rConfig Blog
Deep dives on network automation, compliance, security, and the future of configuration management.
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ManageEngine Network Configuration Manager Pricing (2026): Editions, Free Tier and Real Costs
ManageEngine publishes some list prices for Network Configuration Manager and leaves the rest behind a quote form. Here is what we could confirm this year, plus an open source alternative with no device cap.
WhatsUp GoldHow Much Does WhatsUp Gold Cost in 2026?
Most pricing guides will tell you Progress does not publish WhatsUp Gold pricing. That is out of date. Here are the figures the pricing page actually shows, how device and point licensing differ, and the part that still carries no price at all: the configuration management module.
SolarwindsSolarWinds Security in 2026: What NCM Buyers Should Actually Check
Six years on from SUNBURST, "is this vendor secure?" is still the wrong question. Here is what a self-hosted NCM buyer should check instead, and what running config management on your own infrastructure does and does not change.
Network Configuration ManagementOpen Source Network Configuration Management Tools
Compare RANCID, Oxidized, and rConfig Core by the work they do. See which open-source NCM approach fits your devices, team, and operating model.
Network Configuration ManagementOxidized vs RANCID: Which Config Backup Tool Fits?
Oxidized and RANCID both collect network device configs and track changes. Compare their setup, storage, device support, web access and daily work.
RancidWhat Is RANCID? Network Config Backups Explained
RANCID is an open-source tool that collects network device configs and records what changed. Learn how RANCID backups work, where the tool fits, and when a team may need more.
Network configuration managementIs There a Free Version of Kiwi CatTools?
The short answer is yes, with conditions SolarWinds no longer publishes. Here is what the free edition covers, and what else you can run for nothing.
ISP Configuration ManagementCiena 6500 TL1 GNE/RNE, Explained, and How to Simulate It at Scale
What TL1 GNE/RNE topology is, how RTRV-NBR and TID routing work, and how to simulate Ciena 6500 nodes over SSH to test your NCM, no hardware.
Network AutomationWhy Your Network Configs Should Never Leave the Building, Even for AI
AI config analysis usually means sending your configurations to someone else's cloud. Here is why data locality matters for network AI, and how air-gapped and local-LLM approaches keep configs in your control.