The Best Network Monitoring Software and Tools

• By John Ocampos
• 03-04-2023
• Software

Network monitoring tools are essential in keeping track of the performance and security of your network infrastructure. With so many options available, it can be difficult to choose the best one for your business or IT organization. In this article, we'll take a look at some of the best network monitoring software and tools on the market today. We'll discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each tool, and how they can help you manage your network more effectively. Whether you're looking for a cloud-based solution, a tool for mapping your network, or one with advanced AIOps capabilities, there's a tool out there that can meet your needs. So, let's dive in and explore some of the best network monitoring software and tools available today.

There are a number of great network monitoring tools on the market today, but which are the best? Let's take a look at a few. Zabbix, Nagios, LogicMonitor, and Intermapper are all worth considering. We'll also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each. All of these tools offer great value to businesses and IT organizations. The best tools for network monitoring are flexible, feature-rich, and easy to use.

Top 10 Network Monitoring Software and Tools

1) LogicMonitor

LogicMonitor Network Monitoring Software and tools is a network monitoring solution that offers comprehensive visibility across hybrid IT. Besides monitoring network devices, this software helps businesses monitor the quality of customer experience. With over 2000 integrations, LogicMonitor offers comprehensive infrastructure monitoring and proactive alerts for performance degradation. The platform also enables customers to manage their infrastructure by connecting with their existing services, devices, and technologies.

The LogicMonitor Network Monitoring Software and tools are a cloud-based SaaS service that allows businesses to monitor infrastructure. This solution provides IT professionals with a single source of truth for all network performance and security metrics. LogicMonitor's features include a customizable dashboard, granular technical metrics visualization, and advanced AIOps capabilities. Users can monitor networks, servers, systems, and storage from a single web console.

It is designed for easy integration and has prebuilt connectors for over 2000 technologies. LogicMonitor also supports OpenTelemetry-based application microservices, which enable users to add custom data sources to collect a more comprehensive view of network performance.

2) Zabbix

Zabbix is a powerful network monitoring software that provides real-time visibility into the performance and health of your network infrastructure. Its ability to send notifications via various channels allows IT professionals to stay informed about any issues and take appropriate actions. With Zabbix, you can customize alerts to suit your specific needs, ensuring that the right people receive the right information at the right time.

The user interface of Zabbix may seem daunting for beginners, as it requires some programming and networking knowledge. However, once you get the hang of it, the software provides a wealth of features and functionalities that can help you monitor and manage your network effectively. Zabbix allows you to monitor various network components, including servers, routers, switches, and applications, among others. You can also create customized dashboards to view performance metrics and visualize network activity.

Zabbix is available for free and can be downloaded from the official website. However, for enterprises that require more advanced features and support, Zabbix offers a paid license that includes professional technical support, consulting, and training. The cost of the license can be a little steep, but for organizations that heavily rely on their network infrastructure, it may be a worthwhile investment.

3) Intermapper

If you are looking for a network monitoring solution that can help you map your entire network and locate performance problems, you might want to consider Intermapper. This cross-platform network monitoring solution supports SNMP and enables you to monitor a wide variety of network devices and infrastructure. It also offers add-ons that include NetFlow monitoring and remote network access. This review will highlight some of the benefits of Intermapper and how it can help you improve your network monitoring capabilities.

SNMP is an open standard that allows you to continuously poll the status of any network device. With color-coded icons, you can quickly get a quick overview of the health of your network. Flexible notifications let you know when thresholds are exceeded and can be assigned to a specific team or department to ensure a prompt response. Intermapper also lets you analyze reports and manage condition acknowledgments with its intuitive dashboard. SNMP is flexible enough to monitor any device on your network, whether it's an IP address, server, or wireless device. If you want to learn more about how to login to your Netgear router, navigate to this site.

4) Nagios

Nagios is an open-source network monitoring tool that provides administrators with a comprehensive solution for monitoring network performance and detecting issues. This software uses a server-agent architecture, where agents installed on monitored hosts communicate with the Nagios server to retrieve metrics and make decisions based on predefined thresholds. The software is highly configurable and can be used both actively and passively to monitor network devices, services, and applications.
One of the significant advantages of Nagios is its ability to monitor multiple locations, allowing administrators to define a hierarchy of monitored hosts. The software provides real-time monitoring through color-coded graphics, which enable administrators to identify network issues easily. Additionally, Nagios sends alerts via email and SMS when it detects a problem, ensuring that administrators are immediately notified of any issues.

The web interface of Nagios provides a convenient way to access and manage network monitoring data. It provides notifications and failure history, which help administrators to identify patterns and address recurrent issues proactively. The software also offers various plugins that allow for the integration of third-party tools and services to extend its functionality.

5) CloudStats

CloudStats is a reliable cloud-based network monitoring software designed for Linux and Windows servers. This solution offers a wide range of features, including URL, server processes, and SSL expiration date monitoring. Additionally, the tool sends data to a cloud-based monitoring platform every minute, making it easy to detect and prevent any network-related issues before they escalate.

