5 Best Network Monitoring Tools

There are numerous network monitoring tools and utilities available, including commercial and open-source options. It can be tough to choose network monitoring software because there are many options. You can also refer to routerlogin.mobi for more info. Traffic analyzers and NetFlow monitors are two terms for traffic monitoring technologies. Here are some tools and software for network monitoring.

Table of Contents

PRTG Network Monitor

PRTG Network Monitor is a comprehensive network device, traffic, performance, and application monitoring tool. It monitors using SNMP, NetFlow, WMI, and SSH protocols.

One of PRTG Network Monitor’s strengths is its ease of use. Real-time alerts that are highly customizable make problem-solving much easier.
PRTG, like most professional tools, has an auto-discovery feature that automatically scans the network and adds elements to the monitoring.
The tool includes a customizable dashboard that allows you to create real-time network maps of your infrastructure for better visualization.
The drag-and-drop editor enables you to create maps with over 300 map objects. You can even use custom HTML to create your map objects.
Once the monitoring is configured, the tool can also be accessed via mobile apps. This makes remote or outside-the-desk network management very convenient.
PRTG does not natively support monitoring Azure cloud services in comparison to other tools. This disadvantage, according to Paessler, can be overcome by combining the ITOps software Martello with PRTG Network Monitor.

Nagios

Nagios is a well-known open-source Linux-based network monitoring tool. The free tool Nagios Core provides monitoring and management capabilities for IT environments. Because of its open-source nature, Nagios has a plethora of plug-ins and can be easily customized to meet your requirements.

Monitor performance events using the alerts system, which sends email and SMS notifications. View the Alert History section to learn about the alerts created and when they were created.
The alert list is color-coded, making it easier to prioritize critical alerts. Although Nagios Core is an excellent free network monitoring software, it requires a little more setup than the other products on this list.
One should consider whether the time spent on configuration (and bug-fixing and problem-solving) is less expensive than purchasing a commercial monitoring tool.
For those who do not want to browse forums or chat with other Nagios experts, it might be worth considering the commercial Nagios XI, which starts at 1,995 USD

WhatsUp Gold from Ipswitch

Progress Software Corporation’s WhatsUp Gold is a network performance monitor that checks network device health using the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP). Software’s flexible pricing system enables you to add on additional services such as configuration management, log management, application monitoring, and traffic analysis.

An auto-discovery module is in the WhatsUp Gold system. At startup, this populates the monitoring device inventory and then continues to poll for changes in network resources.
If any devices are added, moved, or removed, the system will automatically update the network inventory.
The lack of a clear licensing policy is a significant disadvantage of WhatsUp Gold. Each version is unique, so you must request a quote and provide information about your network infrastructure.
WhatsUp Gold is slightly more expensive than other monitoring tools.

SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor

SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor is a comprehensive network performance monitoring tool that can use SNMP to monitor the status of devices. Use the dashboard to keep track of the availability and performance of all network devices connected to your network.

Any discovered devices, applications, or services can also be viewed on a network topology map, which shows how your infrastructure connects.
NetPath allows you to trace packet transfers step by step, which can help you more effectively diagnose the source of performance network issues.
It provides a variety of IT management software for businesses. The Network Performance Monitor is one of its essential products.
The application keeps track of all network elements such as servers, switches, and applications.
SolarWinds NPM comes with a centralized dashboard that includes visual elements such as pie charts, maps, and graphs.
Customized alerts notify you when network performance is dangerously low services are unavailable.
One of the main reasons why SolarWinds NPM is so popular with medium-sized and large businesses worldwide is the wide range of functionalities and supported devices/services.
Calculating the number of elements in your network and selecting the appropriate NPM license are both hectic tasks.

ManageEngine OpManager

ManageEngine OpManager from Zoho Corporation is a network monitoring solution that can continuously monitor the performance of network devices, servers, routers, switches, and virtual machines. Over 200 widgets are available in customizable dashboards to help you create a one-of-a-kind monitoring experience.

The extensive feature set provided by ManageEngine OpManager is a significant advantage. It contains almost everything that most sysadmins will require for their daily tasks.
A great paid APM plug-in exists for application performance management. ManageEngine’s tools can be installed on a Windows or Linux server.
The selection of required editions and add-ons, like that of SolarWinds products, can be frustrating. OpManager may be too expensive for startups or small businesses.
If a company wishes to use all features, the costs quickly escalate into tens of thousands of dollars.

Conclusion

Many IT departments combine the functions of the server, application, storage, and network management because these elements are interdependent on the successful delivery of services to end-users. These aspects of a company’s infrastructure can be covered by combined software packages that include monitoring tools. A network monitoring tool can be as simple as a command-line utility or as complex as a suite of services.

Overall, you must stay on top of potential network issues and mitigate them. If a failure does occur, try to detect it and resolve it before it interferes with network users’ work. If all other measures fail, the help desk allows you to receive alerts from users to identify problems that have gone undetected.

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