Universal Network Device Support - All Vendors, Protocols & Equipment Types

When asked “Which vendors does rConfig support?”, the answer is simple: All of them. And then some.

Every Device. Every Vendor. Every Protocol.

This isn’t marketing speak. rConfig V8 Pro is the only network configuration management platform that can make this claim with 100% confidence and demonstrate it in production. While competitors maintain vendor certification lists and struggle with proprietary protocols, rConfig’s architecture treats device configuration management as a protocol and command problem, not a vendor problem.

The result? Organizations worldwide use rConfig to back up traditional network infrastructure alongside operational technology (OT), industrial control systems (ICS), manufacturing equipment, building automation, and systems that other NCM platforms can’t touch.

The Architecture That Changes Everything

1. Template-Driven Command System

rConfig doesn’t hardcode vendor support. Instead, it uses a flexible command template system where you define:

Connection protocol (SSH, Telnet, API, xFTP)
Authentication sequence (username/password, enable mode, privilege escalation)
Commands to execute (any valid commands the device accepts)
Prompt patterns (how to detect when the device is ready for input)
Output handling (pagination, ANSI codes, line endings)

What this means: If you can connect to it and type commands, rConfig can back it up. No vendor certification required. No waiting for the next software release to support a new device model.

2. Five Connection Methods

Most NCM platforms support SSH and maybe Telnet. rConfig provides five distinct backup methods, each designed for different device categories and constraints:

SSH (Secure Shell)

The Standard: Encrypted, authenticated, works with 90% of modern network devices.

Cisco, Juniper, Aruba, HP, Dell, Extreme, Fortinet, Palo Alto
Linux servers, BSD systems, Unix appliances
Modern industrial controllers with SSH support
Cloud network services (AWS VPC, Azure networking)

Key capability: Full terminal emulation with privilege escalation support.

Telnet

The Legacy Protocol: Unencrypted but universally supported on older equipment.

Legacy Cisco IOS devices
Older HP ProCurve switches
Industrial equipment from the 1990s-2000s
Building automation controllers
Serial console servers and terminal servers

Why it matters: Equipment that predates SSH still needs backing up. Telnet support means you can manage infrastructure that competitors abandon.

REST API

The Modern Interface: Structured data exchange for API-enabled devices.

SD-WAN controllers (Meraki, Viptela, VeloCloud)
Cloud management platforms
Next-gen firewalls with REST APIs
Wireless controllers (Aruba Central, Cisco DNA Center)
Load balancers (F5, Citrix ADC)

Advantage: Native API backup for devices that expose configuration via REST endpoints.

xFTP (TFTP/FTP/SFTP/SCP)

The Push Protocol: Devices push configurations to rConfig on a schedule.

Cisco devices configured to copy running-config tftp://rconfig
Network devices behind NAT or firewalls (can’t be reached directly)
Equipment that lacks interactive shell access
Legacy systems with only file transfer capabilities

Use case: Devices in remote sites with intermittent connectivity can push configs when links are up.

Custom Scripts (BYOC - Bring Your Own Connection)

The Universal Adapter: Execute custom scripts to retrieve configurations from anything.

Devices with proprietary management interfaces
Systems requiring multi-step authentication
Equipment with non-standard output formats
Integration with vendor-specific management tools
Anything you can script in Python, Bash, or PowerShell

Power move: If none of the built-in methods work, write a script. rConfig executes it and stores the output.

Combined capability: One platform, five connection methods, infinite device support.

Beyond the Network: Real-World Versatility

Case Study: European Highway Infrastructure

Challenge: A central European transportation authority manages thousands of roadside devices across a highway network:

Variable message signs (VMS) displaying traffic alerts
Speed detection systems
Traffic monitoring cameras
Weather sensors
Emergency call boxes

These devices run a mix of Windows Embedded, Linux, and proprietary embedded systems. Traditional NCM platforms couldn’t connect to them.

Solution: rConfig’s template system backed up all of them:

SSH for Linux-based cameras and sensors
Telnet for older VMS systems
API calls for newer intelligent signage
Custom scripts for Windows Embedded devices

Result: Complete configuration backup coverage across the entire highway infrastructure. When a speed detector fails, they restore the exact configuration from rConfig. When they update VMS firmware, they verify config drift. All managed from a single platform.

