Custom network diagrams with PRTG
Rev up the performance of your online presence
- Visualize and keep track of every important metric in your network
- Easily create, edit, and customize network topology diagrams
- View your business IT infrastructure at a single glance
PRTG network diagram maker: What you’ll find on this page
PRTG makes creating network diagrams as easy as it gets
Custom alerts and data visualization let you quickly identify and prevent all kinds of issues in your entire network.
Easy to build. Clear. Structured. Completely customizable. Why PRTG network diagram maker
Network diagram tools play a crucial role in all professional network environments, helping network engineers to keep track of everything that is important. Here’s how PRTG can help you with creating your custom network diagrams.
Easy to generate
PRTG makes it easy to build your own network maps and diagrams. With our drag-and-drop Map Editor feature, you can visualize dependencies, add background images such as data center floor plans, and choose from many other prebuilt widgets for your individual visualization.
Excellent clarity
Include all the network components you want to keep an eye on in your network diagrams – from routers and switches to servers and firewalls. With color-coded visual representation, you see at a glance if there’s an issue in your infrastructure and act before the problem becomes business critical.
Extra functionality
Need to view more than one network topology diagram? No problem. PRTG lets you set up your HTML-based maps to rotate on screen so you don’t have to choose between individual views of your network infrastructure and always know what’s going on in your entire network.
4 more advantages of using PRTG as your network diagram tool
With PRTG, you can build your own custom network diagrams with an individual focus on your business or infrastructure.
Automated views
PRTG scans your subnets regularly and displays the discovered network devices in a clear device tree view. You can also choose from two further visualizations – the Sunburst view or a heatmap view. All components are clickable so that you can drill down into your infrastructure as needed.
Drag-and-drop simplicity
Using the PRTG drag-and-drop editor, you can also easily create concise custom network diagrams, maps, and dashboards. This way, you get helpful, visual representations that are clear, based on your individual requirements, and minimize alert information overload.
Enrich with HTML
Use HTML to enrich the custom diagrams with additional information such as weather and traffic services, or to manually create layers on your maps. For an automated “layer-to-map” functionality, try the UVexplorer integration via the PRTG API.
Full customization
The ability to customize is the strength of PRTG diagrams. While other diagrams of complex networks can quickly become overwhelming, the custom maps of PRTG can be reduced to the essentials. Select the topology and elements you really need to see, and leave out everything else.
Start building network diagrams with PRTG and see how it can make your network more reliable and your job easier.
What network diagram examples look like in PRTG
Diagnose network issues by continuously tracking the availability, health, and performance of your entire network via custom logical network designs. Show hardware parameters, network traffic, bandwidth usage, and other key metrics in real time. Visualize monitoring data in clear graphs and dashboards to identify problems more easily. Gain the overview you need to troubleshoot all kinds of issues in you LAN, WAN, virtual, or cloud infrastructure.
Your network diagram builder at a glance – even on the go
Set up PRTG in minutes and use it on almost any mobile device.
Find the root cause of the problem with our PRTG network diagram software
Real-time notifications mean faster troubleshooting so that you can act before more serious issues occur.
PRTG is compatible with all major vendors, products, and systems
PRTG combines manual network diagram creation with automation
Manual vs. automatic diagram tools
Generally, there are two different kinds of tools for creating network diagrams: automated network scanners or manual network diagram tools.
Manual applications usually provide you with symbols for switches, servers, printers and the like, enabling you to draw a custom diagram of your network.
Automated network scanners independently scan your network via ping, SNMP, WMI, and other protocols to find existing components and add them to an automated network view.
Advantages and disadvantages
Both types of network diagram programs have their advantages and disadvantages. Manual diagram tools, which focus on customization, have a large feature set and fit exactly to an organization’s needs. However, they require IT staff who either know the whole structure of the network in depth or have access to all the information needed to create the diagram.
The advantage of a network scanner, which works more independently, is that the diagram can be created without any human interaction. If you configure the scan job as a recurring task, the network maps are even automatically kept up-to-date. However, they might not include the information admins really need and might require manual tweaking afterward.
PRTG combines both worlds
PRTG’s advanced network diagram tools offer automated network discovery and diagram creation as well as a drag-and-drop map editor for custom network mapping, thus combining the advantages of both automated network scanners and manual diagram tools.
It scans the network to automatically identify devices and their connections, reducing the manual effort of creating a network map. As network conditions change, it can update the network view in real time, ensuring it is always current.
On the other hand, PRTG lets you easily create your own dashboards, maps, and diagrams - just the way you like them – using the drag-and-drop PRTG map editor.
Create innovative solutions with Paessler’s partners
Partnering with innovative vendors, Paessler unleashes synergies to create
new and additional benefits for joined customers.
Combining their tools to a powerful solution for advanced analysis and automation, KnowledgeRiver and Paessler enable IT teams to ensure best performance for their infrastructure and networks.
KnowledgeRiver
“Excellent tool for detailed monitoring. Alarms and notifications work greatly. Equipment addition is straight forward and server initial setup is very easy. ...feel safe to purchase it if you intend to monitor a large networking landscape.”
Infrastructure and Operations Engineer in the Communications Industry, firm size 10B - 30B USD
PRTG makes creating network diagrams as easy as it gets
Custom alerts and data visualization let you quickly identify and prevent all kinds of issues in your entire network.
Custom network diagrams: FAQ
What is a network diagram maker?
