The complexity of local area network (LAN) monitoring ranges from packet sniffing tools to complete network management systems. The key tasks of network management are:

  • Track infrastructure utilization to ensure equipment is not overloaded.
  • Monitor and ensure all equipment is operational
  • LAN monitoring platforms can notify you in real time so that problems can be resolved before they affect performance.

Because your network may contain devices from a variety of manufacturers, you do not want to tie it to a proprietary system of LAN monitoring tools. Be sure to check that the monitoring system you buy is compatible with all the network equipment you already have.

LAN monitoring tool evaluation

Business Lans range in size from small networks containing just a few computers, printers, and modems to multinational corporation systems covering many sites.

This article recommends LAN monitoring tools that meet a variety of requirements, not just systems for large enterprises. When viewing the available LAN monitoring tools, consider the following requirements:

  • Visualization: Monitoring tools are required to show you the state of the entire network at a glance.
  • Alert: Monitoring should include feedback systems to highlight failures and pressures.
  • Customization: The system should allow you to write your own scripts to automate reporting.
  • Multi-vendor compatibility: Monitoring systems should be able to communicate with all existing equipment.
  • Analysis tools: You sometimes need to be able to explore networks, such as packets.

With those standards in mind, here are 10 of the best LAN-monitoring tools you can delve into:

1.Solarwinds Network Performance Monitor (free trial)

2.WhatsUp Gold (free trial available)

3.Paessler PRTG (free trial available)

4.OpManager

5.Nagios Core and Nagios XI

6.Pandora NMS

7.Zenoss

8.Dynatrace

9.ConnectWise Automate

10.Zabbix

1.Solarwinds Network Performance Monitor (free trial)

I’ve covered this tool several times in previous articles. Solarwinds is currently a significant player in the LAN technology market. The company makes a range of products for network administrators that can be purchased individually or combined to form a complete network management system.

You don’t have to commit to buying all the other modules to use network performance monitoring, but once you’re used to LAN monitoring tools, you might want to look at other Solarwinds utilities. The key features of this tool make it the biggest winner in this list, and it is a powerful dashboard. You can see the performance of the entire network at a glance. You can see real-time indicators of network activity through graphical demonstrations, including pie charts and line charts.

If you are responsible for multiple sites, you can extend the Network Performance Monitor’s capabilities with its remote monitoring capabilities. In this way, you can manage all the devices in the WAN from a central location.

One of the four panels in the overview view contains a list of serious events that occurred that day. The real-time data provided to this overview page comes from the SNMP method. Most new network-compatible devices come with SNMP capabilities preinstalled in their firmware, and the Network Performance Monitor automatically detects and interacts with the device agent to keep abreast of device status.

These real-time status alerts are the heart of the monitoring system, but you don’t want to be swamped with every status message provided to the monitoring platform. You can customize the interface to filter status alerts and notify different team members based on different network activity conditions that may occur. If you’re in charge of a large network supported by a team of experts, this can help you manage your time more effectively. This tool is especially useful if a lot of your hardware supports outsourcing. The service provider is notified directly, so you don’t have to waste time seeking support.

Monitoring packages manage wired and wireless networks. You can drill down to the details of each node on the network to check for problems and track utilization. Similarly, the node details screen has a graphical display to give you an overview of performance.

Network Performance Monitor is targeted at large enterprise networks and costs $2,895 for an entry-level system. Prices will increase depending on the number of nodes on your network. So if you only have a small network and a very tight budget, this comprehensive LAN monitoring tool may not be for you.

2.WhatsUp Gold (free trial)

WhatsUp Gold from Ipswitch is very simple and you won’t spend much time learning how to make the most of a monitoring system. This is an advantage for small network administrators who do not need detailed information about events occurring at remote sites. The software will set up its own database through the automatic discovery module. This maps all nodes and their assigned IP addresses.

Perform continuous real-time monitoring using SNMP technology. SNMP trap messages enable device agents to notify the central management console of failures. Server and storage performance metrics are included in this monitoring system. The network traffic analysis tool in the software is compatible with NetFlow, sFlow, J-flow, NSEL and IPFIX.

The dashboard contains red/green coding of the status to make alerts and performance issues very easy to spot. You can receive alerts sent to you via SMS or email, which allows you to continue to perform other tasks without ignoring network status. With the reporting tool, you can customize reports by specifying which columns of data to display and in what order.

Monitoring extends to cloud services. This enables your management team to track cloud system utilization. This helps assess value and can also help you validate cloud service providers.

