DX Spectrum vs SolarWinds Network Device Monitor comparison

Why PeerSpot?

Broadcom and SolarWinds are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. Broadcom is ranked #16 with an average rating of 8.5, while SolarWinds is ranked #39 with an average rating of 8.0. Broadcom holds a 1.6% mindshare in NMS, compared to SolarWinds’s 0.8% mindshare. Additionally, 89% of Broadcom users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of SolarWinds users who would recommend it.

DX Spectrum

Read 118 DX Spectrum reviews

13,661 Views
8,333 Comparison Views

89% willing to recommend

SolarWinds Network Device M...

Read 23 SolarWinds Network Device Monitor reviews

3,789 Views
3,713 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

DX Spectrum

SolarWinds Network Device M...

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 10, 2024

DX Spectrum and SolarWinds Network Device Monitor compete in the network monitoring tools category. DX Spectrum seems to have the upper hand in feature breadth, while SolarWinds Network Device Monitor offers better ease of use and cost-effectiveness.

Features: DX Spectrum offers advanced fault analysis, scalability, and extensive topology views. It supports a wide range of device compatibility and detailed configuration management. It also integrates well with CA products. SolarWinds Network Device Monitor is known for ease of setup, clear reporting, and effective alerting, making it efficient for straightforward monitoring.

Room for Improvement: DX Spectrum users highlight complex configuration, reliance on legacy interfaces like Java, and desire a more intuitive web-based UI. They also call for better cross-landscape correlation and third-party tool integration. SolarWinds Network Device Monitor could benefit from enhanced user-friendliness, deeper analytics, and updates to the alert system. Users also wish for improved infrastructure tool integration.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: DX Spectrum is typically on-premises, suitable for large setups but has mixed support feedback, with some noting slow responses. SolarWinds Network Device Monitor allows for cloud deployment, providing flexibility and is often praised for prompt and efficient customer service.

Pricing and ROI: DX Spectrum's high cost is justified for larger companies by its feature set and integration capabilities, offering ROI through automation. SolarWinds Network Device Monitor's more affordable model appeals to smaller businesses, delivering ROI by reducing manual efforts despite lacking some advanced features.

To learn more, read our detailed DX Spectrum vs. SolarWinds Network Device Monitor Report (Updated: September 2026).

Buyer's Guide

DX Spectrum vs. SolarWinds Network Device Monitor

September 2026

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Review summaries and opinions

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

Categories and Ranking

DX Spectrum

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

16th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

118

Ranking in other categories

Network Management Applications (8th), IT Infrastructure Monitoring (18th), Network Troubleshooting (7th), DX NetOps (1st)

SolarWinds Network Device M...

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

39th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2026, in the Network Monitoring Software category, the mindshare of DX Spectrum is 1.6%, up from 1.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SolarWinds Network Device Monitor is 0.8%, up from 0.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Monitoring Software Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
DX Spectrum	1.6%
SolarWinds Network Device Monitor	0.8%
Other	97.6%

Network Monitoring Software

Featured Reviews

PinchasAlbalya

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.

Read full review

Sorin Gogean

IT Infrastructure Senior Network Technician at Autoliv

Offers some features but needs better customization and analysis tools

There are solutions that can perform better, but due to pricing for our corporate implementation, we had to stay with this solution. It accomplishes the necessary tasks, but there is room for improvement. The features are not as customizable as we would prefer, but they are workable. If configured properly, you can perform a drill-down analysis. However, I have not used this feature much for our infrastructure on the network side.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"If you like to sleep at night and not be disturbed on the weekends, get Spectrum."

"The most valuable feature is automatic discovery."

"All networks (or network equipment) are monitored through CA Spectrum."

"We were able to clearly identify the root cause of incidents visually and with specimen alerts with the topology design."

"The event management that the tool provides is extremely powerful, but with that comes a bit of complexity."

"It is a very stable solution."

"By using event rules and procedures, we got an improved event management process, and CA Spectrum is very useful for event handling and brings us a robust manager of managers console."

"I can use it to detect whenever things go wrong on my network."

More DX Spectrum pros

"The Network Device Monitor itself is very useful."

"The deployment process is quick."

"I like the mapping that you could do and the dashboards were very pretty."