Case Study: Middle East Petrochemical Manufacturing

Challenge: A large petrochemical facility needed to back up SCADA systems and PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers) controlling refinery operations. They’d been using a 30-year-old Unix server with custom scripts that nobody understood anymore. When that server died, they’d lose decades of configuration history.

Discovery: rConfig’s snippet feature—designed for sending configuration commands to network devices—worked perfectly for retrieving PLC programs and SCADA configurations.

Solution: They connected rConfig to Siemens PLCs, Schneider Electric SCADA systems, and Rockwell Automation controllers using:

Custom scripts for proprietary protocols
SSH for Linux-based SCADA servers
API connections for modern controllers

Result: They decommissioned the Unix server, migrated 30 years of configuration history to rConfig, and now have automated backups with full change tracking, compliance reporting, and diff comparison. The refinery control systems are backed up alongside the facility network infrastructure—one platform, complete visibility.

Case Study: Healthcare Building Automation

A hospital network uses rConfig to back up:

BACnet building controllers (HVAC, lighting)
Access control systems
Nurse call systems
Cisco and Aruba network switches
VoIP PBX configurations

Why: When critical infrastructure fails at 2 AM, they need to restore configurations fast. Having everything in rConfig means one platform, one restore process, one audit trail.

Proven Network Vendor Support

While rConfig works beyond traditional networking, it’s built on a rock-solid foundation of proven network device support. Organizations worldwide trust rConfig for:

Enterprise Networking

Cisco: IOS, IOS-XE, NX-OS, IOS-XR, ASA, WLC, Catalyst, Nexus
Juniper: JunOS, EX switches, SRX firewalls, MX routers
Aruba/HP: ProCurve, ArubaOS, CX switches, wireless controllers
Extreme: ExtremeXOS, EXOS, VSP
Dell: PowerConnect, OS6, OS9, OS10

Security Appliances

Palo Alto Networks: PAN-OS firewalls
Fortinet: FortiGate, FortiOS
Check Point: Gaia, SecurePlatform
Cisco ASA: Firewall, VPN concentrators
pfSense/OPNsense: Open-source firewalls

Wireless & SD-WAN

Cisco Meraki: Cloud-managed via API
Aruba Central: Cloud controllers
Ruckus: Wireless controllers
Ubiquiti: UniFi controllers
SD-WAN: Viptela, VeloCloud, Silver Peak

Load Balancers & ADC

F5 Networks: BIG-IP (all modules)
Citrix: NetScaler/ADC
A10 Networks: Thunder series
Kemp: LoadMaster

Data Center & Storage

Brocade/Broadcom: Fibre Channel switches
Cisco: MDS, UCS
NetApp: ONTAP controllers
Dell EMC: Storage arrays with SSH/API

Carrier & Service Provider

Nokia/ALU: Service routers
Ericsson: Network nodes
Huawei: Enterprise and carrier equipment
ZTE: Carrier infrastructure

The list goes on: Sophos, SonicWall, WatchGuard, Mikrotik, EdgeRouter, VyOS, Cumulus Linux, Arista, Mellanox, and hundreds more.

Why Universal Support Matters

1. No Waiting for Vendor Updates

Competitor adds new vendor support? You wait 6-12 months for certification and testing.

New vendor ships tomorrow? You create a command template this afternoon.

2. Manage Heterogeneous Environments

Real networks aren’t monoculture. You have:

Cisco core, HP access layer
Palo Alto firewalls, F5 load balancers
Aruba wireless, Cisco phones
Linux servers, Windows boxes
Legacy equipment that “just works” and can’t be replaced

rConfig manages all of it from one platform.

3. Extend Beyond IT

Your network team backs up switches. Your OT team scripts backups for SCADA. Your facilities team has no backup for building controllers.

With rConfig, one platform covers IT, OT, and IoT. Unified backup, unified change tracking, unified compliance.

4. Future-Proof Your Investment

Vendor gets acquired and product discontinued? Not your problem—your templates still work.

New startup releases innovative networking gear? Connect to it day one.

