Introduction
Most people around the world use the internet to get to online services and content. You can easily find content types, apps, and other resources from other parts of the world, but a bad network condition can make it hard to access online services and keep your information safe.
You can also use software like MacAfee Advanced to get high-quality VPN support for up to 5 license-holders, monitoring of your identity, and a protection score. Or, you can directly use the best network monitoring software to keep track of and monitor multiple network connections like routers and servers. These tools can fix performance problems, improve security, and check the strength of network connections
Here are the best kinds of software for this kind of work, listed for you to look over.
Best Tools for Networking Monitoring to Use
There are, in fact, many different kinds of software, apps, and tools made by different tech companies that help protect networks in important ways. We made a list of the best network monitoring software after carefully testing each one. Here’s what we think about each option you can rely on.
1. SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor
This network performance monitoring software from SolarWinds is very helpful if you need a good network monitoring program for work that involves more than one vendor. When you get network insights, you can expect to have a clear view of the connections and environments.
The software works with a wide range of devices and network connections, which makes it a useful tool for large businesses.
Compatible Devices: Diverse devices, applications, vendors, and network endpoints, like the internet and intranet.
Price: It starts at around $1,638, or you can get a quote. License subscriptions are available for 1, 3, or 5 years.
Features:
- Get advanced-level alerts about network activities happening in real-time.
- Troubleshooting works with the help of PerfStack and NetPath.
- Smart changes in a big and safe environment.
- Intelligent map support is available.
Pros:
- Expect network connections and solutions that are quick and effective.
- Service level management is very good.
- Find out what’s going on and solve problems quickly.
Cons:
- The price of this fully functional software is very high.
- After the first year, you have to renew the plan to keep getting maintenance/support benefits.
2. Atera
Atera is one of the most well-known kinds of RMM software, which stands for remote monitoring and management. It can be used to keep an eye on the status of different network devices and connections.
With this software, you can check cloud-based services and keep track of logs and patches between endpoints.
Compatible Devices: Many network-based devices like servers, switches, firewalls, etc., and diverse OS-centric system endpoints.
Price: USD 79 for Pro, USD 119 for Growth, and USD 149 for Power (all plans are monthly-based payments)
Features:
- The remote maintenance tools in the widescale suite make service management easier.
- Run a full scan of the system and it will be easy to see if there are any new updates.
- Patch management handles updates for Java, Adobe, Windows, Driver, and other installations.
- Get real-time analysis statements on SQL server, IP monitoring, network connections, etc.
Pros:
- Each of the plans can be tried out for free first.
- Get 400-700 RPM API support.
- All users can use the patch and remote management functions.
Cons:
- Hiring a personalized technician is expensive in all plans, so it’s not the best choice for startups.
- You’ll have to pay more for extra services with technicians.
3. Datadog
Datadog is another high-quality and best network monitoring software that makes sure network connections are monitored for security in a strong way. For cloud management, you can expect useful cloud and on-premises services for a detailed look at the network connections in the background.
Use software or hardware-based services to get a clear picture of how traffic moves through your network.
Compatible Devices: Check hardware and software for network-based devices like routers, switches, firewalls, etc.
Price: There is a free trial period, and then Network Performance Monitoring costs $5 per month, and Network Device Monitoring costs $7 per month.
Features:
- Check on the performance of a network using a cloud infrastructure, on-premise services, or a mix of both.
- Get help with network traffic mapping.
- Detailed reports and analyses of how traffic is gathered.
- Get a realistic view of how the interface, fan, disc, and other hardware are being used and how much bandwidth they are using.
Pros:
- You can get technical support through email and chat.
- There are online information forums and documents for the whole community.
- Get detailed reports that you can change about your network devices.
Cons:
- You can only get (automated) infrastructure tags if you combine your plan with other options.
- If you only have plans for Network Monitoring, it’s not easy to switch to APM, Infrastructure, or Logs Management.
