Top 10 Network Monitoring Tools

Network Monitoring Tool is an application that gathers valuable information from different parts of the network. It will help in managing and controlling the network. The focus of network monitoring will be on performance monitoring, fault monitoring, and account monitoring. It is used for examining the components like applications, email servers, etc. In order to examine the network or its internal components, it sends a signal or Ping to the various system ports. Network Monitoring should be proactive and that will help in finding the problem at an early stage. It has the capability to prevent downtime or failure.

Here are the top 10 network monitoring tools.

1. SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor:

SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor is a comprehensive network performance monitoring tool that can monitor the status of devices with SNMP. It can automatically discover network devices connected to your network. Use the dashboard to monitor the availability and performance of connected network devices from a holistic perspective.

Features:

  • It has functionalities for wireless network monitoring and management.
  • It will allow you to view the performance metrics for autonomous access points.
  • It has features for advanced alerting and auto-generating intelligent maps.
  • For the critical network firewalls, switches, and load balancers, SolarWinds will provide a visual representation of performance.

2. PRTG Network Monitor:

PRTG Network Monitor from Paessler is a free network monitoring suite that uses SNMP, packet sniffing, and WMI to monitor your network. Scan network segments to discover and add devices to monitor. You can choose between a range of sensors to watch various segments of your network. Each sensor monitors an individual value in your network, for instance, there are Bandwidth Monitoring Sensors, Hardware Parameters Sensors, network data usage meters, SNMP sensors, VOIP and QoS sensors, and more.

Features:

  • It has 10 built-in technologies like email, pushes, and play alarm audio files for alerting.
  • It provides fully featured web interfaces for desktop, iOS, and Android devices.
  • For failover tolerant monitoring, every license will come with a single failover.
  • It will provide in-depth reporting. Reports can be scheduled or run on demand.
  • The tool will allow you to export the reports in PDF, HTML, XML, or CSV files.

3. Nagios:

Nagios Core is an open-source network monitor that has a web interface for monitoring network performance. Through the user network interface, you can monitor your Current Network Status with your Host Status Totals and Network Service Status Totals broken down at the top of the page. The GUI is color-coded so you can easily see elements that are unavailable or compromised.

Features:

  • It can monitor the availability of nodes and their uptime.
  • It can also watch the response time of every node.
  • It provides reports and visual representations.
  • It performs network monitoring for issues like crashed servers, etc.
  • Network Monitoring Software supports Microsoft, VMWare, and Linux.

4. Zabbix:

Zabbix is an open-source free network monitoring tool that combines network, server, cloud, application, and services monitoring into one unified solution. Zabbix uses SNMP and IPMP to monitor your network. The autodiscovery feature automatically locates network devices and adds them to be monitored. The tool can also detect configuration changes automatically so you can tell if a network device has been updated.

Features:

  • Data gathering will be flexible and extendable.
  • It can auto-detect network devices and device configuration changes.
  • It provides a variety of options for notifications.
  • It will allow you to build flexible escalation scenarios.

5. Wireshark:

Wireshark is a popular network protocol analyzer that lets you capture and analyze network traffic in real time. It is widely used for troubleshooting network issues.

Features:

  • Packet Capturing: Wireshark lets you capture network packets in real-time or from saved capture files. It supports a wide range of network interfaces and protocols.
  • Protocol Analysis: Wireshark can analyze captured packets and provide detailed information about network protocols, including Ethernet, TCP/IP, DNS, HTTP, SSL/TLS, and more. It decodes packet contents and displays them in a human-readable format.
  • Filtering and Searching: Wireshark offers flexible filtering capabilities, allowing you to focus on specific packets of interest based on various criteria, such as source/destination IP addresses, protocols, ports, and packet contents. It also provides powerful search functionality to locate specific packets or data within captured traffic.

6. ManageEngine OpManager:

ManageEngine OpManager is a network monitoring solution that can monitor the performance of network devices, servers, routers, switches, and virtual machines in real time. Customizable dashboards provide over 200 widgets for you to create a unique monitoring experience.

Features:

  • Automatic discovery
  • Network mapping
  • SNMP monitoring
  • Email and SMS alerts
  • Customizable dashboards

7. Icinga:

Icinga is an open-source network monitoring tool that monitors the performance of your network, cloud service, and data center. The software is web-based and can be configured through the GUI or with the Domain Specific Language (DSL). Having the choice between the two gives you the power to monitor however you want.

Features:

  • Web-based GUI
  • DSL configuration available
  • Dashboard
  • Icinga Modules / Extensions

8. Paessler Network Monitoring:

Paessler offers a suite of network monitoring tools, including PRTG Network Monitor, which provides real-time monitoring, alerts, and reporting for network devices and applications.

Features:

  • Auto-Discovery: PRTG Network Monitor can automatically discover network devices, systems, and services on your network. It scans the network and identifies devices, allowing for easy integration into the monitoring system.
  • Real-Time Monitoring: The tool provides real-time monitoring of network devices, servers, applications, and services. It collects and analyzes performance data, bandwidth usage, CPU and memory usage, and other relevant metrics.
  • Customizable Dashboards: PRTG offers customizable dashboards with intuitive graphical representations. Users can create personalized dashboards to visualize key performance indicators, monitor specific devices or groups, and gain quick insights into network health.

9. Cisco Prime Infrastructure:

Cisco Prime Infrastructure is a network management tool designed for Cisco network devices. It provides monitoring, configuration, and troubleshooting capabilities for Cisco networks.

Features:

  • Network Device Management: Cisco Prime Infrastructure provides centralized management of Cisco network devices, including routers, switches, wireless access points, and firewalls. It allows you to configure, monitor, and troubleshoot devices from a single interface.
  • Network Monitoring and Performance Management: The tool offers comprehensive network monitoring capabilities to track the performance and health of Cisco devices and the overall network infrastructure. It collects and analyzes performance metrics, bandwidth utilization, and device statistics.
  • Fault Management and Event Correlation: Cisco Prime Infrastructure helps identify and resolve network faults by providing real-time alerts and notifications for critical events and issues. It can correlate events and alarms from multiple devices to help pinpoint the root cause of network problems.

10. Dynatrace:

Dynatrace is an AI-powered application performance monitoring (APM) and network monitoring tool. It offers end-to-end visibility into applications, networks, and infrastructure for efficient troubleshooting and optimization.

Features:

  • Application Performance Monitoring (APM): Dynatrace provides end-to-end monitoring of applications, giving you visibility into application performance, response times, and user experience. It automatically traces transactions across distributed systems, capturing detailed metrics at every layer.
  • Real User Monitoring (RUM): The tool offers real-time insights into user behavior and experience by capturing and analyzing data from real user interactions. It helps identify performance bottlenecks, detect errors, and understand the impact on users.
  • Synthetic Monitoring: Dynatrace allows you to simulate user interactions and monitor application performance from various locations globally. Synthetic monitors help identify performance issues proactively and ensure application availability and reliability.
Rajesh Kumar
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