Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

SolarWinds NPM VS darkstat

Compare SolarWinds NPM VS darkstat and see what are their differences

SolarWinds NPM logo SolarWinds NPM

Advanced network monitoring for on-premises, hybrid, and cloud. Download a FREE 30-day trial of SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor (NPM) today!

darkstat logo darkstat

darkstat is a packet sniffer which runs as a background process, captures network traffic...
  • SolarWinds NPM Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-22
  • darkstat Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-01-28

SolarWinds NPM features and specs

  • Comprehensive Monitoring
    SolarWinds NPM provides detailed insights into network performance by tracking metrics like bandwidth usage, latency, and packet loss. It supports a wide range of devices and vendors, making it versatile for varied network environments.
  • Customizable Dashboards and Alerts
    The platform offers highly customizable dashboards and alerting mechanisms, allowing users to tailor notifications and visualizations according to their specific needs.
  • Scalability
    SolarWinds NPM can scale to support large and complex network environments, making it suitable for both small businesses and large enterprises.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The software has an intuitive, web-based interface that makes it easy for users to navigate and utilize its features without requiring extensive training.
  • Robust Reporting
    SolarWinds NPM includes advanced reporting capabilities that help administrators analyze network trends, generate compliance reports, and present data to stakeholders.

Possible disadvantages of SolarWinds NPM

  • Cost
    The initial cost and ongoing maintenance fees for SolarWinds NPM can be significant, particularly for small businesses or non-profits with limited budgets.
  • Resource Intensive
    The software can be resource-intensive, requiring robust server infrastructure to operate efficiently, which may necessitate additional investments in hardware.
  • Complex Configuration
    Setting up and configuring SolarWinds NPM to fit specific network environments can be complex and time-consuming, often necessitating a steep learning curve or professional assistance.
  • High Volume of Alerts
    While customizable, the alert system can generate a high volume of notifications, which could lead to alert fatigue if not properly configured.
  • Limited Integration with Some Tools
    Although SolarWinds NPM integrates well with many systems, there are some third-party tools and platforms with which integration is less straightforward.

darkstat features and specs

  • Lightweight
    Darkstat is a lightweight network traffic analyzer, which means it requires minimal system resources.
  • Easy to Install
    The installation process is straightforward, making it accessible for users who are not experts in network administration.
  • Web Interface
    Provides a simple web interface that makes it easy to monitor network traffic without needing complex configurations.
  • Real-time Traffic Capture
    Enables users to capture network traffic in real-time, which is crucial for monitoring live data and taking immediate actions.
  • Open Source
    Being open source allows users to modify and improve the software as needed, fostering a community-driven development approach.

Possible disadvantages of darkstat

  • Limited Advanced Features
    Darkstat lacks advanced features compared to more comprehensive tools, which may not meet the needs of advanced users.
  • Basic Reporting
    The reporting capabilities are quite basic, limiting its usefulness for detailed analysis and long-term data retention.
  • Lack of Active Development
    Limited updates and community support can lead to potential security vulnerabilities and outdated methods.
  • Not Scalable
    Darkstat may not perform well under high network loads and is not ideal for large-scale network environments.
  • Minimal Support for New Protocols
    It may not fully support newer network protocols or technologies, limiting its effectiveness in modern network setups.

Analysis of SolarWinds NPM

Overall verdict

  • SolarWinds NPM is generally considered a robust and effective network monitoring solution. It is well-suited for enterprises of various sizes seeking detailed insights into their network performance. However, its cost, particularly for larger deployments, and the complexity of setup for the most comprehensive monitoring can be a drawback for smaller companies or those with limited IT budgets.

Why this product is good

  • SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor (NPM) is often praised for its comprehensive set of features that allow users to monitor the health and performance of their network infrastructure. It provides real-time alerts, customizable dashboards, and in-depth reporting capabilities. Its intuitive interface and ease of deployment make it accessible even for teams without extensive technical expertise. The tool is especially useful for identifying and troubleshooting network issues quickly, leading to reduced downtime and improved network reliability.

Recommended for

    SolarWinds NPM is recommended for medium to large enterprises with complex network architectures that require detailed monitoring and reporting. It is particularly beneficial for IT teams looking to proactively manage and optimize their network infrastructure to ensure high performance and reliability. Industries with critical network uptime requirements, such as healthcare, finance, and large-scale IT services, may find this tool especially useful.

SolarWinds NPM videos

SolarWinds NPM: Your Complete Network Monitoring Solution

More videos:

  • Review - Overview of Quality of Experience Dashboard in SolarWinds NPM

darkstat videos

スケボー Darkstat デッキ 開封動画 & SET UP open deck review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to SolarWinds NPM and darkstat)
Monitoring Tools
91 91%
9% 9
Log Management
93 93%
7% 7
Performance Monitoring
88 88%
12% 12
DevOps Tools
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare SolarWinds NPM and darkstat

SolarWinds NPM Reviews

The Best Cacti Monitoring Alternatives
The SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor is a paid tool, the best of the best. It’s a network monitoring solution to help you find, diagnose, and resolve network performance issues. The tool is mainly focused on maintaining the health of the devices within your network.
13 Best Nagios Alternatives for Networks, Servers, IT Systems Monitoring
Unlike Solarwinds NPM described above which is focused only on networking, checkmk can monitor a wide range of devices such as servers, network devices, applications etc.
Best Open Source Network Monitoring Tools and Software (Linux/Windows)
Solarwinds Network Performance Monitor is another Great monitoring tool that has a large community behind it and has updates almost every year.
15 Best IT Monitoring Tools and Software
SolarWinds NPM is SolarWinds’s network troubleshooter. NPM is easy to use, can be used across physical, cloud-based, or mixed businesses.
Source: blog.inedo.com

darkstat Reviews

We have no reviews of darkstat yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, darkstat seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 3 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.

SolarWinds NPM mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of SolarWinds NPM yet. Tracking of SolarWinds NPM recommendations started around Mar 2021.

darkstat mentions (3)

  • Any open source equivalent of Fing/Fingbox?
    I have a Ubiquiti Ethenret and WiFi network and their software will give me the discovery capabilities, and my custom OpenBSD router gives me the traffic inspection features (using Darkstat). Source: about 3 years ago
  • Data Usage
    A friend of mine is a tech wizard, and he hooked me up with a home built router that uses pfSense, which comes with a program that does what you're asking for - darkstat. Source: about 4 years ago
  • Anyone monitoring outgoing traffic?
    I do have darkstat monitoring traffic on my egress interface. I also block access to UDP port 53 from untrusted hosts (I will change it to silently redirect to my official unbound DNS servers later). Source: about 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing SolarWinds NPM and darkstat, you can also consider the following products

Zabbix - Track, record, alert and visualize performance and availability of IT resources

ntop - ntopng High-Speed Web-based Traffic Analysis and Flow Collection ntopng is the next generation version of the original ntop, a network traffic probe that monitors network usage. ntopng is based on …

Datadog - See metrics from all of your apps, tools & services in one place with Datadog's cloud monitoring as a service solution. Try it for free.

nload - Monitor network traffic and bandwidth usage in real time

Dynatrace - Cloud-based quality testing, performance monitoring and analytics for mobile apps and websites. Get started with Keynote today!

vnStat - vnStat is a console-based network traffic monitor for Linux and BSD that keeps a log of network...