You can use WhatsUp Gold to monitor the performance of Web applications. Typical metrics generated by the system include number of requests, response time, and bandwidth capacity. Another feature of WhatsUp Gold is its configuration management module, which goes beyond network monitoring. This allows you to back up the configuration of your network device. It will monitor version changes and software installation. This allows you to track all software on your network, including unauthorized installations.

If you are using a virtual terminal, WhatsUP Gold has you covered. The monitoring system can interact with Hyper-V/VMWare and map your virtual environment. You can record the usage and load on virtual machines and identify the traffic serving the virtual environment.

A small business may only have a single site network. However, as the business expands, there may be interest in WhatsUp Gold’s remote monitoring and management facilities. These features allow you to centralize all network administration tasks in one location, thereby reducing the cost of using network operations on each site.

3.Paessler PRTG (free trial)

The Paessler PRTG system covers server monitoring as well as LAN and WAN monitoring. The underlying technology that drives this monitoring utility is the NetFlow system. This can track packet rates around the network in real time. The packet sniffer utility provides a drill down utility to look down at the protocol level. However, monitoring is not just a task of observing traffic. The Paessler PRTG LAN monitoring function relies on SNMP to provide alerts for hardware status. Alerts provided by SNMP enable network administrators to stay ahead of a crisis. If you can stay ahead of hardware failures and fix user calls before they start getting out of control, you can save a lot of money on the support desk.

One of the benefits of SNMP is that it uses very little bandwidth, so monitoring with this suite does not slow down the network. The Dashboard of the Paessler system includes graphics, charts and charts that give you real-time information about the overall state of the network. You can query each node on the network for a real-time status report with real-time data. These device-specific pages contain easy-to-understand graphics, and the entire dashboard can be accessed from any computer on the network as well as tablets and smartphones.

PRTG is particularly useful for multi-site operations including Internet connectivity and cloud services. With Paessler’s remote detection technology, you can centralize all network management functions in one location, remotely accessing each site’s LAN.

Much of the Paessler PRTG installation process is automated, with integrated network discovery capabilities that automatically map topologies. LAN monitoring tools include templates to collect status information for each device. This brings a standardized format for monitoring that allows you to focus equally on all devices on your network. Many aspects of the PRTG monitoring system can be customized to provide you with notifications and status that are critical to the success of your network.

Paessler’s free trial of PRTG allows for an unlimited number of sensors, but is only good for 30 days. There is also a free software version designed to help small businesses grow that currently allows up to 100 sensors to be used indefinitely.

4.OpManager

OpManager is produced by ManageEngine, another major player in the network software industry. You can get a free version of the OpManager system to familiarize yourself with its features and properly monitor your small business network.

You can monitor up to 10 devices using the free OpManager. However, you can still get the same level of system notification that paid version users get. The engine for monitoring methods uses SNMP. It’s built into all new network-compatible hardware, so you can automatically get real-time feedback on network activity from all devices connected to your network. Another common technique that supports the OpManager system is the NetFlow traffic monitoring method.

The software can be loaded on Linux or Windows, whether you use a free system or choose to pay for it. It includes the ability to interact with SQL-based databases as well as MySQL, Active Directory, and Eventlog.

If you are considering purchasing an OpManager system, there are two plans to choose from: Essential and Enterprise. Up to 1000 nodes can be managed using the Essential Plan and up to 10,000 nodes can be managed using enterprise software packages. Both options extend their monitoring to WAN and voice systems through remote monitoring and QoS capabilities.

One feature not available in the free version of OpManager is the automatic discovery utility. This maps your network and displays it in a beautiful graph in the dashboard. The topology shown on the screen is based on reality, so you can get a visualization of the entire network, even if it is global. The top of the dashboard home page contains miniatures, charts, and dials. While each will be shown in full screen if they are clicked, the color coding shown by these ICONS makes it easy to quickly scan the state of the network.

The dashboard includes device down research, apps for tablets and smartphones, and access to network status information no matter where you are. The existence of free OpManager is good news for small businesses. However, jumping to the paid version would be a small leap. It would be a good thing if companies offered entry-level packages that could cover 400 or 500 nodes to help small businesses break into the midsize enterprise space.

Nagios Core and Nagios XI

Nagios is open source network management monitoring software, completely free to use. The interface for the free system is called Nagios Core, and it’s not very comprehensive. You’ll get the basic Web interface for the main download, and then you can search the Nagios Core community page for plug-ins and interfaces that other users have developed for themselves and are willing to share.

