Because they provide you with useful information about network-related issues that have the potential to harm your business, network monitoring tools are an essential component of any strategy for managing the network. Network overcrowding, issues with routers, downtime, cybercrime, and data loss are all risks that can be reduced by monitoring networks frequently.
Features like detecting devices, monitoring network equipment, servers, and applications, recognizing network patterns, visually presenting monitoring results, and even backing up switch configurations and routers are just some of the features of these network monitoring software tools that will astonish you.
Every company ought to carry out network monitoring. However, choosing the best network monitoring software and tool for your needs and budget can be challenging due to the numerous options available.
A list of the most recent software and tools is provided below to guarantee that your network is continuously tracked and monitored at all times to ensure the highest possible uptime. The majority of them provide 14 to 30 days of free downloads or trials to get you started and ensure that it meets your requirements.
#1 SolarWinds Image Source SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor is one of the best tools for monitoring the performance of a network by tracking devices’ status using SNMP. It is able to automatically identify connected network devices. Make use of the dashboard to monitor the performance and availability of all connected network devices from a single location.
It takes no time to erect and is ready in no time. Within an hour, the utility automatically deploys network devices. One of the most user-friendly and intuitive user interfaces available thanks to its straightforward approach to network management.
The user interface is simple to manage and update, and the product is extremely adaptable. Customization is possible for the web-based performance dashboards, charts, and views. A custom topology can be created for your entire network infrastructure. Personalized, dependency-aware intelligent warnings are also possible, among other things.
A network topology map, which depicts the connections between your infrastructure, can be viewed on any newly discovered devices, applications, or services. You can trace packet transfers hop by hop with the NetPath function, which can help you diagnose the cause of performance-related network issues more effectively.
The custom alerts system lets you set alert trigger conditions. The software will notify you via email or SMS that an event has occurred when the trigger criteria are met. A comprehensive list of alerts arranged by severity can be viewed on the All Active Alerts page.
Pricing: There is a 30-day free trial. An interactive demonstration will be provided upon request. $2995 is the starting price. You can request a quote to find out more about the cost.
#2 Image Source PRTG Network Monitor from Paessler is one of the free network monitoring tools that uses SNMP, packet sniffing, and WMI to monitor your network. Find devices to monitor in network segments and add them to the list.
One of the best choices for businesses new to network management software is this one. The user interface is user-friendly and extremely powerful.
You can select from a variety of sensors to monitor various parts of your network. Hardware parameters, bandwidth monitoring sensors, SNMP sensors, VOIP and QoS sensors, and other sensors all keep an eye on the same value in your network.
The devices, systems, traffic, and applications of your network can all be viewed in a hierarchical view that emphasizes performance and alerts. In order to monitor the entire IT infrastructure, PRTG makes use of a variety of technologies, including SNMP, WMI, SSH, Flows/Packet Sniffing, HTTP requests, REST APIs, Pings, SQL, and others.
One of a kind is PRTG’s mobile application-based device monitoring in the data center. A QR code that is printed and adhered to the actual device helps identify the sensor.
Pricing: The number of licenses purchased determines the price. Free are up to 100 sensors.
#3 Nagios XI Nagios XI is a robust network monitoring tool that has been in development for a considerable amount of time. While Nagios XI is a proprietary interface that runs on Nagios Core, Nagios Core is open-source and free software. Nagios XI is a network monitoring software that can do almost everything a system or network administrator could possibly need.
The server is dependable, and the web interface is quick and simple to use. Newcomers may find its somewhat complicated configuration to be difficult to understand, but it also makes it possible to customize the tool for virtually any monitoring task.
There are numerous plug-ins available for a wide range of hardware and software because Nagios Core is supported by a large and active community. Anything with an IP address, including servers, services, network channels, and anything else, can be continuously monitored. No server or network monitoring system would be complete without notifications.
A customized method for e-mail, SMS, and instant messaging via the most common internet messengers is included in the Nagios software platform. Additionally, there is an escalation structure for rationally deciding who ought to be notified when and under what circumstances.
Additionally, the display function color-codes all monitored devices to indicate issues as they arise in a logical representation of their network layout.
Pricing: The standard paid edition costs $1,995 for 100 nodes.
#4 Datadog Image Source Datadog Network Performance Monitoring is a solution for monitoring infrastructure that is hosted in the cloud and monitors the flow of network traffic. It is complemented by a Network Device Monitoring service that focuses on the state of each network device, including appliances, switches, and routers.
The Network Performance Monitor can combine cloud services and multiple websites’ network monitoring efforts. As part of the SaaS package, the service provides a processor for running the monitoring software and storage space for acquired statistics. In addition to providing live status updates, this network monitoring system includes tools for packet capture and analysis.
The Datadog Network Performance Monitoring service first scans your network to locate all devices. All of the configurations for the monitoring system are done for you by this autodiscovery service. The monitoring service as a whole is indexed by the device inventory created by the network discovery process.
Once all devices and linkages have been identified, the Datadog dashboard may provide an overview of all network activity. Additionally, the service generates a network topology map that can be utilized to quickly gain an understanding of each link or node. You are able to access device data and performance information thanks to the map’s interactive nature. Also included is information about how the Internet connects to other websites and cloud resources.
The recursive nature of Datadog’s network research services means that any changes you make to your network will be detected immediately. The network inventory and topology map are updated without the need for human intervention by this.
Pricing: Datadog provides a variety of pricing options for services like Network Performance, Infrastructure, and Log Management. Network Performance begins at $5 per host per month. Tools for tagging searches and pattern analysis of network traffic are included in this design. Their product is available for free for 14 days.
