16 Best Network Monitoring Tools & Software 2023 Paid & Free!

The realm of Network Monitoring Tools, Software, and Vendors is Huge, to say the least. New software, tools, and utilities are being launched almost every year to compete in an ever-changing marketplace of IT monitoring, server monitoring, and system monitoring software.

We’re now in the new decade and as we’re looking into the year, you absolutely need a solution that fits all your criteria!

We’ve gone through as many tools as we could find and rounded up the best ones in an easy-to-read format and highlighted their main strengths and why we think they are in the top class of tools to use in your IT infrastructure and business.

Here is our list of the top network monitoring tools:

Related Post: Best Bandwidth Monitoring Software and Tools for Network Traffic Usage

Desirable Network Monitoring Tool Features

Some of the features we are looking for are Uptime/Downtime indicators, along with robust and thorough alerting systems (via Email/SMS), custom templates and thresholds, NetFlow and SNMP Integration, Automatic Network Topology Discovery and Mapping functionality, and much more.

The features from above were all major points of interest when evaluating software suites for this article and we’ll try to keep this article as updated as possible with new feature sets and improvements as they are released, as newer versions of the tools below will likely be released throughout the years.

Related Post: Best Hardware Monitoring Software & Tools

The Top Network Monitoring Tools and Software

Below you’ll find an updated list of the Latest Tools & Software to ensure your network is continuously tracked and monitored at all times of the day to ensure the highest up-times possible. Most of them have free Downloads or Trials to get you started for 15 to 30 days to ensure it meets your requirements.

What should you look for in network monitoring tools?

We reviewed the market for network monitoring software and analyzed the tools based on the following criteria:

  • An automated service that can perform network monitoring unattended
  • A device discovery routine that automatically creates an asset inventory
  • A network mapping service that shows live statuses of all devices
  • Alerts for when problems arise
  • The ability to communicate with network devices through SNMP
  • A free trial or a demo for a no-cost assessment
  • Value for money in a package that provides monitoring for all network devices at a reasonable price

With these selection criteria in mind, we have defined a shortlist of suitable network monitoring tools for all operating systems.

SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor with Free Trial

SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor is easy to setup and can be ready in no time. The tool automatically discovers network devices and deploys within an hour. Its simple approach to oversee an entire network makes it one of the easiest to use and most intuitive user interfaces.

Key Features:

  • Automatically Network Discovery and Scanning for Wired and Wifi Computers and Devices
  • Support for Wide Array of OEM Vendors
  • Forecast and Capacity Planning
  • Quickly Pinpoint Issues with Network Performance with NetPath™ Critical Path visualization feature
  • Easy to Use Performance Dashboard to Analyze Critical Data points and paths across your network
  • Robust Alerting System with options for Simple/Complex Triggers
  • Monitor CISCO ASA networks with their New Network Insight™ for CISCO ASA
  • Monitor ACL‘s, VPN, Interface and Monitor on your Cisco ASA
  • Monitor Firewall rules through Firewall Rules Browser
  • Hop by Hop Analysis of Critical Network Paths and Components
  • Automatically Discover Networks and Map them along with Topology Views
  • Manage, Monitor and Analyze Wifi Networks within the Dashboard
  • Create HeatMaps of Wifi Networks to pin-point Wifi Dead Spots
  • Monitor Hardware Health of all Servers, Firewalls, Routers, Switches, Desktops, laptops and more
  • Real-Time Network and Netflow Monitoring for Critical Network Components and Devices

Why do we recommend it?

SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor is the leading network monitoring tool in the world and this is the system that the other monitor providers are chasing. Like many other network monitors, this system uses the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) to gather reports on network devices. The strength of SolarWinds lies in the deep technical knowledge of its support advisors, which many other providers lack.

The product is highly customizable and the interface is easy to manage and change very quickly. You can customize the web-based performance dashboards, charts, and views. You can design a tailored topology for your entire network infrastructure. You can also create customized dependency-aware intelligent alerts and much more.

SolarWinds NPM Application Summary

The software is sold by separate modules based on what you use. SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor Price starts from $1,995 and is a one-time license including 1st-year maintenance.