"The alerts we are getting when we start losing connection access have been helpful."

"I rate the product's initial setup process a nine on a scale of one to ten, where one means it is a difficult phase and ten is an easy process."

"The product is useful for switches and IP phones."

"The initial setup is straightforward."

"You can create an attractive dashboard and create a hierarchy."

More SolarWinds Network Device Monitor pros

Cons

"If the integration is simplified or improved, it will be a unique selling point in comparison to the competition on the market."

"We have a lot of different monitoring tools in the background, so orchestration has been a little bit of a challenge."

"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."

"Today with Spectrum we work in a reactive way where we notice problems after they occur."

"I think the interface needs a bit of a revamp. They need to adapt it to the new app world that it is now ruling (iOS, Android Apps), and it needs to offer more."

"Technical Support: 7-8/10 but sometimes I think that technical support could be more flexible."

"Yes, IM was very shaky and it seemed like CA were throwing hotfixes at us to fend us off until the next release."

"We have had one support issue that's been open for a couple of months, and it is currently open."

More DX Spectrum cons

"SolarWinds Network Device Monitor could improve by being more user-friendly. The network has so many features which make it difficult to find how to configure how to use it. It is not simple to customize."

"The solution is not user-friendly."

"Integration with different tools, such as ServiceNow and Excel, can be improved."

"When an organization's network grows, the complexity of the dashboard becomes an area of concern where improvements are required."

"SolarWinds Network Device Monitor lacks the granularity of other monitoring tools like LiveNX."

"The reporting feature needs improvement because we are unable to configure reports that were included during initial implementation."

"The security needs improvement, which is why we are moving away from Solar Winds. We have security concerns."

"In terms of price, it could be less expensive."

More SolarWinds Network Device Monitor cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price is very high."

"The price of the solution is reasonable."

"Currently, a perpetual license but some services are moving to a subscription"

"It’s a great tool, but an expensive one. Learn how to use it properly."

"It is very pricey. With the current trend of enterprises moving towards cheaper and more modern looking solutions like ManageEngine, SevOne, ServicePilot, and Paesller."

"The cost of some of these products are a little cost prohibitive, which is unfortunate. We have to find lower cost solutions for some of the things that we have to pull in. For the most part, CA has capabilities in pretty much everything that you would need. You just have to figure out where are you going to spend the most money for what you have to actually get done. You can do all these things but, which ones do you have to do? And that's hard to choose sometimes because you want to do them all."

"The price is good enough to expect an ideal solution. It's expensive."

"DX Spectrum's pricing depends on the license number. It is affordable."

More DX Spectrum pricing and cost advice

"SolarWinds Network Device Monitor is not an expensive solution."

"I find the cost of SolarWinds Network Device Monitor reasonable for our company. Though, I'm not aware of the exact licensing cost."

"When compared with other solutions SolarWinds is more expensive."

"I rate the product's price as three to three and a half or on a scale of one to ten, where one means low price, and ten means high price."

"Thankfully, it doesn't take a lot of manpower to install and deploy."

"The enterprise license is good for the SolarWinds Network Device Monitor. However, it is expensive, they should reduce their price."

"The price of the SolarWinds Network Device Monitor is good."

"The product is expensive."

More SolarWinds Network Device Monitor pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Outsourcing Company

15%

Financial Services Firm

13%

Construction Company

11%

Comms Service Provider

Outsourcing Company

16%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	25
Midsize Enterprise	19
Large Enterprise	90

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	6
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	14

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for DX Spectrum?

The price is very, very high.

See all answers

What needs improvement with DX Spectrum?

See all answers

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...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SolarWinds Network Device Monitor?

I am not a positive person regarding SolarWinds Network Device Monitor.

See all answers

What needs improvement with SolarWinds Network Device Monitor?

See all answers

What is your primary use case for SolarWinds Network Device Monitor?

I have experience regarding the AD part, but my focus for the last 15 years has been oriented to the network side. My experience with identity tools comes more from a network perspective. We used N...