If you don’t have the budget for LAN monitoring tools, Nagios Core is a great choice. The free version of Nagios XI is free but limited and can only be used to monitor seven nodes. However, this offer and two levels of paid use mean Nagios XI is available on all sizes of networks.

The standard paid version costs $1,995 with at least 100 nodes on the network, and the enterprise version starts at $3,495. This is a one-time purchase price that includes access to email support and community forums. Additional phone support can be paid for.

With Nagios XI, you get the real-time monitoring capabilities of Nagios Core, but the collected data is managed, rendered, and filtered in a more understandable format. The graphics in the dashboard do all the work for you. You can immediately see where the problem is on the network. The page includes charts and graphs to help you obtain performance data at a glance.

Nagios XI is easy to set up because the software includes automatic discovery, so it maps networks on its own. This feature is useful when adding devices to a network. The configuration wizard helps you adjust the interface to your liking. User groups and individual accounts can be created to delegate partial access to the data to team members.

Nagios can monitor devices on remote sites, deepening remote monitoring of server physical status by installing remote program execution agents on these servers.

The range of subscription options, including Nagios Core and the free Nagios XI for small networks, means the system is truly scalable. Nagios Core can be upgraded to Nagios XI by installing the software. When you switch from the free Nagios XI to the standard version, and then to the Enterprise package, you don’t lose any customization. This is a great feature for a rapidly expanding company.

6.Pandora NMS

The Pandora NMS installation begins with a network scan that enables the system to map topologies. The network topology is just one of the graphics included in the dashboard to help you track your system at a glance.

The monitoring function of Pandora NMS is based on SNMP. Your central network manager node will constantly poll the system to keep track of device status. Standard SNMP alerts report critical conditions as they occur without waiting for a status request from the network administrator. The Pandora engine is able to communicate with devices using SNMPv1, V2c, and V3.

The Pandora package covers more than real-time web monitoring. The broader system, called Pandora FMS, includes address management as well as built-in IPAM. The IP address manager can run with both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses.

The third element of Pandora FMS is its configuration management system, which tracks the status of your company’s software patches and detects rogue software on your system.

Whether this combination will interest you depends on whether you already have a satisfactory DDI suite and configuration management system. But if you’re looking for a brand new web toolkit, this option could work well for you.

If you have a multi-site network, you can centralize all management of an enterprise WAN into one location through remote monitoring. However, responsibilities and system access rights can be divided in the dashboard to limit on-site access to its subnet only – the content of the dashboard can be fully customized. Roles can also be defined in the console to partially access controls on the dashboard, enabling junior employees to safely participate and upload administrators to access reporting functions.

Pandora NMS is a Spanish product that costs in euros. The Basic Network monitoring package offers a free “community” version of its open source software. Prices for a full-featured network management system start at 2,625 euros and increase with the number of network nodes. The price includes a one-year maintenance and support package. Enterprise solutions for large networks include cloud service tracking. The scheme starts at €3,750 for the first year, including a year of support and maintenance.

Some additional capabilities are available as add-ons, but are included in the enterprise plan. These include remote access systems and SAP monitoring. If needed, consider upgrading to an enterprise plan that includes additional features included in the price.

7. Zenoss

Zenoss Core is an open source network monitoring system that is free to install. The real-time web monitoring and analysis software is available in two paid versions. You can get a live version called Zenoss Service Dynamics, or you can have a hosted cloud-based Service called ZenOSS-AS-A-Service.

Either way, you will get the automatic discovery module. This automatically maps your network topology and records all devices connected to the system. Up to 1,000 network devices can be used, but there is no limit to the number of devices you can own when using the two paid services.

Monitoring is not limited to standard network equipment, terminals and printers. It will also monitor power supplies, server racks, ports, fans, and more.

The network monitoring system is based on SNMP. Automatically compatible with all new devices currently using a network connection. SNMP alerts provide device failure notifications fed directly back to the dashboard. NetFlow Monitors traffic around a network.

Whether you choose to use a field system or the cloud-based Zenoss LAN monitoring service version, the dashboard is Web-based, meaning it can be accessed from any GUI operating system. You can extend Zenoss ‘capabilities to cover multiple sites and enable remote monitoring by installing collectors on each site.

ZenPacks extend standard monitoring software. These are notification attachments that meet the needs of specific hardware from a range of well-known equipment manufacturers. No need to install all available ZenPacks. However, knowing that device-specific ZenPack exists will make it easier for you to buy new equipment in a multi-vendor environment.

All types of Zenoss network monitoring software include server and storage monitoring capabilities, which all include IP address management capabilities.