SolarWinds NPM has an Extensive Feature list that make it One of the Best Choices for Network Monitoring Solutions

Who is it recommended for?

SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor is an extensive network monitoring system and it is probably over-engineered for use by a small business. Mid-sized and large companies would benefit from using this tool.

Pros:

  • Supports auto-discovery that builds network topology maps and inventory lists in real-time based on devices that enter the network
  • Has some of the best alerting features that balance effectiveness with ease of use
  • Supports both SNMP monitoring as well as packet analysis, giving you more control over monitoring than similar tools
  • Uses drag and drop widgets to customize the look and feel of the dashboard
  • Tons of preconfigured templates, reports, and dashboard views

Cons:

  • This is a feature-rich enterprise tool designed for sysadmin, non-technical users may some features overwhelming

ManageEngine OpManager Linux Network Monitoring

At its core, ManageEngine OpManager is infrastructure management, network monitoring, and application performance management “APM” (with APM plug-in) software.

Key Features:

  • Includes server monitoring as well as network monitoring
  • Autodiscovery function for automatic network inventory assembly
  • Constant checks on device availability
  • A range of network topology map options
  • Automated network mapping
  • Performs an SNMP manager role, constantly polling for device health statuses
  • Receives SNMP Traps and generates alerts when device problems arise
  • Implements performance thresholds and identifies system problems
  • Watches over resource availability
  • Customizable dashboard with color-coded dials and graphs of live data
  • Forwards alerts to individuals by email or SMS
  • Available for Windows Server and Linux
  • Can be enhanced by an application performance monitor to create a full stack supervisory system
  • Free version available
  • Distributed version to supervise multiple sites from one central location

Why do we recommend it?

ManageEngine OpManager is probably the biggest threat to SolarWind’s leading position. This package monitors servers as well as networks. This makes it a great system for monitoring virtualizations.

When it comes to network management tools, this product is well balanced when it comes to monitoring and analysis features.

The solution can manage your network, servers, network configuration, and fault & performance; It can also analyze your network traffic. To run Manage Engine OpManager, it must be installed on-premises.

A highlight of this product is that it comes with pre-configured network monitor device templates. These contain pre-defined monitoring parameters and intervals for specific device types.
The essential edition product can be purchased for $595 which allows up to 25 devices.

Who is it recommended for?

A nice feature of OpManager is that it is available for Linux as well as Windows Server for on-premises installation and it can also be used as a service on AWS or Azure for businesses that don’t want to run their own servers. The pricing for this package is very accessible for mid-sized and large businesses. Small enterprises with simple networks should use the Free edition, which is limited to covering a network with three connected devices.

Pros:

  • Designed to work right away, features over 200 customizable widgets to build unique dashboards and reports
  • Leverages autodiscovery to find, inventory, and map new devices
  • Uses intelligent alerting to reduce false positives and eliminate alert fatigue across larger networks
  • Supports email, SMS, and webhook for numerous alerting channels
  • Integrates well in the ManageEngine ecosystem with their other products

Cons:

  • Is a feature-rich tool that will require a time investment to properly learn

Start 30-day free trial – Download Link:

https://www.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/

Download Now

Site24x7 Network Performance Monitor

Site24x7 is a monitoring service that covers networks, servers, and applications. The network monitoring service in this package starts off by exploring the network for connected devices. IT logs its findings in a network inventory and draws up a network topology map.

Key Features:

  • A hosted cloud-based service that includes CPU time and performance data storage space
  • Can unify the monitoring of networks on site all over the world
  • Uses SNMP to check on device health statuses
  • Gives alerts on resource shortages, performance issues, and device problems
  • Generates notifications to forward alerts by email or SMS
  • Root cause analysis features
  • Autodiscovery for a constantly updated network device inventory
  • Automatic network topology mapping
  • Includes internet performance monitoring for utilities such as VPNs
  • Specialized monitoring routines for storage clusters
  • Monitors boundary and edge services, such as load balancers
  • Offers overview and detail screens showing the performance of the entire network and also individual devices
  • Includes network traffic flow monitoring
  • Facilities for capacity planning and bottleneck identification
  • Integrates with application monitoring services to create a full stack service

Why do we recommend it?

