Fluke Networks Etherscope vs. SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager (NCM)

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Fluke Networks Etherscope
Score 7.5 out of 10
N/A
Fluke Networks Etherscope is a network diagnostics tool, from Seattle-based Fluke Networks.N/A
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager (NCM)
Score 8.8 out of 10
N/A
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager is network diagnostics and troubleshooting technology, from Austin-based SolarWinds.N/A
Pricing
Fluke Networks EtherscopeSolarWinds Network Configuration Manager (NCM)
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Fluke Networks EtherscopeSolarWinds Network Configuration Manager (NCM)
Free Trial
NoYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeOptional
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Fluke Networks EtherscopeSolarWinds Network Configuration Manager (NCM)
Top Pros
Top Cons
Best Alternatives
Fluke Networks EtherscopeSolarWinds Network Configuration Manager (NCM)
Small Businesses
Auvik
Auvik
Score 8.4 out of 10
Auvik
Auvik
Score 8.4 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
PingPlotter
PingPlotter
Score 9.4 out of 10
PingPlotter
PingPlotter
Score 9.4 out of 10
Enterprises
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager (NCM)
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager (NCM)
Score 8.8 out of 10

No answers on this topic

All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Fluke Networks EtherscopeSolarWinds Network Configuration Manager (NCM)
Likelihood to Recommend
7.5
(2 ratings)
9.1
(141 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
-
(0 ratings)
8.1
(6 ratings)
Usability
-
(0 ratings)
7.1
(8 ratings)
Support Rating
-
(0 ratings)
7.7
(9 ratings)
Online Training
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(2 ratings)
User Testimonials
Fluke Networks EtherscopeSolarWinds Network Configuration Manager (NCM)
Likelihood to Recommend
Fluke Corporation
We used ours mainly to test the wireless. Wireless could be several different things so the preconfigured tests on this device allowed us to quickly eliminate certain areas and allowed us to focus on the real problem. It’s easy enough a PC Technician could use it.
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SolarWinds
If your IT team isn't proficient in automation and scripting, Solarwinds NCM can fill that gap (assuming your company's security team signs off on approving SW in your environment given the hack.) Basic device configuration, pushing mass changes reliably and backups are NCM's strong suites. If you have a complex scenario where if/then cases are needed, NCM is a bit lack luster. Auto discovery isn't as easy either as certain parameters need to be met for that feature to work 100% of the time
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Pros
Fluke Corporation
  • The Fluke Networks Etherscope can test network speed performance on copper and fiber networks
  • The Fluke Networks Etherscope can detect network switches and also available and active ports.
  • The Fluke Networks Etherscope can check for bandwidth between two points quick and easy.
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SolarWinds
  • Integrates with Network Performance Management for Alerting and Reporting.
  • NetPath and detects issues due to Configuration Change.
  • Keeps a record of which user made the change.
  • Which devices are not being backed up, devices where backups are failing, dashboard and alerting available.
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Cons
Fluke Corporation
  • Battery life
  • Touch screen is slow to respond.
  • Operating System is slow.
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SolarWinds
  • For our use case, it does everything great and some of the features we underutilize but I would like to be able to set a configuration baseline when initially adding a node instead of after the configuration is pulled but it's not a particularly big deal to let it pull the configuration then set it as the baseline.
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Likelihood to Renew
Fluke Corporation
No answers on this topic
SolarWinds
Medium complexity to set up in the beginning if using any non-standard devices or configurations, else fairly easy (e.g. Cisco Nexus or IOS-based devices). Reports are fairly straightforward to set up. Updates to the platform are fairly straightforward and don't take a major effort. Easy to add or remove devices.
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Usability
Fluke Corporation
No answers on this topic
SolarWinds
The user interface is lacking. It is difficult to navigate at times and things can be done multiple ways. Quite often I am confused by how their notification structure works. It is not very intuitive. They do offer a free Academy. They also offer a community of other technical folks. I have enjoyed both.
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Support Rating
Fluke Corporation
No answers on this topic
SolarWinds
To be fair, I have not had to involve Support in a number of years, but when I did, I was greeted with enthusiastic engineers who wanted to understand and solve the issue. It was a fairly complex scenario and I have discovered in my most recent implementation that engineering included that option as a standard now.
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Online Training
Fluke Corporation
No answers on this topic
SolarWinds
Solarwinds has actually produced new training since I last used it that is available on their site at any time. Their previous training was more than enough to get us started but now there is significantly more content. Since I'm comfortable with the Orion platform and the products we use I haven't checked the new training out yet but we have new staff go through portions of that training and they always come away with an understanding of the platform and ready to use it
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Implementation Rating
Fluke Corporation
No answers on this topic
SolarWinds
it was a fairly easy implementation and everything was pretty straightforward. only challenge we had was getting all the snmp communities updated on the networking equipment
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Alternatives Considered
Fluke Corporation
We briefly tested a NetAlly LSPRNTR-300 LinkSprinter 300 Network Tester with WIFI and Distance to Cable Fault Indication and it was a worthy testing unit it but we quickly discovered that it did not offer the large range of testing in both the copper and fiber network drops, nor was it as complete with regard to wireless testing. But in it's defense it was not quite as pricy as the Fluke.
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SolarWinds
Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform is a great tool and matches much of the functionality of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager. Nothing about Ansible will likely be overwhelming to an engineer with a little time to spare, but that spare time combined with SolarWinds already being our monitoring tool made the decision easy. Time is at a premium in small teams and SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager is very easy to use right out of the box without all the tweaking required by powerful command line driven tools like Ansible.
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Return on Investment
Fluke Corporation
  • Very expensive for small business or school districts.
  • Battery Life is terrible not able to use it for an entire day.
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SolarWinds
  • The time savings from automatic daily backups is significant
  • The compare configuration tool is super helpful at spotting errors when small changes occur that are hard to detect otherwise.
  • The compliance check tool saves countless hours going through configurations for errors.
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ScreenShots

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager (NCM) Screenshots

Screenshot of Network Automation -  manage rapid change across complex and multi-vendor networks, reduce time needed to complete repetitive tasks, and maintain standards and service levels for uninterrupted ITScreenshot of Config Backup - rest easy knowing you can locate the most current configuration and quickly apply it to a replacement spare, or to roll back a blown configuration.Screenshot of Vulnerability Scanning - Take the hassle out of vulnerability scanning using NCM's integration with the National Vulnerability Database and access to the most current CVE’s to identify vulnerabilities in your Cisco devices.Screenshot of Inventory Management - Be able to know what devices are connected to your network, their hardware and software configurations, and when they approach end-of-service and end-of-life, with NCM device configuration management tool.Screenshot of User Management - Use NCM's integrated console to lock down devices from unauthorized access, delegate who can view device details and make configuration changes, and determine when network changes can occur.Screenshot of Baselines and Diffs - IT professionals can get a more comprehensive view by leveraging baselines across multiple nodes. Diff view in NCM’s network configuration management tool is designed to highlight only those lines that changed.