Understanding the Differences: Network Essentials vs Network Advantage

Welcome back everyone!  This blog is going to quickly outline the differences between Network Essentials and Network Advantage to hopefully help you choose the option that is best for you.

Network Essentials and Network Advantage are referred to as base licenses that come bundled or included with the switch and are Right to Use (RTU) perpetual licenses with different feature-sets.  

DNA Essentials and DNA Advantage are considered add-on licenses even though they are required if purchasing through channel whether you have a DNA appliance or not. These are subscription licenses that require renewal.  

Understanding Edgeium’s DNA Subscription Options

Did you know when purchasing switches from Edgeium that purchasing a DNA subscription is not required?

For more information about Meraki managed C9300s, or how to convert existing -A or -E to -M, please read Want to Manage C9300s in the Meraki Dashboard?

Please note that -E and -A SKUs have the same List Price and will cost the same at the time of purchase (see screenshot below from CDW.com), but the DNA SKUs between Essentials and Advantage are priced differently.  List price for a 3 year term for DNA Essentials is currently $1,324 where the DNA Advantage list price is $4,459. 

If you purchase Network Essentials and want to upgrade to Network Advantage later on, you’re supposed to purchase an upgraded DNA Advantage license at a 3, 5, or 7 year term and this upgrades the base license to Network Advantage perpetually. So, the same DNA Advantage license for $4,459 is required. Again, even if you don’t intend to use the DNA appliance. After purchasing the DNA license, simply activate the Network Advantage RTU feature-set via the Command Line Interface (CLI).

Network Essentials (-E) and Network Advantage (-A) replace the previous nomenclature of IP Base (-S) and IP Services (-E) that was appended to the part ID of any layer 3 fixed-config Catalyst. Thanks Cisco for making -E mean two different things:-)

Moving forward, all Catalyst switches will now have either -E, -A, or -M appended to it. So, which is best for you?

Cisco Network Essentials 

• Network Essentials is considered basic layer 3 
• It allows routing between different network segments. 

Cisco Network Advantage

• Network Advantage is full layer 3 with support for protocols such as OSPF or full EIGRP.
• It includes all the features of Network Essentials and adds full L3 protocol support like BGP, full EIGRP, OSPF, VRF, VXLAN, etc

*  Not supported on all platforms.

We hope this comparison between Network Essentials and Network Advantage has clarified the options available and helped you determine which might be the best fit for your network needs. 

As you consider your next steps, remember that choosing the right license can greatly influence your network's efficiency and capabilities. Whether you opt for the basic layer-3 routing of Network Essentials or the comprehensive protocol support of Network Advantage, Edgeium is here to support your journey toward a more dynamic network infrastructure. 

For any further details or personalized advice, don't hesitate to contact us.