Site24x7 Network Monitoring is part of a platform that is very similar to Datadog. A difference lies in the number of modules that Site24x7 offers – it has far fewer than Datadog. Site24x7 bundles its modules into packages with almost all plans providing monitoring for networks, servers, services, applications, and websites. Site24x7 was originally developed to be a SaaS plan for ManageEngine but then was split out into a separate brand, so there is very solid expertise behind this platform.

The Network Monitor uses procedures from the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) to poll devices every minute for status reports. Any changes in the network infrastructure that are revealed by these responses update the inventory and topology map.

The results of the device responses are interpreted into live data in the dashboard of the monitor. The dashboard is accessed through any standard browser and its screens can be customized by the user.

The SNMP system empowers device agents to send out a warning without waiting for a request if it detects a problem with the device that it is monitoring. Site24x7 Infrastructure catches these messages, which are called Traps, and generates an alert. This alert can be forwarded to technicians by SMS, email, voice call, or instant messaging post.

The Network Monitor also has a traffic analysis function. This extracts throughput figures from switches and routers and displays data flow information in the system dashboard. This data can also be used for capacity planning.

Who is it recommended for?

The plans for Site24x7 are very reasonably priced, which makes them accessible to businesses of all sizes. Setup for the system is automated and much of the ongoing monitoring processes are carried out without any manual intervention.

Pros:

  • One of the most holistic monitoring tools available, supporting networks, infrastructure, and real user monitoring in a single platform
  • Uses real-time data to discover devices and build charts, network maps, and inventory reports
  • Is one of the most user-friendly network monitoring tools available
  • User monitoring can help bridge the gap between technical issues, user behavior, and business metrics
  • Supports a freeware version for testing

Cons:

  • Is a very detailed platform that will require time to fully learn all of its features and options

Site24x7 costs $9 per month when paid annually. It is available for a free trial.

More Information and Official Website:

https://www.site24x7.com/network-monitoring.html

Free Trial Download Link:

https://www.site24x7.com/signup.html

Start Free Trial

Atera Screenshot

Atera is a package software that was built for managed service providers. It is a SaaS platform and it includes professional service automation (PSA) and remote monitoring and management (RMM) systems.

Why do we recommend it?

Atera is a package of tools for managed service providers (MSPs). Alongside remote network monitoring capabilities, this package provides automated monitoring services for all IT operations. The package also includes some system management tools, such as a patch manager. Finally, the Atera platform offers Professional Services Automation (PSA) tools to help the managers of MSPs to run their businesses.

The network monitoring system operates remotely through an agent that installs on Windows Server. The agent enables the service to scour the network and identify all of the network devices that run it. This is performed using SNMP, with the agent acting as the SNMP Manager.

The SNMP system enables the agent to spot Traps, which warn of device problems. These are sent to the Atera network monitoring dashboard, where they appear as alerts. Atera offers an automated topology mapping service, but this is an add-on to the main subscription packages.

Who is it recommended for?

Atera charges for its platform per technician, so it is very affordable for MSPs of all sizes. This extends to sole technicians operating on a contract basis and possibly fielding many small business clients.

Pros:

  • Remote automated network discovery
  • Network performance monitoring with SNMP
  • Alerts for notified device problems
  • Also includes remote system management tools
  • Scalable pricing with three plan levels
  • 30-day free trial

Cons:

  • Network mapping costs extra

Download link:

https://www.atera.com/signup/

Start 30-day Free Trial

ManageEngine RMM Central

ManageEngine RMM Central provides sysadmins with everything they need to support their network. Automated asset discovery makes deployment simple, allowing you to collect all devices on your network by the end of the day.

Key Features

  • Automated network monitoring and asset discovery
  • Built-in remote access with various troubleshooting tools
  • Flexible alert integrations

With network and asset metrics collected, administrators can quickly see critical insights automatically generated by the platform. With over 100 automated reports it’s easy to see exactly where your bottlenecks are and what endpoints are having trouble.

Administrators can configure their own SLAs with various automated alert options and even pair those alerts with other automation that integrate into their helpdesk workflow.