A network diagram maker is a tool or software application used to create visual representations of a computer network's structure, connections, and components. These diagrams help in understanding, planning, designing, and troubleshooting networks by illustrating how devices such as routers, switches, servers, and computers are interconnected.
Key features of a network diagram maker include:
- Drag-and-drop interface: Allows users to easily add network devices and components (e.g., routers, switches, firewalls) to the diagram.
- Pre-built icons and symbols: Comes with standardized icons and symbols representing network devices, making it easy to build accurate diagrams.
- Customization options: Allows labeling of devices, adjusting lines for connections, and adding metadata such as IP addresses, names, or status indicators.
- Templates: Provides ready-made network diagram templates for common network configurations, helping to save time.
- Export and sharing options: Diagrams can typically be exported as images (PNG, SVG, JPG), PDFs, or other formats to share with others or embed in documentation.
What are the benefits of network diagram tools?
Network diagram tools offer a range of benefits that help organizations and IT professionals efficiently manage, plan, and troubleshoot their networks. Here are the key benefits:
- Clear understanding: A well-designed network diagram gives a clear visual overview of the entire network infrastructure, including how devices and components are interconnected. This helps IT teams and stakeholders understand the network's structure at a glance.
- Tracking changes: Diagrams make it easier to track changes in the network, such as new devices being added or old ones being removed.
- Efficient design: Network diagram tools help in designing and planning new networks or modifying existing ones. They allow IT teams to visualize different configurations and plan expansions in an organized way.
- Resource allocation: By seeing the structure, teams can allocate resources more efficiently, knowing where more capacity or equipment may be needed.
- Quick issue identification: Network diagrams help quickly pinpoint the source of network issues by showing which devices are connected and how they interact. Troubleshooting becomes easier when you can see potential points of failure.
- Clear communication: Diagrams provide a simple, standardized way of communicating network layouts and changes to both technical and non-technical stakeholders. It’s much easier to convey the architecture of a network visually rather than through text alone.
- Visualizing vulnerabilities: By mapping out all devices and their connections, network diagrams can help identify potential security vulnerabilities, such as open ports, outdated devices, or weak links in the network.
What types of network diagrams are there?
Network diagrams come in various types, depending on what aspect of the network they focus on, and the level of detail required. Here are some network diagram examples:
- Physical network diagram: Shows the physical layout of the network, including hardware devices and their actual connections, such as cables, routers, switches, and other physical elements.
- Logical network diagram: Represents the flow of data within the network, showing how devices communicate and the logical structure of the network. It doesn’t focus on physical hardware but instead on how devices are logically connected and interact.
- LAN (Local Area Network) diagram: Visualizes a network within a small geographic area, such as a single building, campus, or office. It focuses on connections within a confined area.
- WAN (Wide Area Network) diagram: Depicts a network that spans across multiple geographic locations, such as different cities or countries. It often connects several LANs together.
- Network topology diagram: Displays how network components are arranged, describing the topology (or structure) of the network. It focuses on the patterns of connectivity between devices.
- Cloud network diagram: Focuses on components and services (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) hosted in the cloud. It shows the interaction between on-premises networks and cloud-based services.
- Data Flow Diagram (DFD): Maps how data flows within a network or system. It shows how data moves from one process or component to another, without focusing on the underlying hardware or physical connections.
Is PRTG network diagram maker free?
Yes! PRTG offers comprehensive monitoring for a wide range of web server applications, including Apache, Nginx, IIS, and more. Whether you’re running on Windows, Linux, or a mixed environment, PRTG provides the flexibility to monitor all key metrics relevant to your web server’s performance.
What is a sensor in PRTG?
In PRTG, “sensors” are the basic monitoring elements. One sensor usually monitors one measured value in your network, for example the traffic of a switch port, the CPU load of a server, or the free space on a disk drive.
On average, you need about 5-10 sensors per device or one sensor per switch port.
PRTG: The multi-tool for sysadmins
Adapt PRTG individually and dynamically to your needs and rely on a strong API:- HTTP API: Access monitoring data and manipulate monitoring objects via HTTP requests
- Custom sensors: Create your own PRTG sensors for customized monitoring
- Custom notifications: Create your own notifications and send action triggers to external systems
- REST Custom sensor: Monitor almost everything that provides data in XML or JSON format
Paessler conducted trials in over 600 IT departments worldwide to tune its network monitoring software closer to the needs of sysadmins. We asked: would you recommend PRTG?
Over 95% of our customers say yes!
The result of the survey: over 95% of the participants would recommend PRTG – or already have.
Paessler PRTG is used by companies of all sizes. Sysadmins love PRTG because it makes their job a whole lot easier. Bandwidth, servers, virtual environments, websites, VoIP services – PRTG keeps an eye on your entire network. Everyone has different monitoring needs. That’s why we let you try PRTG for free.Still not convinced?
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Start building network diagrams with PRTG and see how it can make your network more reliable and your job easier.
PRTG |
Network Monitoring Software - Version 24.3.100.1361 (September 25th, 2024) |
Hosting |
Download for Windows and cloud-based version PRTG Hosted Monitor available |
Languages |
English, German, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Dutch, Russian, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese |
Pricing |
Up to 100 sensors for free (Price List) |
Unified Monitoring |
Network devices, bandwidth, servers, applications, virtual environments, remote systems, IoT, and more |
Supported Vendors & Applications |
Combining the broad monitoring feature set of PRTG with IP Fabric’s automated network assurance creates a new level of network visibility and reliability.