Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Azure Virtual WAN VS The Dude

Compare Azure Virtual WAN VS The Dude and see what are their differences

Azure Virtual WAN logo Azure Virtual WAN

Learn about Virtual WAN automated scalable branch-to-branch connectivity, available regions, and partners.

The Dude logo The Dude

MikroTik is a Latvian company which was founded in 1996 to develop routers and wireless ISP systems. MikroTik now provides hardware and software for Internet connectivity in most of the countries around the world.
  • Azure Virtual WAN Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-20
  • The Dude Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-07-25

Azure Virtual WAN videos

Azure Virtual WAN in 13 minutes

More videos:

  • Demo - Azure Virtual Wan Demo. Connect your remote offices, data centers, users, vnets with Virtual WAN
  • Review - Zero to Hero with Azure Virtual WAN from Derek Smith

The Dude videos

Who's the Dude? Review - with Tom Vasel

More videos:

  • Demo - J. Rockett "The Dude" overdrive, demo by Pete Thorn
  • Demo - J. Rockett Audio Designs The Dude V2 - Sound Demo (no talking)

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Azure Virtual WAN and The Dude)
Monitoring Tools
37 37%
63% 63
Log Management
34 34%
66% 66
Network & Admin
0 0%
100% 100
Development
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using Azure Virtual WAN and The Dude. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

The Dude might be a bit more popular than Azure Virtual WAN. We know about 6 links to it since March 2021 and only 6 links to Azure Virtual WAN. 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.

Azure Virtual WAN mentions (6)

  • Could you have 300 locations connected to one Azure tenancy via site-to-site VPN?
    Azure gateways have limitations (eg100). Check with a Microsoft partner or look into recommended azure virtual wan (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-wan/virtual-wan-about). Source: 12 months ago
  • Need help with VNet Peering
    I think you are looking for: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-wan/virtual-wan-about. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Azure Virtual Firewall Query
    They also mentioned here that they can use Azure Virtual WAN. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Questions about NGFW and SD-WAN
    Https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-wan/virtual-wan-about or https://www.megaport.com/ gives you a great backbone. You can create HUBS with any kind of NGFW. THE NGFW at the spokes/branches provides "the last mile" connection. Source: over 2 years ago
  • VNET peering Hub and Spoke issue
    We have had great success with Azure Virtual WANs. They make many of the hassles you have just go away. They aren't free, but they are faster and easier to set up. You save money on the manpower hours. Https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-wan/virtual-wan-about. Source: almost 3 years ago
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The Dude mentions (6)

  • Network Scanning Software Suggestions
    An incredibly powerful free tool that has been around a long time is Mikrotik's 'The Dude'. Source: about 1 year ago
  • Question about central or cloud management
    If you have a powerful enough router in the network, one of your options is to use The DUDE (Documentation). Note that DUDE requires IP access to WinBox from the management network. For some more features, you should also enable SNMP on your routers. DUDE server can also host a syslog server, so you can have centralized log ingestion. The downside of this solution is that it's unfortunately not a fully-featured... Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Share your greatest free tools
    The Dude” is what the tool is called (yeah I don’t know why they called it that either). It’s a client-server application and the server nowadays only runs on a Mikrotik router as a separate package. You could use any Mikrotik router but since it’s heavy on logging I use a Mikrotik CHR as a VM just to host the dude. The free CHR license gives you 1Mbps throughput which for SNMP monitoring is plenty. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Hi, i have a question
    MikroTik has a software called The Dude, that runs on some sort of computer acting as a server (an always on computer to receive, monitor, and store the data collected from the statistics). This would be the best way to achieve what you want to do (collecting user usage statistics and storing it in one place). Source: about 2 years ago
  • MikroTik - The Dude - No more active development, resume unknown
    Https://mikrotik.com/thedude Supports SNMP, ICMP, DNS and TCP monitoring for devices that support it. Source: over 2 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Azure Virtual WAN and The Dude, you can also consider the following products

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.

OpenNMS - Project home page of OpenNMS - a java based network managememnt platform developed under the Open Source model

Nmap - Nmap Free Security Scanner, Port Scanner, & Network Exploration Tool. Download open source software for Linux, Windows, UNIX, FreeBSD, etc.

Pandora FMS - Pandora FMS: Opensource monitoring software

Ubiquiti Network Management System - Ubiquiti Network Management System manages all the EdgeMAX, EdgeSwitch, airMAX and UFiber devices.

cStatus - Monitor and scan a network.