Industry shifts to API-first infrastructure? rConfig’s API support has you covered.

Full Suite Capabilities for Every Device

Here’s the power move: Every device backed up by rConfig gets the full platform capabilities, regardless of how you connect to it:

Configuration Management

Automated backups on schedules or on-demand
Version control with unlimited history
Change tracking with before/after comparison
Rollback capability for failed changes

Compliance & Policy

Policy-based compliance using regex pattern matching
Automated compliance reports for audits
Configuration standards enforcement
Deviation detection from approved baselines

Change Automation

Snippet deployment to send configuration changes
Bulk operations across device groups
Task scheduling for change windows
Change validation with diff preview

Reporting & Analytics

Inventory reports with device properties
Compliance dashboards showing drift
Change history for troubleshooting
Audit trails for security and compliance

Integration

REST API for external system integration
Webhook notifications for change events
CSV export for offline analysis
Device sync from Netbox/Nautobot/Zabbix

The highway infrastructure gets compliance reporting. The SCADA systems get change tracking. The building controllers get version control.

One platform. Universal support. Complete capabilities.

The Template System in Action

Creating support for a new device type takes minutes:

Example: Industrial PLC

Create Device Type: “Siemens S7-1500”
Set Connection Method: SSH
Define Commands:
- show config
- show hardware
- export program
Configure Prompts:
- Login prompt: login:
- Password prompt: Password:
- Ready prompt: S7>
Test: Run manual backup
Deploy: Assign to devices

Time investment: 15 minutes
Result: Full backup, change tracking, and compliance for an industrial controller that “network management platforms” can’t touch.

Use Cases Beyond Traditional Networking

Manufacturing & Industrial

SCADA systems (Siemens, Schneider, Rockwell)
PLCs and industrial controllers
Manufacturing execution systems (MES)
CNC machine controllers
Robotic system configurations

Building & Facilities

BACnet building controllers
HVAC management systems
Lighting control systems
Access control platforms
Fire alarm panels

Transportation & Infrastructure

Traffic management systems
Variable message signs
Toll collection systems
Railway signaling equipment
Airport systems

Telecommunications

VoIP PBX systems
Call managers
Session border controllers
Carrier switches
Media gateways

Energy & Utilities

Substation automation
Smart grid controllers
Renewable energy inverters
Power monitoring systems
Energy management platforms

Healthcare & Life Safety

Nurse call systems
Patient monitoring networks
Medical imaging systems
Laboratory equipment networks
Emergency notification systems

Vendor Comparison: Why rConfig is Different

Capability	rConfig V8 Pro	Traditional NCM Platforms
Vendor Certification Required	No	Yes
New Vendor Support	Minutes (create template)	Months (wait for vendor)
Custom/Proprietary Devices	Yes (templates + scripts)	No
OT/SCADA Support	Yes	No
IoT/Building Automation	Yes	No
API-Based Backup	Yes	Limited
xFTP Push Method	Yes	Rarely
Custom Script Integration	Yes	No
Connection Methods	5 (SSH, Telnet, API, xFTP, Scripts)	1-2 (SSH, maybe Telnet)

The Bottom Line

When someone asks “Does rConfig support [vendor/device]?”, the answer is always: If you can connect to it, we can back it up.

This isn’t about maintaining a vendor checklist. It’s about architecture designed for universal compatibility. It’s about recognizing that configuration management extends beyond routers and switches into every corner of modern infrastructure.

rConfig doesn’t just support network vendors. It supports your infrastructure—whatever it is, wherever it is, however old or new it might be.

Traditional networking? Rock solid.
Operational technology? Proven in production.
Industrial control? Deployed in critical manufacturing.
Building automation? Protecting healthcare and commercial facilities.
Future devices not yet invented? Ready for them.

One platform. Infinite possibilities. Zero vendor lock-in.

Getting Started with Non-Traditional Devices

Ready to extend rConfig beyond traditional networking?

Identify device connection method (SSH, Telnet, API, script)
Create device type template with appropriate commands
Test on a single device to validate connectivity and output
Deploy to device group once validated
Enable full suite capabilities (compliance, change tracking, reporting)