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F5 Advanced Firewall Manager VS NetDisco

Compare F5 Advanced Firewall Manager VS NetDisco and see what are their differences

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F5 Advanced Firewall Manager logo F5 Advanced Firewall Manager

Stop even the most massive and complex DDoS attacks with BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager: advanced data center protection against layer 3–4 threats.

NetDisco logo NetDisco

Netdisco is an Open Source web-based network management tool first released publically in 2003.
  • F5 Advanced Firewall Manager Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-20
  • NetDisco Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-27

F5 Advanced Firewall Manager features and specs

  • Comprehensive Layer 7 Security
    F5 Advanced Firewall Manager provides deep inspection capabilities with a focus on application-level threats, offering a robust defense against sophisticated attacks.
  • Integration with F5 Ecosystem
    The firewall manager integrates seamlessly with other F5 services, allowing for unified management and enhanced security policies across different network layers.
  • Scalability
    Built to handle large volumes of traffic, the F5 Advanced Firewall Manager can scale efficiently to meet the needs of growing enterprises.
  • DDoS Protection
    The platform includes features to protect against distributed denial-of-service attacks, ensuring consistent application availability.
  • Advanced Threat Intelligence
    Utilizes real-time threat intelligence to provide up-to-date protection against emerging security threats, enhancing overall security posture.

Possible disadvantages of F5 Advanced Firewall Manager

  • Complexity
    The advanced features and integration capabilities can result in a steep learning curve, requiring skilled personnel for effective management.
  • Cost
    As a premium product, the total cost of ownership can be high, potentially limiting its accessibility for smaller enterprises with budget constraints.
  • Resource Intensive
    The comprehensive security features may demand significant system resources, possibly impacting performance if not adequately provisioned.
  • Dependency on Ecosystem
    To maximize its benefits, organizations may need to invest in a broader F5 ecosystem, making them more reliant on a single vendor's solutions.
  • Customization Complexity
    While highly customizable, creating precise security policies can be time-consuming and may require extensive configuration and fine-tuning.

NetDisco features and specs

  • Comprehensive Discovery
    NetDisco offers robust network discovery features, using SNMP and other protocols to automatically map the network topology, providing an accurate overview of all connected devices.
  • Web-Based Interface
    The tool features a user-friendly web-based interface, allowing network administrators to access network data remotely and with ease.
  • Device Inventory
    NetDisco maintains an extensive inventory of devices, including details such as vendor, model, and IP address, which facilitates network management and monitoring.
  • Free and Open Source
    As a free and open-source solution, NetDisco can be used and modified without licensing costs, making it accessible to a wide range of users and organizations.
  • Community Support
    Being open source, NetDisco boasts a strong community support network that contributes to its development and provides assistance to users through forums and documentation.

Possible disadvantages of NetDisco

  • Complex Setup
    The initial setup and configuration of NetDisco can be complex and time-consuming, requiring a good understanding of network protocols and system configurations.
  • Resource Intensive
    NetDisco can be resource-intensive, especially in large network environments, necessitating adequate hardware and resources for optimal performance.
  • Limited to SNMP
    Dependence on SNMP for device discovery and management can be a limitation, as SNMP must be enabled and configured on devices, and is sometimes seen as outdated compared to newer protocols.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    For new users who are not familiar with network management tools or SNMP, understanding how to utilize all features of NetDisco effectively can require significant learning time.
  • Interface Design
    Some users may find the interface design to be outdated or not as visually appealing as commercial alternatives, which could affect the user experience.

Analysis of F5 Advanced Firewall Manager

Overall verdict

  • Overall, F5 Advanced Firewall Manager is a strong choice for organizations seeking a reliable and comprehensive firewall solution, especially those that already use other F5 products. Its combination of advanced security features, scalability, and seamless integration makes it a good option for effectively protecting against various cyber threats.

Why this product is good

  • F5 Advanced Firewall Manager is considered good due to its robust security features, which include advanced threat protection, comprehensive DDoS mitigation, and application-layer security. It integrates well with other F5 products, providing a cohesive security solution that is highly scalable. Additionally, its ease of use and detailed reporting provide valuable insights into network security status and help in proactive management.

Recommended for

    Organizations that require advanced security features and scalability, particularly those in large enterprises or industries requiring stringent security measures, such as financial services and healthcare. It is also well-suited for existing F5 users looking to expand their security capabilities.

F5 Advanced Firewall Manager videos

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NetDisco videos

Network Discovery With netdiscover - Discover Internal IP Addresses

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to F5 Advanced Firewall Manager and NetDisco)
Monitoring Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Network Automation
0 0%
100% 100
Security & Privacy
100 100%
0% 0
Configuration Auditing
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using F5 Advanced Firewall Manager and NetDisco. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, NetDisco seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 16 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

F5 Advanced Firewall Manager mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of F5 Advanced Firewall Manager yet. Tracking of F5 Advanced Firewall Manager recommendations started around Mar 2021.

NetDisco mentions (16)

  • Finding port assignments by mac address on HP switch
    If it's an ongoing task, perhaps http://netdisco.org/ would be useful for you? Source: about 2 years ago
  • Considering a network overhaul. Need advice on Fortinet/FortiSwitch/Aruba/etc.
    Currently the Arubas are managed by CLI/NetDisco. Its great, but NetDisco cant do much beyond identifying devices, and setting the untagged vlan - and I need to break out putty for anything else. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Who doesn't enjoy network programming/automation
    Netdisco does this. http://netdisco.org/. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Is there a paid or free tool/utility out there I can use to automate the creation of a decent network diagram?
    Http://netdisco.org/ can generate network maps. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Service to keep track of network devices
    On another job I’ve successfully used netdisco for this! Source: almost 3 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing F5 Advanced Firewall Manager and NetDisco, you can also consider the following products

Untangle NG Firewall - Untangle NG Firewall filters traffic based on IP address, protocol and port, which enables administrators to designate which systems and services (HTTP, FTP, etc.) are publicly available.

Unimus - Unimus is a Network Automation and Configuration management (NCM) solution designed for fast deployment network-wide and ease of use. Unimus does not require learning any abstraction or templating languages, and does not require any coding skills.

Cisco DNA Center - Find and resolve network issues with Cisco DNA Center. Provides software-based network automation and assurance. Control and manage intent-based networks.

Oxidized - configuration backup software (IOS, JunOS) - silly attempt at rancid

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager - SolarWinds is a leading provider of powerful and affordable IT infrastructure management software. Make IT look easy.

GenieACS - A fast and lightweight TR-069 Auto Configuration Server (ACS)