We compared Meraki Dashboard and SolarWinds NPM across several parameters based on our users' reviews. After reading the collected data, you can find our conclusion below:
Features: Meraki Dashboard users like its centralized console, cable testing, firmware updates, and group policy features. The solution is also praised as user-friendly, stable, and scalable. SolarWinds NPM is commended for its adaptability and extensive network surveillance functionalities.
Room for Improvement: Users say Meraki Dashboard could improve its client VPN, hardware discovery, and integration with external solutions, Some users mentioned a need for more comprehensive documentation and granular control. SolarWinds NPM needs improvement in edge computing capabilities and data reporting. Users also said the performance could be better and that they would like to see expanded IPAM functionality.
Service and Support: Meraki Dashboard's customer service receives mixed feedback. Some users spoke fondly of the technical support they received, while others expressed frustration over long wait times and had a hard time finding the right person to help them. While some customers described SolarWinds support as helpful and responsive, others reported delayed responses.
Ease of Deployment: Users said Meraki Dashboard was effortless and intuitive to set up, noting that features like templates and configuration cloning saved time during deployment. Some users said SolarWinds NPM was straightforward to set up, while others perceived it as complex.
Pricing: Opinions on Meraki Dashboard's pricing varied, with some users finding it pricey and others deeming it fair. The cost of SolarWinds NPM varies depending on the customer’s size and requirements. Some users find it costly.
ROI: Meraki Dashboard simplifies IT operations, and some users expect returns within a few years. Some users reported immediate benefits from using SolarWinds NPM in terms of security and business outcomes, while others have not.
Comparison Results: Meraki Dashboard is a scalable, user-friendly solution with a smooth, painless setup made easy by built-in templates and features like configuration cloning. However, some users complained that the solution is too expensive and needs better integration with non-Cisco platforms. SolarWinds NPM is a customizable solution that’s easy to deploy and features comprehensive network monitoring capabilities. However, some users consider it costly and voiced concerns about technical support and user experience.
"The single dashboard is a valuable feature."
"We can manage the entire system across the network and troubleshoot the pain points."
"The initial setup process is quite simple."
"Easy to configure with great troubleshooting feature."
"There are some whitelist blacklist capabilities in the MX dashboard, which is very helpful."
"The most valuable feature is the single pane of glass that gives you multisite visibility."
"I would say the ease of use is the most valuable feature. It's very easy to set up and get up and running."
"The initial setup was easy."
"The most valuable features are the ease of use and a single-pane-of-glass that allows us to identify issues across the entire network from one dashboard."
"We like how Meraki Dashboard lets you manage all the devices in a single pane of glass. The dashboard is intuitive and easy to use. They are constantly updating the functionality. Switches from other vendors have the same features for the life of the device, but Meraki is always improving."
"The product is lightweight in terms of memory use, requiring only 10 megabytes or less."
"The stability is fantastic."
"Provides a good level of tools and covers essential components."
"The solution is easy to install and it takes a couple of hours."
"Network performance is the main issue clients are facing. SolarWinds checks if a node is down, and we can set thresholds for performance metrics. For example, we set it up to get an alert automatically if a value is over 80 percent. It has a full dashboard that covers CP, hard disk, and node monitoring."
"The product is scalable."
"The ability to quickly identify downtime is the most valuable."
"The solution is stable and reliable."
"The Wi-Fi side needs improvement."
"The technical support needs improvement."
"The price could be lower because the license for access points is expensive."
"There is a bit of a problem when you try to log in and you don't have a fixed IP address. If you're granting access, you need to log in by using the IP address. If your administrator's IP address is not a fixed IP address and it has changed, you might need to update the changed IP address in the interface. For this, you need to log in to the interface to update the IP address. This issue might not have so much to do with Meraki interface."
"I think this product could be improved with a CLI for more directives."
"I am concerned about the fact that once your licensing expires the devices stop working and become a brick."
"The initial setup is complex and can be made more straightforward."
"The MDM, however, is bad. We're using another MDM now because Meraki was so bad."
"It is not appropriate for large, enterprise businesses."
"Meraki Dashboard could improve the user interface by making it more user-friendly. The configuring can at times be difficult."
"The solution's customer service is not very good because the support takes too long."
"The dashboard of the solution is an area with certain shortcomings that need improvement."
"Consolidation of platforms would provide a smoother experience."
"Complex and overly detailed setup."
"Application Performance Monitoring should be included in this solution."
"The scalability can be better."
"The root cause analysis and installation faults are not clear."
"The solution's network discovery and node addition processes need more work."
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Meraki Dashboard is ranked 9th in Network Monitoring Software with 51 reviews while SolarWinds NPM is ranked 4th in Network Monitoring Software with 147 reviews. Meraki Dashboard is rated 8.6, while SolarWinds NPM is rated 8.2. The top reviewer of Meraki Dashboard writes "Incredibly easy to use, great troubleshooting and prevention of malicious events". On the other hand, the top reviewer of SolarWinds NPM writes "High-level, comprehensive, and proactive monitoring in a user-friendly interface". Meraki Dashboard is most compared with Cisco DNA Center, ThousandEyes, Mist AI and Cloud, Zabbix and Cisco Secure Network Analytics, whereas SolarWinds NPM is most compared with Zabbix, PRTG Network Monitor, ManageEngine OpManager, ThousandEyes and WhatsUp Gold. See our Meraki Dashboard vs. SolarWinds NPM report.
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