#5 Icinga Image Source Icinga is yet another excellent open-source network monitoring system that monitors the performance of your network, cloud services, and data centers. The graphical user interface (GUI) or the Domain Specific Language (DSL) can be used to modify the software, which is accessible via the internet. You have the freedom to monitor as you see fit when you can choose between the two.
By logging in to the GUI and using the dashboard, you can get a quick overview of performance management. The dashboard color-codes any issues with performance or availability according to their severity. The critical or down network devices are highlighted in red.
Even though this platform is a useful addition to your technology stack, it does not have all of the features of more comprehensive network monitoring tools like Graphite and Prometheus. Nevertheless, it is an excellent choice for novices or small businesses due to its functionality and ease of use.
It is a tool for SMB and enterprise networks that is user-friendly and adaptable. The software is mostly used to keep an eye on services and infrastructure. The threshold analysis and report/alert capabilities of the tool are also excellent.
Icinga is known for its high-quality analytics and reports on your IT infrastructure’s overall health. The dashboard displays all required alerts, which can be sent via email, text message, or mobile messaging.
Pricing: It is free and open-source software.
#6 Zabbix Image Source Zabbix is a free and open-source network monitoring system that combines cloud, application, service, network, server, and cloud monitoring into a single platform. Zabbix uses SNMP and IPMP to keep an eye on your network.
Network devices are discovered and automatically added to the monitoring list by the autodiscovery feature. You can determine whether a network device has been updated by using the tool’s ability to automatically detect configuration changes.
Zabbix has a notification system that allows you to quickly respond to alarms. Alerts are sent via email, SMS, messenger, jabber, or custom scripts to keep you informed of changing network security events. The notification content can be tailored to the recipient to ensure that the point of contact has everything they need to respond intelligently.
Zabbix provides precise information on the hypervisor’s performance, availability, and activity because it is compatible with VMware, Hyper-V, and other virtualization hypervisors. It is able to specifically monitor databases, web services, and Java application servers.
Most people use Zabbix for trending and monitoring. It is common practice to make use of this software to monitor servers and network infrastructure. Predicting traffic patterns is one of Zabbix’s best features. Zabbix is able to predict behavior in the future based on previous data.
If there are any problems, like the network being used too much or too little, you can set up network monitoring and receive prompt alerts. This automation frees up resources and team members by removing the need to manually check networks.
Pricing: It is free and open-source software.
#7 Auvik Image Source Auvik is a system for system management that is based in the cloud and monitors networks. The software can be accessed through a Web browser, and when you create an account, the setup process puts collectors on your system. From a single location, the Auvik package can control and monitor multiple websites. The package is therefore ideal for WAN monitoring.
The Auvik service starts with a process of finding the network. All of the necessary base information for the monitor to function is filled in by this. Any newly added devices to the network will be detected by the discovery service, which is always running.
If any of the thresholds are exceeded once the monitoring service is operational, the system will issue an alert. The thresholds will enable technicians to address system performance issues before they become apparent to users, allowing them to concentrate on other tasks.
One of the Auvik package’s network management tools is configuration management, which is used to standardize device settings and prevent unauthorized changes.
The computing power comes from the cloud servers that power Auvik. However, collectors must be installed at each monitored location for the method to work. This software is compatible with Ubuntu Linux as well as Windows Server.
Pricing: The management and monitoring solution for Auvik’s network is completely free to use. It gives you a free trial. Auvik bases its pricing on quotes. The solution has two pricing tiers: Performance and the Essentials. The monthly cost starts at $150.
#8 Progress WhatsUp Gold Image Source Progress Software Corporation’s WhatsUp Gold is a network performance system that employs the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) to monitor the health of network devices. You can add additional services like configuration management, log management, application monitoring, and traffic analysis thanks to the software’s adaptable pricing structure.
The WhatsUp Gold system includes an autodiscovery module. This first populates the inventory of monitoring devices, and then it checks for any changes in network resources. The system will immediately update the network inventory if any devices are added, moved, or removed.
LANs, wireless networks, and Internet connections to distant sites or cloud resources are all monitored by WhatsUp Gold. Additionally, WhatsUp Gold includes a network topology mapper that automatically generates network maps from device inventory data. These topology maps automatically adjust to changes in the inventory of devices.
Frequently, this monitoring tool issues broadcasts requesting status reports, or MIBs. Once each device agent responds to the request, WhatsUp Gold compiles the results it receives. This method gives the monitoring system information about all of the devices and the other devices they are connected to.
A trap message will be sent when a device agent detects an issue with the equipment it is monitoring. WhatsUp Gold transforms this into an alert. Network administrators can disregard the monitoring console and rely on WhatsUp Gold to monitor everything.
Pricing: To learn the cost, submit a quote. To learn more about the product, a demo and free trial are also provided.
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Server, application, storage, and network management are often handled by the same IT department. Software bundles that include monitoring tools can cover all of these aspects of a company’s infrastructure. A command-line application or a complete set of services could make up a network monitoring tool.
The technology of networking is involved in numerous distinct specialty functions. The physical components of your network, such as the cable or optic fiber that carries LAN data or the transmitters that generate radio waves in wireless networks, should be known to you at the most fundamental level.
Atatus is a Full Stack Observability Platform that allows you to review issues as if they occurred in your application. With Atatus, you can monitor your entire application. Atatus lets you quickly understand what went wrong by replaying the session instead of guessing why errors occur or asking users for screenshots and log dumps.
Real User Monitoring, Server Monitoring, Logs Monitoring, Synthetic Monitoring, Uptime Monitoring, and API Analytics are all services we provide. It supports plugins and integrates flawlessly with any application, regardless of framework.
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