Network monitoring is an important network management activity, performed by a system administrator or network administrator. Networking monitoring tools are systems that warn administrators when a problem – or the beginning of one – arise in the network. Disruption in a network used by a business or other essential service can be costly. Network outages are time-sensitive, so the longer the problem exists, the greater the disruption in productivity and process and the more costly it becomes.
To help administrators become more effective at troubleshooting, mitigating, or completely avoiding problems, the top networking monitoring tools have common features. They can:
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Identify the source or proximity of the problematic device, connection, or application
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Issue a clear and distinct warning about the problem to alert administrators
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Follow an automated escalation process with configurable thresholds
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Measure performance, consistency, and reliability over time, and record results for reporting
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Accept user commands for investigation, isolation, correction, configuration, or optimization
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Provide near real-time information of network topology and measurement data in different views, including visual and interactive dashboards
Top networking monitoring tools
Some of the top networking monitoring tools available are:
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Spiceworks
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Datadog
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SolarWinds
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ManageEngine
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Site24x7
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Paessler
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Zabbix
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Atera
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ConnectWise
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LogicMonitor
Cloud-based network monitoring benefits
Many of the top networking monitoring tools today are cloud-based, which offers a number of benefits:
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Could-based network monitoring activity does not take up additional IT resources
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The solution can be quickly configured and deployed without having to worry about upgrades
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Cloud solutions offer high accessibility for remote management and monitoring, and can easily integrate with other cloud services and applications
On-premises networking monitoring
Other top networking monitoring tools are proprietary or open source software installed on-premises. They provide administrators with many of the same capabilities available in cloud solutions. On-premises solutions offer a higher level of control and customization, especially over data security. They can measure and collect data faster. A networking monitoring system is different from an intrusion detection system, but some on-premise solutions offer both.
Whether cloud-based or on-premises, the top networking monitoring tools help administrators stay one step ahead of problems, such as total outages. They are able to receive warnings about system errors, device malfunction, unusual traffic, and application slowdowns. These might be small enough not to cause an immediate problem but can later compound to a major failure.