Pros:

  • Uses a combination of packet sniffing, WMI, and SNMP to report network performance data
  • Fully customizable dashboard is great for both lone administrators as well as NOC teams
  • Drag and drop editor makes it easy to build custom views and reports
  • Supports a wide range of alert mediums such as SMS, email, and third-party integrations into platforms like Slack

Cons:

  • Is a very comprehensive platform with many features and moving parts that require time to learn

Start 30-day free trial – Download Link:

https://www.manageengine.com/remote-monitoring-management/download.html

Download Now

9. Domotz

Domotz Network Monitoring

Domotz is a SaaS platform that implements network monitoring services and also offers system management and workload automation utilities.

The Domotz monitoring system is based on the Simple Network Management Protocol and other network protocols. This convention enables the service to scan a network and identify the characteristics of all connected devices, creating an IT asset inventory. The Domotz system draws up a network map from the data it stores in its inventory. Both the inventory and map get updated every time an SNMP report comes in. That SNMP response also provides information on network problems, which get interpreted into status alerts.

Why do we recommend it?

Domotz is very similar to the Datadog Network Device Monitoring service. It is a cloud-based service that implements automatic discovery of your network, creates an inventory, and then draws up a network map. The system then begins monitoring network device activity and statuses through SNMP. Like all of the other tools on this list, a degree of monitoring automation is introduced by performance thresholds that raise alerts when crossed.

The data that Domotz collects is stored as well as displayed. This creates a record of historical performance that can be used for demand analysis and capacity planning. Users of the system get individual accounts, each is protected by access credentials. This enables each action that is implemented on the system to be attributed to a specific user. The accountability that this control provides creates accountability and reduces carelessness and fraud.

Who is it recommended for?

Domotz covers the same territory as Datadog, so it competes for customers with that rival. If you want a SaaS package that maps and monitors a network through SNMP, this tool should be on your candidate list.

Pros:

  • SNMP-based network performance monitoring
  • Autodiscovery, an asset inventory, and automated network mapping
  • Switch port mapping and activity tracking
  • Capacity planning services
  • Bottleneck identification

Cons:

  • No endpoint agent for macOS

There are two plans for Domotz: Pro and Enterprise. The Pro plan is priced month-to-month at $21 per site per month with no commitment or prepayment and no lock-in period. This price is universal and allows unlimited endpoints and users on each monitored network. The tool also offers 500 integrations to third-party systems free of charge. A higher plan, called Enterprise offers higher capacity and top-grade support for a custom price. You can test the system on a 14-day free trial.

Download Link:

https://portal.domotz.com/signup

10. Nagios XI

Nagios XI open-source netowk monitoring tool

Nagios XI is aimed at a wide audience, from freelancers, SMBs (Small-to-Medium-Business), to large corporations. This makes Nagios’s XI pricing mo14-day free trial one of the most flexible. They have a free version, open-source, one-time license and subscription. It is one of the few tools that allows an extreme flexibility (because of its adaptability to plug-ins) on what’s being monitored and alerted for a low cost.

Why do we recommend it?

Nagios XI is a well-established monitoring package. It is built on top of a backend that is free to use and that version is called Nagios Core. The big problems with the free version of Nagios are that it has no console to speak of and it doesn’t come with a professional support package. Nagios XI offers network device monitoring. There is a traffic monitoring package, but that costs extra.

Nagios XI focuses on monitoring. The key IT components that Nagios XI monitors are Network, Infrastructure, and Database. Although the software is easy to install, it will initially take some time to adjust to your requirements. This is because Nagios XI does not auto-discover devices. You have to configure each device that needs to be monitored with a configuration file.

Who is it recommended for?

Any business would benefit from the network device monitoring service of Nagios XI. However, since its developers split out the traffic monitoring features without lowering the price, the paid version of Nagios isn’t quite as good a deal as PRTG or ManageEngine OpManager. Nagios is written for Linux but it can also operate over Docker and you can run it on Windows through the mediation of VMware.

Pros:

  • Open-source transparent tool
  • Simple, yet informative interface
  • Flexible alerting options support SMS and email
  • Robust API backend makes it a great option for developers who want to integrate their own custom applications

Cons:

  • Open-source version lacks quality support found in paid products
  • Installation can be technical and complex

Standard paid edition starts from $1,995 for 100 nodes. Nagios XI is supported only by Linux (or UNIX variants) OS.

