring and fault management. Teams use it for fault domain isolation and centralized alerting. It effectively monitors infrastructure, including servers and network devices, and supports SNMP trap management. It helps in configuration management, integration with external tools, and performance monitoring. The tool is crucial for maintaining operational uptime, enabling proactive issue resolution, and managing large-scale networks, making it a vital part of operational strategy across diverse environments.

Service and Support

DX Spectrum's customer service is generally rated 9/10 or 10/10, with users appreciating responsiveness and expertise. Technical support receives mixed ratings, ranging from 5/10 to 10/10. Some users find them knowledgeable, while others experience slow responses or variable expertise. Global support varies, with praise for teams in North America and criticism for some regional teams. The community forum is valued for quick assistance, and many users prefer self-resolution or partner support when possible.

Deployment

DX Spectrum's initial setup varies in complexity based on the environment size and operating system. Many found it straightforward, particularly with Windows, emphasizing simplicity and support. Larger or Linux-based setups were described as more complex, requiring architectural understanding or external assistance. Users highlighted the importance of planning, infrastructure mapping, and customizing discovery profiles. Despite variations in ease, setup benefits from CA's support and technical documentation, making successful implementation achievable with the right expertise.

Scalability

DX Spectrum scales well across diverse network sizes, accommodating both enterprise and telecom environments. Users experience stable scaling with added servers and increased capacity, ensuring efficient device management. While some find scalability complex, many appreciate its ability to handle large networks without issues. Enhanced with newer versions, it seamlessly supports extensive deployments, remaining adaptable to user needs. Its robustness makes it suitable for significant growth, maintaining reliability and performance throughout expansions.

Stability

DX Spectrum is highly stable with users noting minimal outages and efficient performance. Some users observed occasional issues during upgrades or when hardware inadequately supported configurations. Over time, improvements have enhanced stability, making it reliable for large-scale operations. Occasional setbacks were mostly resolved quickly. Many users are satisfied with DX Spectrum's robustness and ease of maintenance. Stability ratings vary, but a significant number consistently highlight its reliability and long-term dependability.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

Download our DX Spectrum Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Review data by company size

By reviewers

By visitors reading reviews

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

18%

Computer Software Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Energy/Utilities Company

Comms Service Provider

Healthcare Company

Construction Company

University

Transportation Company

Performing Arts

Retailer

Educational Organization

Non Profit

Real Estate/Law Firm

Insurance Company

Pharma/Biotech Company

International Affairs Institute

Aerospace/Defense Firm

Recruiting/Hr Firm

Consumer Goods Company

Renewables & Environment Company

Marketing Services Firm

Recreational Facilities/Services Company

Legal Firm

Wellness & Fitness Company

Hospitality Company

Outsourcing Company

Compare DX Spectrum with alternative products

Learn more about DX Spectrum

DX Spectrum has intelligent event correlation and root-cause analysis capabilities. It can pinpoint the precise components that are causing issues with availability and network settings. Reports and dashboards can be customized with role-based views. Change management solutions can also be used by teams to govern, track, and remediate changes across network devices.

DX Spectrum can identify multi-technology and multi-vendor stacks, as well as new software-defined networks (SDNs). It supports Multicast, MPLS, VPN, and VRF, among other routing protocols and technologies.

DX Spectrum Features

DX Spectrum has many valuable key features. Some of the most useful ones include:

Service management: DX Spectrum assists personnel in discovering, modeling, visualizing, monitoring, and managing the links between infrastructure and the business services it supports.

Fault detection: DX Spectrum offers unique solutions that automate device discovery and root cause analysis, allowing for faster issue detection and resolution.

Change management capabilities: DX Spectrum gives administrators the visibility and control they need to prevent erroneous modifications from causing network performance problems and outages.

Comprehensive visibility: With DX Spectrum, managers can receive comprehensive insight across physical, virtualized, and cloud environments, as well as a variety of technologies, platforms, and suppliers.

Customization: DX Spectrum provides administrators, users, and customers with pre-packaged, easily configurable dashboards and reports that may be adjusted to their individual needs. For maximum performance and visibility, it is intimately connected with other solutions within the DX Service Assurance and DX Service Management systems.

DX Spectrum Benefits

There are many benefits to implementing DX Spectrum. Some of the biggest advantages the solution offers include:

Reduce symptomatic alarms and hasten resolution with DX Spectrum’s root-cause analysis and robust event correlation. Automatically map the relationships between your network infrastructure to find the source of service issues for faster resolution. Whether it's a network configuration or availability issue, our network fault management system pinpoints the exact component responsible for the issue.
DX Spectrum supports network access from wireless wearables, mobile phones, tablets, and laptops. Provide network operators with the tools they need to manage their wireless networks, decrease outages, and make them as stable as their wired networks. For wired and wireless networks, DX Spectrum offers a unified view.

Fault and event management can be integrated across the Agile Ops, Network Operations, and Analytics portfolios. Fault, inventory, and topology knowledge are combined with performance, application, and log monitoring and a unified view across a full-stack NetOps solution. Additional connections include business service and service desk management.

Reviews from Real Users

DX Spectrum stands out among its competitors for a number of reasons. Two major ones are its robust root cause analysis and its event correlation tool. PeerSpot users take note of the advantages of these features in their reviews:

Umair A., Enterprise Solutions & Services Head at Duroob Technologies, writes of the product, “It covers networks very well. It has all the capabilities that you're looking for when it comes to monitoring. Spectrum is great for root cause analysis. It has excellent correlation event management. Spectrum's stability and scalability are also amazing. If you have a CA Service Desk, then it can be integrated so that if you have open tickets they can be closed automatically.”

Itarchit, an IT Architect at a comms service provider, notes, “The most valuable feature is the event correlation mechanism. I also like the product's multi-customer approach.” He adds, “We haven't seen a better product. Overall, I am happy with this solution. Based on the current market, I would rate DX Spectrum a nine out of ten.”

DX Spectrum was previously known as CA Spectrum.