4. Obkio
Obkio is the best networking monitoring software for keeping an eye on a wide range of SNMP and network-based devices, paying special attention to how they are used. This software can be used to find out about network traffic and fix problems that show up on VoIP, LAN, Firewall, WAN, and UC networks.
Using this, you can find and fix errors with functional troubleshooting features and get smart event-based notifications on things like latency, packet loss, or jitter.
Compatible Devices: Know the network conditions of devices like firewalls, switches, routers, bandwidth, and CPU.
Price: Free, Basic is US$399/month, Premium is US$699/month, and Enterprise is US$1,199/month or more.
Features:
- MOS Score is used 247 to measure the quality of VoIP.
- Easy to find packet reordering, duplicate packets, and DSCP mismatch.
- To understand the details of past performance, you need to know the baseline performance on the dynamic thresholds.
- Monitoring from end to end of a network for things like packet loss, latency, etc.
Pros:
- Always keep track of how good an experience is.
- It only takes a few clicks to get going.
- Access to monitoring agents that work in the cloud and are easy to use, like AWS and Google Cloud.
Cons:
- For paid plans, you have to pay extra to add more users and agents.
- Free users can’t get help through live chat or email.
5. Auvik
Auvik is one of the best tools for keeping an eye on and managing a network in the cloud. It has an easy-to-use interface and dashboard, and it is a powerful software that makes it easy to find information about network details.
The software’s modern analytical tech stack makes sure that all of the information is correct and up-to-date.
Compatible Devices: Many managed services and network-based devices like firewalls, servers, etc.
Price: Customized quotes are needed for both the Essentials plan and the Performance plan.
Features:
- Get accurate information about how your main source addresses, conversations, destination addresses, and ports use bandwidth.
- Manage different devices and connections from a single dashboard.
- NetFlow v9, IPFIX, NetFlow v5, sFlow, and more are all supported.
- Get detailed information, such as alert history and past statistics.
Pros:
- You can easily see which users and connections are using the most bandwidth.
- There is strong support for privacy and security, like audit logs and two-factor authentication (2FA).
- The TrafficInsightsTM feature looks at how the distributed network is being used.
Cons:
- Users of the Essentials plan don’t get a list of all the troubleshooting benefits in one place.
- Performance-based users are the only ones who can use Geo IP Tracking.
6. AppNeta
With AppNeta’s performance management software, IT teams can carefully check how their customer cases are being used by end-users around the world. It connects to the cloud, apps, and other networks and gets information about traffic in real-time.
In terms of network monitoring, the platform looks at things from four different angles and uses a variety of technological tools to do the job.
Compatible Devices: It can monitor LAN, WAN, DNS, VoIP/UC, WiFi, and other networks.
Companies’ prices are based on quotes.
Features:
- Get raw network packet data from remote locations to find the cause of important problems.
- Check the performance, availability, and performance of the network from beginning to end.
- Check how the end-user is doing in real-time.
- Expect proactive monitoring based on synthetic transactions to stop web app/SaaS problems from happening.
Pros:
- Find and record easily which apps are currently running across the user’s distributed network.
- Choose a live demonstration of each service.
- Check the performance of apps that run in the cloud in a safe way.
Cons:
- You might find links to third-party sites that are not authorized or checked and could be dangerous.
- According to privacy policies, it collects a lot of personal information that you add.
7. Accedian Skylight Interceptor
This is another great tool, especially since it works with Skylight Interceptor NDR technology and focuses on strong networking management and monitoring. This software lets you manage enterprise networks, applications, and the cloud from a single platform and keep an eye on how they work and what they do.
Get the best services, such as real-time decoding support for application support and network flow monitoring, to name a few.
Compatible Devices: Overall network endpoints and services for Mac, Windows, and Linux, as well as specialized network connections like WiFi, LAN, etc.
Price: Talk to experts first to get a price quote.
Features:
- Put the events and alerts into incidents to make analysis easier.
- Use MITRE ATT&CK models to get alerts about malicious cyberattacks.
- Look at the problem’s root cause and make plans for how to fix it.
