

SolarWinds NPM and Meraki Dashboard are both strong competitors in the network management space, with SolarWinds offering extensive monitoring features and Meraki focusing on simplicity and cloud management. Based on the comparisons, Meraki seems to have the upper hand in ease of use and cloud-based capabilities, while SolarWinds excels in feature richness and customization.
Features: SolarWinds NPM provides robust network monitoring activities, multi-vendor support, and advanced alert configurations. It offers deep customization options and integrates well with SNMP-enabled devices. On the other hand, Meraki Dashboard offers simplified cloud-based management with features such as Layer 7 filtering and presence analytics, which are highly appreciated for their ease of use and analytical capabilities.
Room for Improvement: SolarWinds NPM could improve by reducing its resource intensity and offering more integrated modules for comprehensive functionality. There are also concerns about inaccuracy in network mapping and slow support response. Meraki Dashboard is critiqued for its costliness and complex licensing, with a need for better integration with non-Cisco platforms and more advanced security features.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: SolarWinds NPM offers on-premises, hybrid, and public cloud deployments despite occasional slow customer service and pushy sales tactics. In contrast, Meraki Dashboard boasts a predominantly cloud-based deployment model complemented by strong customer service, which is responsive and knowledgeable, facilitating management across distributed environments.
Pricing and ROI: SolarWinds NPM's pricing is generally favorable for large operations due to its element-based licensing model, offering solid ROI through decreased downtime and efficient monitoring. Meanwhile, Meraki Dashboard is perceived as costly due to a per-device licensing system but compensates with reduced management overhead due to its streamlined, user-friendly interface, translating into significant operational savings.
The return on investment is significant as the solution effectively reduces costs while being worth its expense.
The support response time can be slow, sometimes taking up to fifteen hours.
They are instantly available for technical support from Meraki Dashboard.
For technical support, I would give it a ten.
If there is no timely response, getting a resolution is more difficult.
We had contact with SolarWinds regarding the implementation, and they were helpful.
They have good technical support.
SolarWinds NPM is scalable and effective in handling large network infrastructures.
We have not encountered any downtime related to the Meraki cloud feature in the last five years.
The NPM product is stable, particularly when used for simple network monitoring.
There is a need for price reductions in developing countries, as the cost of Meraki is quite high.
The cameras are not connected through Meraki, but all other devices are on Meraki networks.
It provides many insights out of the box without any need to search for them.
SolarWinds needs to upscale on observability and add full-fledged observability features, including security features.
Customers have given feedback about the delayed response times from the technical team.
I would need a feature in SolarWinds in the future for some kind of malfunctioning detection, such as malware attacks or that type of environment.
The cost of the Meraki solution is high, which may not be affordable for smaller companies, especially in developing countries.
If we involve a third-party vendor, the price will definitely go up.
I would rate the pricing for Meraki Dashboard as one.
The solution is considered expensive.
Pricing-wise, SolarWinds NPM is more expensive than PRTG.
It is not too pricey and is adequate.
Meraki Dashboard positively impacts my organization by enabling live monitoring. If someone unplugs the power cable, if the switches are down, if there is an outage, or if there is any misconfiguration, we get an alert from Cisco in our mailbox.
Meraki Dashboard offers an exceptional centralized management solution that allows easy updates and monitoring of various network features, including bandwidth usage and content filtering.
The most valuable feature for me is the cloud dashboard.
Whenever any node is down in our network, whether it is a server or any network device, we receive information through email that the device is down.
The most valuable feature for us is the database performance analyzer, which we use a lot.
SolarWinds NPM has specific modules for monitoring different network capabilities, which provides rich features for carrying out specific tasks.
| Product | Mindshare (%) |
|---|---|
| SolarWinds NPM | 3.7% |
| Meraki Dashboard | 0.7% |
| Other | 95.6% |


| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 23 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 13 |
| Large Enterprise | 26 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 59 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 33 |
| Large Enterprise | 85 |
Meraki Dashboard offers intuitive, cloud-based network management, simplifying tasks with centralized control, real-time monitoring, and comprehensive security.
Offering ease of use and a single-pane-of-glass view, Meraki Dashboard enhances network management through centralized monitoring and configuration. Its intuitive interface allows remote device management, policy configuration, and real-time alerts. Cloud-based access provides scalability and automatic updates, while detailed analytics and security measures ensure robust control over networks. Though some users mention complexity in certain configurations and third-party integration gaps, its continuous improvement and network management efficiency accommodate extensive business requirements.
What are the Key Features of Meraki Dashboard?Enterprises deploy Meraki Dashboard for diverse network management purposes, including monitoring, access point deployment, security configuration, and VLAN and LAN management. In education, it provides centralized Wi-Fi management and ensures secure student access. Retail businesses utilize it for seamless device integration and analytics, while healthcare facilities employ its robust security and real-time monitoring to safeguard patient data and maintain network efficiency. Its cloud-based interface enhances control and visibility across numerous sites, simplifying management and configurations.
SolarWinds NPM is a network performance monitoring tool offering a user-friendly interface with customizable dashboards. It provides real-time tracking of device health, latency, and bandwidth utilization, supporting diverse integration and scalability needs.
SolarWinds NPM's robust features include real-time monitoring of network performance and efficient tracking of device health, latency, and bandwidth utilization. The tool is appreciated for its ease of deployment, scalability, and support for integration with other tools. Features like SNMP monitoring, NetPath, and comprehensive reporting enhance its diagnostic capabilities and network visibility. However, users identify areas for improvement such as real-time analytics, advanced customization options, and enhanced scalability for larger enterprises. Better customer support, improved integrations, and security measures are also desired.
What are the key features of SolarWinds NPM?In enterprise environments, SolarWinds NPM is deployed to monitor network health and device status, sending alerts for any issues. It provides visibility into network performance, tracking bandwidth utilization and server metrics efficiently. Its applications span from monitoring routers, switches, and firewalls to supporting infrastructure monitoring across industries.
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