8. Dynatrace

Dynatrace is different from all the other network monitoring systems on this list. It focuses on the performance of the network connection rather than the state of the devices connected to the network. Graphical representations of networks are amazing, and they can highlight complex locations of physical wiring, giving you an idea of how to better lay out your network.

Real-time network monitoring extends to virtual environments. Like a physical network, Dynatrace will find your connections and map them. The layout of the virtual environment shows how much traffic each virtual machine attracts, making it more likely that you can adjust capacity. Nodes mapped as part of a virtual environment can also include any cloud services your enterprise uses.

Dynatrace analyzes network traffic at the process level. You’ll be able to see which processes are using the most resources and which areas of your infrastructure are stretched. In addition to network resources, Dynatrace also provides server utilization metrics, including memory, disk, and CPU usage.

The Dynatrace system is ideal for online business. You can track application performance and understand how each user’s activity affects software activation, handling network activity and resource usage. The representation of network activity depends heavily on mapping. This is a very unique way to monitor performance and is very effective. The focus on process rather than equipment performance makes it more like a network analyzer than a simple monitoring tool.

If you look at the other network monitoring tools on this list and determine that they don’t really provide you with detailed information about the data flow you’re looking for, Dynatrace may be the answer to that question.

9. ConnectWise Automate

ConnectWise provides a series of network services. Its network monitoring system is called Automate. This cloud-based solution is targeted at small and medium-sized businesses. The company does not publish its prices on its website. Instead, you must contact a sales representative to negotiate a quote. For companies, secretive pricing methods can be a bit off-putting.

The dashboard provides a variety of view formats for your data, so just view a simple list of events or get a graphical display of live data.

The Automate name explains how the package works. The idea is that the monitoring system will do all the work for you, including web discovery and user tracking. With some additional features, many network administration tasks can be run automatically. For example, versioning is usually not a desired feature of network monitoring systems. However, Automate includes a patch management tool that keeps track of all software versions on your system and enables you to update all versions of software from a central location.

ConnectWise Automate is not limited to one site. The software is capable of serving multiple MSP clients and their numerous networks. Automation can monitor multiple locations based on IP ranges and merge subnets of these client networks.

ConnectWise Automate comes with a remote management tool such as ConnectWise Control. This can be a good solution for software or IT service providers because IT provides your IT department with complete user support capabilities, not just network monitoring software.

10. Zabbix

Zabbix is another open source system. One of the benefits of open source software is that anyone can generate add-ons. The core program is freely available, as are most add-ons.

Despite being free, the dashboard has a very professional look. You can switch dashboard elements to show the most important information in the most prominent area of the screen. Dashboard features include real-time event data, graphics, and color-coded lists for immediate identification of important information.

Zabbix’s real-time network monitoring module relies on SNMP, so you can benefit from device agents already installed on your device. Zabbix systems can monitor cloud services, application performance, hardware such as racks and UPS, and servers. If you have other sites that you want to centrally manage, the system can also monitor them remotely.

Zabbix doesn’t have a pre-written report module, but you can create your own custom reports and find reports written by others in the community forums on the Zabbix website.

A weakness of many network protocols is that they operate at a low level in the protocol stack, which makes encryption difficult. Zabbix includes an encryption layer that locks out eavesdroppers and snoopers and enables monitoring data to move safely across the network. The encryption system makes the authentication process available, so you can create different levels of permission to access the data available in the network monitoring dashboard.

Zabbix is aimed at small and medium businesses, so if you’re just starting out, this free network monitoring solution is ideal for you.

Open source network software

The concept of open source software is becoming more common in networking technologies. That’s because proprietary closed-source systems can mask malware, so network owners tend to favor large software providers like Microsoft and Cisco. However, large companies sometimes prove not entirely trustworthy.

As a result, the open source movement is seen as a positive solution to software security. You might think that giving every hacker in the world access to the source code of web software would give them time to figure out how to crack it and break into the network. But open source software for security-sensitive applications often includes tried and tested certification programs that no one can crack. In essence, the open source model relies on a thorough approach to security, rather than expecting secrecy to suffice.

Open source network monitoring provides small businesses with free access to entry-level network management software.

Select the Network monitoring tool

If you run a small business and need to start buying monitoring software for your extended network, check out some of the open source options listed in this article. If you want a high-quality system that can continue to monitor network activity as your business expands, Solarwinds, OpManager, and Paessler PRTG may be your best bet. Looking at other monitoring systems on our list, such as Dynatrace, you can see some unique features that may be better than network monitoring requirements.

Original: http://netsecurity.51cto.com/art/201808/581172.htm