One of the standout features of CloudStats is its easy-to-use web application interface, which enables users to access monitoring services directly from their web browsers. The solution also features a service API that allows users to send custom status updates from their server to CloudStats, as well as create custom probes. Additionally, CloudStats hosts regularly monitor their infrastructure, ensuring that networks are always in top condition.

Another impressive feature of CloudStats is its notification system. Users can receive notifications via email, text, or e-mail when server resources are used beyond normal levels. This feature makes it easy to stay informed about server issues and address them promptly.

6) Icinga

Icinga is a powerful network monitoring software and tool that supports direct and SNMP network monitoring. It offers a flexible and easy-to-configure solution for creating thousands of monitoring data points in just a few minutes. The Icinga client and server are designed to be scalable and flexible, allowing users to monitor a host's RAM, CPU, and processes. The software's TLS encryption ensures secure communication between the server and client, making it an ideal choice for organizations that prioritize data privacy and security.

With support for multiple platforms including Linux and Windows, Icinga offers a versatile management solution that can monitor a wide range of network resources. It is an open-source monitoring software that can monitor applications, servers, cloud services, websites, and other network resources. Additionally, it can automate recurring tasks to ensure 24/7 uptime and prevent data loss. This means that users can set up monitoring policies, which can alert them when a critical issue arises, and remediate issues automatically.

Icinga can also monitor network devices such as switches, routers, and LAN ports, making it a comprehensive solution for monitoring an organization's entire network. The software's scalability makes it suitable for businesses of all sizes, from small businesses to large enterprises. In summary, Icinga is a powerful and flexible network monitoring software that can help organizations monitor and manage their network resources effectively while ensuring data privacy and security.

7) SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor

The SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor (NPM) is a powerful tool that provides IT professionals with a comprehensive view of their network infrastructure. The software offers a range of features, including customizable dashboards, network mapping, and alerting, to help users monitor and manage their network performance effectively. With the SolarWinds NPM, users can gain visibility into their entire network, including switches, routers, and servers, to identify issues and optimize performance.

One of the key benefits of the SolarWinds NPM is its automated network discovery and root-cause analysis capabilities. The software automatically discovers devices on the network, including those that are added or removed, and provides detailed information about their performance. It also helps to identify the root cause of network issues by correlating data from different sources and presenting it in a clear and actionable format.

8) PRTG Network Monitor

PRTG Network Monitor is a powerful software solution that provides comprehensive monitoring capabilities for networks, servers, applications, and devices. It enables organizations to stay on top of their IT infrastructure by providing real-time insights into the performance and health of their network components.

With its customizable dashboard, PRTG Network Monitor allows users to easily view and manage their network data. The dashboard can be tailored to suit individual needs, with the ability to add or remove sensors as needed. Additionally, the software provides notifications via email, SMS, and push notifications, allowing users to quickly respond to any issues that may arise.

The map designer tool is another key feature of PRTG Network Monitor, enabling users to create custom network visualizations that can be easily shared with others. This allows organizations to quickly identify any issues and take action to resolve them.

9) ManageEngine OpManager

ManageEngine OpManager is a comprehensive network monitoring tool that offers a wide range of features to help businesses manage their networks effectively. The tool provides a single console for monitoring network devices, servers, and applications, which simplifies network management by allowing administrators to view all aspects of their network from a single location.

OpManager also includes advanced analytics for predicting and preventing network issues. This feature uses machine learning algorithms to analyze network data and identify potential problems before they occur. This allows administrators to take proactive measures to prevent network downtime, reducing the risk of costly outages.

In addition to network monitoring, OpManager also offers bandwidth analysis and configuration management capabilities. These features allow administrators to track bandwidth usage and optimize network performance, as well as automate routine configuration tasks for network devices.

10) Wireshark

Wireshark is a powerful and versatile network protocol analyzer that is widely used by network administrators, security professionals, developers, and other IT professionals to troubleshoot, analyze, and develop network protocols. It is a free and open-source tool that can run on Windows, Linux, and macOS, and can be used to capture and analyze network traffic in real-time.

One of the main features of Wireshark is its ability to capture packets and provide detailed information about their contents. It can decode and analyze a wide range of network protocols, including TCP, UDP, HTTP, DNS, and many others, and display the information in an easy-to-read format. This allows users to quickly identify issues, such as packet loss, latency, or network congestion, and diagnose the root cause of the problem.

Wireshark also has a powerful filtering system that allows users to selectively capture and analyze specific types of traffic. This can be useful for isolating and analyzing particular problems or for focusing on specific areas of interest.

Another useful feature of Wireshark is its ability to save captured packets to a file, which can be reviewed later or shared with other team members for analysis. This can be particularly useful for troubleshooting intermittent issues or for sharing network traces with remote team members.

Conclusion

In conclusion, selecting the best network monitoring software and tools is a critical task for any business or IT organization. Each tool offers unique features and benefits, and ultimately, the right choice depends on your specific needs and goals. Among the best tools in the market, we have discussed LogicMonitor, Zabbix, Intermapper, Nagios, CloudStats, and Icinga. Regardless of which tool you choose, it should be flexible, feature-rich, and easy to use. By investing in the right network monitoring software, businesses can ensure that their network is performing optimally, and they can proactively address issues before they become major problems.