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 5% of the time

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Compared 3% of the time

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Compared 3% of the time

ManageEngine OpManager vs DX Spectrum

Compared 3% of the time

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Compared 6% of the time

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Compared 5% of the time

ThousandEyes vs SolarWinds Network Device Monitor

Compared 3% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

DX Spectrum

September 2026

Download DX Spectrum product report

Buyer's Guide

SolarWinds Network Device Monitor

August 2026

SolarWinds Network Device Monitor report

Download SolarWinds Network Device Monitor product report

Also Known As

CA Spectrum

Network Device Monitor

Overview

DX Spectrum is a comprehensive network monitoring tool designed for scalability and accuracy. With features like fault management, topological mapping, and customizability, it addresses network issues effectively while ensuring reliable infrastructure oversight.

Known for its robust capabilities, DX Spectrum excels in fault management and network monitoring, offering features such as Global Collections and Event Correlation for precise issue detection. This scalability allows it to monitor large infrastructures efficiently using SNMP traps. Automated device discovery and seamless integrations with tools like SOI and Zabbix enhance its functionality, providing users with a streamlined experience. The interface allows for deep visibility and is supported by REST API for improved integration and automation.

What are the key features of DX Spectrum?

Fault Management: Identifies and manages network faults efficiently.
Topological Mapping: Offers a graphical representation of network topology.
Customizability: Provides extensive options to tailor the tool to specific needs.
Global Collections: Enhances issue detection across networks.
Event Correlation: Reduces false alerts by correlating network events.
Scalability: Manages large networks with SNMP traps.
Automated Discovery: Automatically identifies and integrates devices into monitoring.
REST API: Facilitates seamless integration and automation.

Why should users consider DX Spectrum in reviews?

Operational Efficiency: Increases efficiency through automation and integration.
Deep Visibility: Provides comprehensive network visibility and control.
Reliability: Ensures stable and reliable network operations.
Integration Capabilities: Works seamlessly with multiple external tools.
Customizability: Allows customization to meet specific monitoring needs.
Proactive Management: Supports proactive issue resolution with accurate notifications.

DX Spectrum finds extensive applications across industries for network infrastructure monitoring. It is vital in sectors where maintaining service uptime and quickly resolving network faults is critical. Organizations leverage its configuration management, alarm/event management, and integration capabilities to maintain smooth network operations, especially in environments with large and complex network infrastructures.

Broadcom

SolarWinds Network Device Monitor offers comprehensive real-time network monitoring capabilities with seamless integration across multiple vendor devices, ensuring efficient network operations.

Offering features like cloud workload monitoring, quick deployment, and a user-friendly interface, SolarWinds Network Device Monitor supports real-time alert thresholds, accurate link readings, historical utilization metrics, and customizable dashboards. Its ability to integrate with multiple vendor devices and perform network discovery enhances operational efficiency. Comprehensive bandwidth and fault management features provide stable network monitoring, benefiting devices such as switches and IP phones. However, there is room for improvement in integration with tools like ServiceNow and Excel, support response times, and enhanced security. Users highlight the need for a mobile version, improved reporting, and better customization options, alongside concerns about setup complexity and licensing costs.

What are the key features?

Cloud Workload Monitoring: Monitors workloads hosted in the cloud.
User-Friendly Interface: Offers an intuitive experience for users.
Quick Deployment: Simplifies installation and setup processes.
Real-Time Monitoring: Provides immediate alerts for network statuses.
Customizable Dashboards: Enhances network visibility with tailored displays.

What benefits can users expect?

Proactive Problem Solving: Real-time alerts facilitate quick issue resolution.
Efficiency: Automated network monitoring streamlines operational workflows.
Insightful Analytics: Provides valuable data on memory and CPU usage.
Cost-Effective: Monitors bandwidth and fault management to reduce outages.

SolarWinds Network Device Monitor is implemented prominently in industries needing robust network infrastructure monitoring, like tech and manufacturing. Companies rely on its capabilities for IP address management, cloud workload monitoring, and remote equipment monitoring, gaining insights into system performance and ensuring compliance checks are met effectively.

SolarWinds

Sample Customers

National Informatics Centre India, Banese, Olympus, AlphaServe Technologies, Sicredi

Air Rarotonga

Buyer's Guide

DX Spectrum vs. SolarWinds Network Device Monitor

September 2026

Free Report: DX Spectrum vs. SolarWinds Network Device Monitor

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