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Cisco DNA Center pros and cons

Vendor: Cisco
4.0 out of 5
Badge Ranked 1

Pros & Cons summary

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Prominent pros & cons

PROS

Cisco DNA Center offers comprehensive dashboards for efficient network management and provides useful monitoring features for network engineers.
The automation capabilities allow for easy configuration deployment and network visibility, enhancing LAN automation and operational capabilities.
It integrates seamlessly with other Cisco technologies, supporting security enforcement, analytics, and compliance with security protocols.
The platform supports scalable management and orchestration of devices, facilitating centralized management and deployment of network infrastructure.
AI-driven insights and automated features significantly reduce configuration time and aid in effective troubleshooting, offering extensive functionality and operational ease.

CONS

There is a limitation with the number of VRFs that can be problematic for some customers.
The network, data center, and SD-WAN are treated as different services instead of a unified solution.
Licensing, setup cost, and maintenance of Cisco DNA Center are expensive.
Integration with third-party platforms and analytic tools needs improvement.
There are issues with response times, technical support quality, and broader integration challenges.
 

Cisco DNA Center Pros review quotes

it_user1073793 - PeerSpot reviewer
Solution Selector Communication and IT Security at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Dec 19, 2019
People like to use the dashboards to get an overview of their network.
Mostafa Gouda - PeerSpot reviewer
Group Technology Services Senior Manager at a hospitality company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Jan 12, 2020
It is simple to manage and it is all done from a single dashboard.
it_user1189812 - PeerSpot reviewer
Presales Engineer at PT. Mastersystem Infotama
Mar 30, 2020
The monitoring features are very useful for network engineers.
Learn what your peers think about Cisco DNA Center. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2026.
881,082 professionals have used our research since 2012.
reviewer1513455 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Network Engineer at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
Mar 18, 2021
I think that their LAN automation is a very good feature.
NK
Managing Director at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees
Jun 22, 2021
The solution has the capability to scale.
Mostafa Gouda - PeerSpot reviewer
Group Technology Services Senior Manager at a hospitality company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Feb 6, 2022
We have many people from the team who manage a lot of devices. By using Cisco DNA Center, it has taken some of that burden away, we are impressed with it. We did the investment in CAPEX, but in the OPEX was very low.
reviewer1797993 - PeerSpot reviewer
Consultant - Enterprise Network at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Mar 5, 2022
It is very versatile in terms of analytics.
Ali Abdulhafid - PeerSpot reviewer
Owner, GM & IT Architect at CHALLENGE Internetworking & Computer Consulting
Apr 6, 2022
I like the visibility, instant build, network, policies, and the ability to control access. I also like that you can visualize your whole network.
reviewer1449057 - PeerSpot reviewer
Cloud and Digital Transformation Architect at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
Apr 27, 2022
It gives us automation capabilities for pushing out the configuration to branch networks. It also provides visibility into the health of user network devices.
Vicente Manuel - PeerSpot reviewer
Information Security Technician at OMNIdata
Apr 30, 2022
What's most valuable in Cisco DNA Center is the ability to manage any Cisco infrastructure and device through it. Setup was straightforward.
 

Cisco DNA Center Cons review quotes

it_user1073793 - PeerSpot reviewer
Solution Selector Communication and IT Security at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Dec 19, 2019
There is a limitation with the number of VRFs that you can have in your network, and this has caused us problems with some customers.
Mostafa Gouda - PeerSpot reviewer
Group Technology Services Senior Manager at a hospitality company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Jan 12, 2020
The network, data center, and SD-WAN are all being treated as different services, but I would like to have only one solution to manage all of them.
it_user1189812 - PeerSpot reviewer
Presales Engineer at PT. Mastersystem Infotama
Mar 30, 2020
DNA Center has been on the market for a few years and they need to update it.
Learn what your peers think about Cisco DNA Center. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2026.
881,082 professionals have used our research since 2012.
reviewer1513455 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Network Engineer at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
Mar 18, 2021
The task failure reporting or provisioning failure reporting could be a little bit better in the UI, with more information given to the user.
NK
Managing Director at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees
Jun 22, 2021
The solution can be quite pricey.
Mostafa Gouda - PeerSpot reviewer
Group Technology Services Senior Manager at a hospitality company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Feb 6, 2022
Cisco DNA Center was a new technology for us, at the beginning, it was not easy to do, but Cisco did a lot of training with us to a level we could handle everything. The team is managing itself now without the assistance of Cisco.
reviewer1797993 - PeerSpot reviewer
Consultant - Enterprise Network at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Mar 5, 2022
Integration with analytic tools and API integrations would be ideal.
Ali Abdulhafid - PeerSpot reviewer
Owner, GM & IT Architect at CHALLENGE Internetworking & Computer Consulting
Apr 6, 2022
Cisco could improve the security side of their solutions.
reviewer1449057 - PeerSpot reviewer
Cloud and Digital Transformation Architect at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
Apr 27, 2022
There should be an option for automation of template deployment by using the stored data. It is not easy to save configuration information for lots of devices without using other tools. There should be a tighter, better repository of information that can be merged with the templates.
Vicente Manuel - PeerSpot reviewer
Information Security Technician at OMNIdata
Apr 30, 2022
What could be improved is the licensing cost of Cisco DNA Center. It's a little bit expensive.