PRTG Network Monitor vs. Riverbed Modeler (discontinued)

It is well suited for an environment that deploys networking equipment and is needing monitoring 24/7. It works well to deliver real time data and alerts that are suited for taking action and notifying groups of members. It is less appropriate for use cases that involve only a few devices that don’t have dedicated teams looking for problems or uptime.

Incentivized

Metropolitan network modeling is possible, small-large or even huge scale organization network modeling is possible.

Less appropriate for home user network modeling, OPNET should only be used to model large scale solutions. Great industry tool.

Incentivized

• Very, very configurable. You can create all kinds of monitors for all kinds of things. Plus it has loads of suggestions out of the box. It can get complicated but monitoring is complicated. Pretty decent interface and good support - active community.
• I really liked how easy it was to add alerts by SMS. So easy to setup.
• I like their sizing models (for purchase). We're actually small enough that we are free. But it's not free as in stripped down - it's free because we don't use many "sensors" and don't honestly have the need.

Incentivized

• Allows the USE of C++ In Routing protocol of individual switch nodes
• Easy to use, Easy to setup a working network model, allows to even have computers and all sorts of peripherals like IP Printers etc
• You can stress test your network simulation, absolutely fantastic tool, bridges Monte Carlo with visual representations of the network in question
• Great Customer Support
• Good training articles available online, used as a staple in university setting.

Incentivized

• Licensing on a per entity basis can be cumbersome for devices which have a ton of monitoring points like network switches\routers. Each sensor may count against a license, which could be a lot of you were monitoring every TX\RX of an SFP for example
• A better method to easily template\copy monitors across devices
• The navigation in the web GUI could be a little more straightforward in terms of the hierarchy

Incentivized

• Riverbed Modeler needs to improve the scenarios of LAN MAN WAN, as the available scenarios under all of these follow a simple area structure that's not connected to the ISP when it comes to simulation. This generates dummy traffic.
• Riverbed Modeler also needs to work on the selection of result sets so that, as with most designed networks, we can select any result parameter to show. All the parameters are displayed, whether they are relevant or not. It needs to display only relevant result parameters to select.
• The back-end TCP/IP model needs more clarity to expose the structure to some changes.

Incentivized

I would renew it because the platform has brought us many technical and economic benefits that make the cost-benefit ratio very good. Additionally, to do so does not require large investments in training, licensing or infrastructure, and at the administration level, extensive knowledge is not required to be able to bear it.

Incentivized

The tool is very intuitive to use and it is Windows-based (everybody knows how to use Windows) so it's easy to get into. Every time is setup in a hierarchy so if you have a good initial hierarchy design, it will really reduce administrative effort down the road.

Incentivized

I am giving this a 6 simply because I have never had to contact support. The online documentation is adequate for most things, and the user-maintained knowledgebase is excellent. The few times I have run into issues that were not easily resolvable with intuitive UI, I was able to find the answers that I needed either in the PRTG-provided documentation, the knowledgebase, or with a quick online web search.

Incentivized

It's very important that de project's teams have different member of the TI. We have learned too late the importa of Security Analyst at the design architecture moment. We have to rebuild part of the implementation for made this big mistake.

Incentivized

When I evaluated Centreon back in 2014, it felt overly complex compared to PRTG Network Monitor. Centreon's configuration required deeper technical expertise, involving manual setup and extensive scripting. The interface seemed less intuitive and demanded more time to manage and maintain. In contrast, PRTG Network Monitor offered simpler sensor-based monitoring and a more user-friendly interface, which ultimately influenced my choice.

Incentivized

There exist many simulation simulators like NS2, but Riverbed Modeler is one of the simulators which introduces the GUI interface for networking. The platform just changes the scenario of networking, as it makes it so easy to understand and implement. The functionality almost listed every possible network in the world, which is not given by any other tool. Moreover, it is releasing updated versions to match with the latest technology.

Incentivized

• PRTG has definitely had a positive impact on the business as monitoring can all be done from a central location and is easily accessible by all the relevant stakeholders.
• It can easily give us stats on up time etc which is used for statistics and SLA monitoring etc - this provides customers with detailed information which we wouldn't' otherwise be able to provide.
• For the price, I think it is the best product available on the market

Incentivized

• It comes with a costly paid license, but simulating the network before actual deployment saves a lot of costs, in case after deployment we feel performance is not good and we need to change. This would waste a lot of money, but Riverbed saves this money.
• Its OPNET GURU academic edition is available free of cost, but with limited functionality, which is good for students in maximum case. This will degrade our sale of Riverbed Modeler.
• A one-time investment in Modeler saves a lot of cost regarding networks, topology, designing, and provides a lifetime license with updates.

Incentivized