Free Network Monitoring software with PRTG

Network monitoring refers to the monitoring of an entire network environment. Its goal is to allow sysadmins to work in a better, quicker, and more efficient manner. Network monitoring focuses on parameters such as bandwidth consumption and the availability of network devices.

Some of the monitored devices include the local and Internet-based systems in an IT environment, such as databases, applications, clouds, servers, and network infrastructures. Network monitoring allows admins to ensure their networks run smoothly, effectively, and free of errors.

The mere implementation of a network monitor is not enough. The key to effective network monitoring in real time is to ensure that your tool has been configured to monitor your network's “vital signs”: availability, speed, and usage.

• Network availability: Monitoring this allows both internal and external parties to access the services, including websites, and you can determine whether the mail servers and leased lines are working.
• Network speed: Using bandwidth monitoring prevents your websites and network services from losing visitors or frustrate users due to slow-loading pages, files, or images.
• Network usage: Monitoring usage enables you to accurately assess CPU load and learn what sort of work the servers are doing at different times of the day.
• General network status: Check the status of your entire network with just a glance to free up time for other tasks. If a malfunction occurs or the status of a device changes, you'll be notified immediately and can take action at once.
• Network devices: Large networks contain devices from a variety of manufacturers: switches, servers, workstations, and routers. Most monitoring tools only monitor the devices of specific manufacturers or require expensive add-ons. However, PRTG covers nearly every manufacturer.
• Network traffic: PRTG shows you which applications, connections, and data types are putting the greatest strain on your network. In the event of disruptions or overloads, PRTG triggers the alarm at once.

Downtime and malfunctions can cause the performance of the entire company to suffer. At the same time, IT managers are under more and more pressure. They’re forced to act quickly but often don’t know where the problem lies. Here’s how PRTG helps IT managers get a handle on their network: 

• Identify bottlenecks and eliminate disruptions

Applications and devices that consume excessive amounts of bandwidth can bring an entire network to a standstill. It is crucial to know exactly how much traffic is running through your network. By monitoring traffic and bandwidth, you’ll keep a constant eye on your network capacity and can prevent disruptions caused by bottlenecks and overloads. As a result, you’ll ensure business goes on as usual.

• Optimize performance and eliminate downtime

For business processes to be successful, your servers and databases must always be up and running. If a web or mail server goes down, your company feels the pinch immediately and is forced to free up valuable resources to solve the problem. You should keep a constant eye on the most important aspects of your database, including its query, connection, and response times. With comprehensive network monitoring, you can monitor all your servers around the clock and make sure they are always operational.

• Ensure devices and applications run properly

Many applications are critical for your business. With PRTG, you can monitor your network to detect potential problems and errors before they arise. Otherwise, you run the risk of malfunctions causing serious disruptions to your business. Help your coworkers be as productive as possible by ensuring all the devices and applications in your LAN and WAN are running smoothly.

Paessler PRTG offers a free 30-day trial that includes all monitoring, alerting, and reporting features as well as historical data analysis. There’s also a freeware edition of PRTG that is free of charge for up to 100 PRTG sensors (or monitored aspects). If your trial period expires or you need more than 100 sensors, you have to purchase a commercial license.

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.