NetBrain Reviews

Name: NetBrain
Brand: NetBrain
Rating: 4 (6 reviews)

3.6 out of 5

6 reviews
75% willing to recommend

145 followers

What is NetBrain?

Managing today’s networks with yesterday’s manual processes is no longer a viable solution. NetBrain’s network automation platform provides actionable insights into your network to help you make better and faster decisions - particularly when you’re troubleshooting, securing, and making changes to the network.

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NetBrain is the #5 ranked solution in top Network Automation solutions and #15 ranked solution in top Network Troubleshooting solutions. PeerSpot users give NetBrain an average rating of 7.2 out of 10. NetBrain is most commonly compared to Zabbix: NetBrain vs Zabbix. NetBrain is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 71% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a computer software company, accounting for 13% of all views.

Helped 793,295 peers since 2012

Featured reviews

Deborah Gamelin

Vice President at Asset Track for Cloud, LLC

In my organization, we had 130,000 network devices that needed to be brought into the solution and mapped. NetBrain can handle the scale but the engineers that manage those devices have to go in and update all of them to allow NetBrain permission to poll them. It can get a little stressful for everybody when you're trying to roll out new stuff when you've got other issues that have to be addressed with other devices. In some cases, our devices had no automation at all. One example is the Cisco 3650. Right now, if you went through the inventory list, you see that we have different versions running. Some are on one version, whereas others are on another version. The problem with upgrading them is that they need to be done overnight because we don't want to disrupt any network traffic during business hours. Consequently, it could take us years to upgrade the versions before we can even get them onto these new tools. This may be an internal issue but it's a big one when you have a lot of devices. Even if you had 10,000 devices, it's still an issue. You have to consider the compatibility of the device against the tool, and being able to use certain commands to upgrade it.

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reviewer1423485

Senior System Engineer at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees

Creating the parsers and QFs from model to model show that the IP interface brief isn't consistent. From a 6500 to a 3750 to a 9300 Cisco switch models, the show IP interface brief is different. There's extra columns and you have to parse for those. Setting those up is a bit of a challenge on this particular version. From what I've been able to gather, the next version, 8.X, is better at that and has more of those, but my perception is that building the parsers out is a bit of a challenge. I've done it but it's a challenge. Then there's a similar function again with the POE that didn't have the show power in line command and I had to figure that out. Again, that table comes out in a very unique state and then requires parsing down and pulling that out. It's basically using a CLI scraping which should be simplified and a more intuitive process. I don't know if the newer version does APIs or not and if that would have been any easier or better to manipulate, I have no idea.

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it_user319437

Sr. Network Engineer at a retailer with 10,001+ employees

When a trouble ticket comes in, for source and destination protocol, we can map out the environment, and at a glance see if there’s lower layer issues (CRC’s, negotiation, etc.), check routes, and see if there were any changes in minutes. This is an incredible time saver. Having engineers update their documentation as they work on projects, on-call engineers can instantly see what’s actually there at a moment’s notice. This has greatly reduced our MTTI and MTTR scoring. Having the updated documentation means every engineer can pull up what’s really there, what’s changed and what’s broken in seconds, this is versus having every engineer with varied backgrounds manually tracing paths and figuring out whatever they stumble across.

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Valuable Features

NetBrain's strong features include automated network mapping, saving time by visualizing relationships between switches and routers. Users appreciate the click-once link test for network visibility and chain management, which other tools lack. It excels in network monitoring, troubleshooting, and identifying misconfigurations or unused firewall policies, aiding security. The interface is user-friendly, setup is smooth, and it is economical yet powerful at layer three and four activities.

"NetBrain is a very simple tool."
"This product has good network monitoring and troubleshooting capabilities."
"Enables maps to be drawn out."

Room for Improvement

NetBrain needs simpler license cataloging within networks and improved pricing structure. Users find setup and configuration time-consuming, especially for large networks. Training materials are insufficient for new employees. Parsing data is challenging and inconsistent across different Cisco models. Adding functionalities like PCAPs, operational technology support for SCADA systems, and enhancing automation would be beneficial.

"The solution could integrate more automation."
"Each device needs to be configured to allow NetBrain to poll for the information it needs, which can be very time-consuming for a large network."
"The IP interface brief isn't consistent."

ROI

NetBrain has significantly improved efficiency and reduced downtime, providing a strong return on investment. Users reported faster troubleshooting and enhanced network visibility. Automated documentation streamlined workflow and reduced manual errors. Increased uptime and quicker issue resolution led to cost savings. NetBrain's powerful insights aided in proactive network management.

Pricing

NetBrain's pricing is based on a cost per number of devices, with a node-based licensing structure where a node is defined by an IP address. Licensing is on an annual per node basis. Over time, the product has become more expensive, and some users found the Consultant Edition pricier than expected. Organizations highlighted challenges with per-device licensing, especially with large numbers of devices. The solution requires downloading software and enabling licenses on any X86 machine server, with a yearly subscription fee.

"Licensing is based on a per-device basis, which means that it can get very expensive if you have a large number of devices."
"The product is expensive, but less expensive than some of the competition and worth the price."

Popular Use Cases

NetBrain is primarily used for automating network documentation, troubleshooting, and monitoring. Users appreciate its ability to visualize network topology, diagnose issues in real time, and reduce manual workload. It is also valued for improving network management and operational efficiency, and aiding in root cause analysis.

Service and Support

Some users haven't needed technical support recently. Satisfaction varies; some find it good and fast, while others face delays and language barriers. Email is the primary contact method, with responses often coming during inconvenient hours. One user noted the lack of American 800 service. NetBrain's documentation is praised, helping users with technical backgrounds navigate issues independently.

Deployment

The initial setup for NetBrain varies by edition. The Consulting Edition involves minimal effort, only needing to run an executable file with a license. The Server Edition can be complex, often requiring assistance from NetBrain engineers. Some users had professional services handle the implementation, involving configurations on multiple servers and security adjustments. For large networks, setup can be lengthy due to configuring security settings on numerous devices. Others found the setup process to be easy and plug-and-play.

Scalability

NetBrain scales effectively for enterprises. Some users find the licensing cost restrictive for extensive utilization. One company reported scaling up from 250 to 370 nodes without issues. Another integrated 130,000 devices, though faced challenges with device updates and compatibility, noting the need for overnight upgrades. Scalability remains strong when considering IP address limits.

Stability

NetBrain runs as an EXE without issues and performs as expected with minor glitches. Users find it stable and suitable for their needs, not stressing the network daily. API integration with service now exists but isn't actively used. Performance is simple and efficient for network mapping, contrasting with NDR tools.

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

Download our NetBrain Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.