Download Link:

Nagios XI

11. Zabbix

zabbix

Zabbix is an open source monitoring tool. It is popular for its easy-to-use and pleasing Web GUI that is fully configurable. Zabbix focuses on monitoring and trending functionality. This software is frequently used for monitoring servers and network hardware. One of the highlights of Zabbix is that it can predict trends in your traffic. Zabbix can forecast future behavior based on historical data.

Why do we recommend it?

Zabbix is completely free to use with no hidden extras or short-term trial editions. The system will monitor networks, servers, cloud platforms, and applications. The network monitoring module in the bundle includes network discovery, topology mapping, bandwidth analysis, and device status monitoring. The tool includes an alerting system that will let you know if problems arise.

Since it is open source, it has an active user community spread around the world and good documentation. Zabbix gives the freedom to use the open-source solution without vendor lock-ins (including all components).

Zabbix is powerful for SMB networks below 1,000 nodes. Over that, the software can get slower and its performance decreased. Another disadvantage is that it doesn’t include real-time tests and reports.

Who is it recommended for?

Zabbix is a very good choice for small and medium-sized enterprises. Many very large corporations rely on Zabbix, including Dell, Orange, Salesforce, and ICANN. There is also a multi-tenanted version available for managed service providers. The Zabbix software runs on Linux, AWS, Azure, GCP, and Docker.

Pros:

  • Open-source transparent tool
  • Uses both SNMP and ICMP for a broader monitoring range
  • Can detect new devices and configuration changes immediately
  • Offers useful templates for quick insights
  • Robust notification system supports SMS, email, custom script, and webhook

Cons:

  • The interface isn’t as intuitive as solutions such as DataDog or Site24x7
  • Would like to see better-alerting features, specifically related to reducing false positives

Download Link:

https://www.zabbix.com/download

12. Icinga

Icinga

It is another open source infrastructure and service monitoring tool. Icinga was developed in 2009 by the same team of developers that brought you Nagios.
It is a very easy to use and flexible tool for SMB and enterprise networks. The software focuses strongly on monitoring infrastructure and services. The tool also includes great threshold analysis and report/alert functionalities.

Why do we recommend it?

Icinga 2 is a clone of Nagios Core. The benefit of choosing this system over Nagios is that it has its own front end and it is completely free to use. One big advantage of Nagios is that there are thousands of free plug-ins for the system to extend its capabilities and Icinga is also able to receive Nagiso plug-ins.

Icinga is popular at providing superior altars and reports of the general health of your IT infrastructure. All alert dependencies can be displayed in the dashboard and sent via email, SMS or mobile message applications.

Since Icinga is open source it is completely free. With its strong community forum, you can get all the support you need.

Who is it recommended for?

The free Icinga 2 is a much more attractive prospect than Nagios Core. This system performs both network device monitoring and traffic monitoring with alerts for free. This software package also includes endpoint, cloud, and application monitoring modulus – all free to use. Small and mid-sized businesses will definitely want to try out Icinga 2. The software runs on Windows, Linux, and AWS.

Pros:

  • Transparent open-source tool
  • Can be configured via GUI or DSL, making it a good choice for admins who enjoy CLI tools
  • Supports built-in visual reporting
  • Modules allow for different functionality, keeping the base installation sleek and lightweight
  • Can run on Linux as well as Windows operating systems

Cons:

  • Reliant upon the open-source community for support and updates
  • Designed for more technical users, other options have better out-of-box features

Download Link:

https://www.icinga.com/products/demo/

Related Post: Best Open Source Network Monitoring Software

13. Progress WhatsUp Gold

Progress WhatsUp Gold Traffic Analysis

WhatsUp Gold from Progress Software Corporation uses the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) to track the performance of networks. SNMP agents on each switch and router prepare a status report and update it constantly, waiting for a request from an SNMP manager. The only problem is that regular operating systems don’t include an SNMP manager. WhatsUp Gold provides that function.