- Use the NDR AI technology to find security attacks or behaviors that seem odd.
Pros:
- It keeps track of network access, error, and performance data.
- Maintain the quality of the data based on how it is stored, collected, and identified.
- Fix and close any holes in security.
Cons:
- Email support is the most common way to get help at first.
- Hard to understand for new users who aren’t tech-savvy.
8. Whatsup Gold
With Whatsup Gold, companies can keep a close eye on your networks and applications, looking at things like activity logs and activities. You can check the performance of Apache web servers, Linux systems, Windows endpoints, and Microsoft apps, just to name a few.
Also, people who use this all-in-one tool for network management and monitoring can control and see their networks through the cloud. Also, you can easily look at how much bandwidth applications, servers, and networks use.
Compatible devices: routers, servers, switches, access points, wireless LAN controllers, firewalls, logs, etc.
Price: Free, Premium (Perpetual/Annual Plan) + Total + Cost based on quote.
Features:
- Check the performance of wireless networks and see how they look.
- Check how well the network is working and fix any problems before they cause problems.
- Users can see environments that use VMware or Hyper-V.
- Access to cloud-based resources, such as parts of Azure and AWS.
Pros:
- If the main system fails, you can have it automatically switch to a backup system.
- Use the Configuration management add-on module to automate how network-based devices handle changes and how they are set up.
- Get detailed information about all the connected devices’ logs and how they are being used.
Cons:
- As add-ons, you can get high-quality features like monitoring virtualization.
- There aren’t a lot of different languages that can be used.
9. Domotz
Domotz is one of the best cloud-integrated network monitoring programs. It gets accurate information about the metrics of performance and the activities going on in different networks.
Most importantly, you would know everything about the automated devices and attributes you control in real-time. From managing data to fixing problems, this platform has a lot to offer users who are in charge of a network.
Compatible Devices: Network devices like routers, switches, servers, printers, load balancers, firewalls, etc.
Price: Each site costs USD 22.12 per month.
Features:
- The topology and active endpoints will be drawn automatically.
- Documenting and keeping track of the devices in real-time using your preferred PSA, productivity, or documentation tool.
- Get a full picture of all of your IT infrastructure and network-based devices.
- Get information about LAN/WAN and other networks, like statistics, alerts, measurements, etc.
Pros:
- It can be used to check for possible network threats.
- Get reports and alerts in real-time about attempts to hack or problems with devices that are all connected to the same network.
- Always looks for new problems and devices connecting to the network.
Cons:
- There are only 14 days to try out the free version.
- When there are too many ads and cookies, it can be annoying.
10. NinjaOne
NinjaOne is another one of the best software programs for monitoring networks. It offers many services and benefits for IT management. Users can expect full services for software and network resource management, monitoring, backup, automation, and patching.
With this software, you can expect good support for the user interface, which will help you do your job. This tool makes it easy to check on and fix endpoint security, productivity, and updates.
Compatible Devices: Track Windows, Linux, Mac, and VMWare endpoints, cloud infrastructure, and SNMP devices.
Price: Prices are based on quotes from consultations.
Features:
- Install and take care of all software on a large scale or one by one.
- Information about IT assets should be written down with current details.
- You can control all devices on your network, whether they are being used or not, from a distance with no security issues.
- Carefully accept and automate your ticketing workflow as a whole.
Pros:
- There are strong security protocols for all of the network and endpoint connections it can handle.
- Users have access to a knowledge base that is tailored to their needs.
- There are many ways to get help with customer service, like a community forum where you can ask more questions.
Cons:
- It doesn’t follow the rules set by FedRAMP.
- If you don’t plan well, the customized prices can add up to high rates.
Conclusion
There are many different kinds of software and tools for management and monitoring that can be used for a unified network evaluation. They also let you fix problems, manage patches, keep track of logs, and do other things.
All of the software tools on this list are useful in their own ways, but SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor, Domotz, and Atera were the ones we liked best. After you’ve tried each one once, make your final choice based on what you’ve learned.
