Item: Cradlepoint NetCloud Engine
Rating: 9
Author: Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with Cradlepoint NetCloud (formerly Pertino)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We currently use Cradlepoint NetCloud to manage devices at approximately 20 remote locations. The product allows us to remotely modify device properties, create and restore settings backups, perform firmware upgrades, and monitor device use. NetCloud has saved lots of time by removing travel to remote, rural locations. In addition, it allows us to remotely monitor device status, such as whether a device is offline.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Remote monitoring.
Remote configuration.
Remote firmware upgrades.
Push updates and settings to groups of devices.
Remote configuration backups.
Statistics on device/cellular use.

Cons

Group management of devices could be easier.
Customized reporting would be nice.
The task scheduler is not very robust (only one task is available for scheduling).

Most Important Features

Remote firmware upgrades.
Remote management and backup of configuration settings.
Alerting when remote devices go offline.

Return on Investment

It has offered a reduction in travel time.
Provides cellular use metrics to help with budgeting.
Allows a faster turn-around on firmware upgrades.

Alternatives Considered

Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls - PA Series, N-able N-central (formerly Solarwinds N-Central), SolarWinds Kiwi Syslog Server, SolarWinds Service Desk (SSD), Cisco Catalyst 2960-L Series Switches, Cisco Catalyst 1000 Series Switches, Aruba Instant On AP Series Access Points, Cradlepoint Routers, Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365), Darktrace, Global Relay Archive and Barracuda Content Shield

Cradlepoint NetCloud is an integral piece of the network management puzzle.

Key Insights

Do you think Cradlepoint NetCloud Engine delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Cradlepoint NetCloud Engine's feature set?

Yes

Did Cradlepoint NetCloud Engine live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of Cradlepoint NetCloud Engine go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Cradlepoint NetCloud Engine again?

Yes

Other Software Used

OnBase by Hyland, Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR, N-able N-central (formerly Solarwinds N-Central), Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls - PA Series

Likelihood to Recommend

While offering integrations with other products, such as Palo Alto Prisma Access and Zscaler, the root use of this product is supporting Cradlepoint devices through a single, standard interface. By easily allowing remote management of remote Cradlepoint devices, this product is invaluable if you are tasked with maintaining numerous remote locations.

Using Cradlepoint NetCloud (formerly Pertino)

Users and Roles

3 - Information Technology

Support Headcount Required

2 - Two IT staff members are well-versed in using the Cradelpoint NetCloud platform. These two staff members share the management duties of the system.

Business Processes Supported

Reduces travel time.
Faster router firmware upgrades across all remote locations.
Integrates cellular data service as a viable backup connection.

Evaluating Cradlepoint NetCloud (formerly Pertino) and Competitors

Products Replaced

Key Differentiators

Product Features

Cradlepoint NetCloud allowed remote management of 20+ devices located in remote rural areas. This alone offered a great reduction in unnecessary travel time, allowing our IT staff to focus on additional tasks.

Evaluation Lessons Learned

While there are now more competing products on the market than there were when we began using Cradepoint, we continue to choose Cradelpoint as our solution moving forward.

Cradlepoint NetCloud (formerly Pertino) Implementation

Implementation Rating

It is much easier to group your devices within NetCloud prior to deployment. We ran into issues of lost/changed settings when grouping devices that had already been deployed.

Implementation Details / Implementation Partner

Implemented in-house

Implementation Phases

Change Management Lessons

Change management was minimal

Implementation Issues

Initial amount of time taken to learn the product
On-boarding devices that were already deployed and in operation

Cradlepoint NetCloud (formerly Pertino) Support

Support Rating

We have only contacted support once or twice, and they were able to resolve our issue without much difficulty.

Cradlepoint NetCloud Engine Customer Support Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Quick Resolution Good followup Knowledgeable team Problems get solved No escalation required Quick Initial Response	None

Premium Support

No. We have not had a need to purchase premium support for this product.

Bug Resolution

Using Cradlepoint NetCloud (formerly Pertino)

Usability

Device management is nearly the same as if you logged in locally, giving a familiar feel to the interface. Device group management can be cumbersome when pushing firmware updates.