Key Features:

  • Acts as an SNMP manager
  • Automated self-setup discovers all devices connected to the network
  • Provides an automatically generated network map
  • Includes live performance data on network devices
  • Creates charts and graph of time-series data on recent device history
  • Displays a network summary, showing overall statuses at a glance
  • Support capacity planning with top traffic generators and trend analysis
  • Covers wireless networks as well as LANs
  • Includes log management functions
  • Generates alerts when device issues arise
  • Monitors cloud resources and storage devices
  • Can be enhanced by add-ons to monitor bandwidth, virtualizations, applications
  • A configuration add-on is available
  • Available in a multi-tenanted version for MSPs
  • An option of distributed monitoring to supervise many sites from a central location

Why do we recommend it?

Progress WhatsUp Gold is very closely modeled on SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor. As with the SolarWinds package, you can extend the capabilities of this tool to monitor traffic, virtualizations, servers, and applications.

This monitoring tool sends out regular broadcasts, asking for status reports, which are called MIBs. Each device agent responds to the request and then WhatsUp Gold compiles the results it receives. This mechanism tells the monitoring system exactly what devices are out there and which other devices each is connected to. This information is constantly refreshed, so WhatsUp Gold is able to maintain an up-to-date network inventory. The service also automatically draws up a network topology map based on the live updates to the network inventory.

A device agent will send a Trap message if it identifies a problem with the piece of equipment that it is monitoring. WhatsUp Gold interprets this into an alert. Network administrators can ignore the monitoring console and let WhatsUp Gold watch over everything. This is because they will be notified if anything goes wrong.

WhatsUp Gold installs on Windows Server. This software comes with different pricing plans to adjust to your network and wallet.

Who is it recommended for?

Like the Network Performance Monitor, WhatsUp Gold is only available for Windows Server. Any network manager running Windows should access the free trials that SolarWinds, ManageEngine, Paessler, and PRTG offer to decide which of these tools is a good fit.

Pros:

  • Uses simple visualizations to help provide at-a-glance insights
  • Supports modular pricing, allowing companies to pay only for features they intend to use
  • Can monitor LANs, WANs, and cloud-based applications such as container environments

Cons:

  • Formatting for text alerts can use improvement
  • Modular upgrades might not be a good fit if you intend on utilizing all aspects of a networking monitor

More information and a 14-day free trial link on the official website:

More Information and Official Website:

https://www.whatsupgold.com/

14. ConnectWise Automate

ConnectWise Automate (formerly Labtech)

Formerly known as Labtech, ConnectWise Automate is a new cloud-based manager and monitoring solution that can keep track of your IT infrastructure devices from a single location.

Why do we recommend it?

Connectwise Automate is a remote monitoring and management (RMM) package that is designed for use by MSPs. The network monitoring tools within the RMM provide network discovery, camping, and automated monitoring. Alerts let you get on with other tasks and assume that the network is OK unless you are notified otherwise.

ConnectWise Automate discovers all devices in your network so they can be monitored proactively. The network visibility is improved because the tool interprets problems and initiates an automatic pre-defined action to mitigate the issue.

A cool feature of this software is the “Patch Management”, as it allows you to protect all your systems with simultaneous patching from a centralized manager. Use Windows Patch management or third-party software.

By extending the ConnectWise suite, the software can also allow a premier remote control. You can resolve issues quickly by allowing remote support, remote access and even remote meetings.
ConnectWise Automate is aimed at SMBs. The price of the software is based on quotes. You can get a price on their official site tailored accordingly to the size of your network.

Who is it recommended for?

Connectwise Automate is a cloud platform and is designed for use by managed service providers, although IT operations teams of large multi-site businesses would also find the RMM package useful. A related PSA package, called Connectwise Control is also available.

Pros:

  • Great for MSPs, or large multi-site networks
  • Integrates well into the ConnectWise ecosystem with tools such as ConnectWise Control
  • Can be used as an all-in-one tool for RMM, inventory management, and PSA

Cons:

  • Automation features are not user-friendly and can require the aid of a ConnectWise professional
  • Dashboard features are lacking and difficult to customize
  • Steep learning curve when compared to competing tools

Download Link:

https://www.connectwise.com/resources/trial/connectwise-automate-trial

15. Logic Monitor

LogicMonitor

LogicMonitor is an automated SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) IT performance monitoring tool. With LogicMonitor you can get full visibility of the performance and health of your network.

Why do we recommend it?

LogicMonitor is a SaaS package that provides full-stack monitoring with a network monitoring module. This service can monitor multiple sites, internet links, LANs, and wireless networks. This package is similar to Site24x7 with network, server, and application monitoring provided from the cloud.

This software will automatically discover IT infrastructure devices and monitor them proactively. Besides from extraordinary monitoring capabilities, the software also improves the performance and health of your network. LogicMonitor can help identify incoming issues by providing predictive alters and trend analysis.

Logic Monitor is popular because it comes with a highly customizable dashboard, alerts, and reports. The software supports over 1000 different technologies, including hybrid cloud monitoring and networking devices, in order to provide granular performance metrics.

Who is it recommended for?

The LogicMonitor system is priced per server and has a base package with paid add-ons, such as AIOps alerts, container monitoring, and website monitoring. Even without the extras, this package is very big and would provide more functionality than small networks need. This is a good solution for mid-sized and large businesses.

Pros:

  • Monitors application performance via the cloud
  • Can monitor assets in hybrid cloud environments
  • The dashboard can be customized and saved, great for different NOC teams or individual users

Cons:

  • The trial is only 14 days, would like to see a longer testing period

To get a price you can request a quote from LogicMonitor’s official pricing site.

Download Link:

Signup

16. OP5 Monitor

op5 Unified Dashboard

OP5 Monitor is OP5’s Enterprise level monitoring solution. With OP5 Monitor you can monitor applications, networks, servers and storage, regardless of location, whether that’s on-premise, hybrid or in a private/public cloud.

Key features include:

  • Unified Dashboard – Fully customizable and interactive dashboards
  • Scalability- Unparalleled Scalability across Distributed Environments
  • Automation – Endless Possibilities To Automate
  • API- Developer Friendly Interface
  • SNMP Traps – Read, process and generate alerts from SNMP traps
  • Reporting – Custom, SLA- reports and network availability reports.

Why do we recommend it?

ITRS OP5 Monitor is a similar package to LogicMonitor except that it is an on-premises package for installation on Linux. The network feature in this system includes a device discovery routine and some nice network mapping options that include placement of locations on real-world maps and an office floor plan.

OP5 Monitor is also Nagios compatible, meaning that it’s easy to migrate from Nagios and re-use existing agents and plugins.

Who is it recommended for?

If you don’t have machines that run Linux or if you prefer using SaaS packages, you won’t want the OP5 Monitor. However, mid-sized and large businesses that want on-premises network monitoring software for Linux will like this package. Small businesses would enjoy the Free edition that is limited to monitoring 20 devices.

OP5 Monitor is free for up to 20 devices, and has a pricing plan based on your specific requirements.

Download Link:

https://www.op5.com/download/

Network Monitoring FAQ

How do I choose network monitoring tools?

Look for a network performance monitor that uses SNMP to gather device statuses. Also, use a bandwidth analyzer that can communicate with the brand of switches that you have on your network.

How do I monitor everything on my network?

It is impossible to manually watch the statuses of every device on your network around the clock so you have to get an automated network monitoring tool. Get a system that uses performance thresholds and raises alerts if these are crossed. Systems that forward alerts to you by email or SMS let you assume everything is OK with network performance unless you are notified otherwise. These monitoring features will take care of the network and allow you to safely pay attention to other tasks.

How can network monitoring software help me to optimize my network infrastructure?

Network monitoring software will help you to optimize network infrastructure because it records activity around the clock, identifying overloaded devices without the need for you to sit and watch live events. Records of device performance let you plan better usage of your network and either remap devices or implement traffic shaping measures so that you can get the best value out of your existing infrastructure without having to buy extra equipment.

What are the best programming languages for network monitoring?

A busy stems administrator doesn’t have time to write programs for network monitoring. So, the best tools for network monitoring are systems that include a utility for ad-hoc queries rather than full, standalone programs. If you want to run off quick system queries, try PowerShell on Windows or Bash on Linux.