Network device management with PRTG
Your network hardware's command center in a single pane of glass
- Monitor and manage local and remote end devices from one place
- Build a detailed device inventory for easier auditing and change management
- Compatible with Cisco, Dell, HPE, and other major device manufacturers
PRTG network device management: What you’ll find on this page
PRTG makes network device management easy
Custom alerts and data visualizations make it easy to monitor, identify, and prevent device outages, configuration changes, missed updates, and other hardware issues.
Stop managing network devices like it's 1993
It doesn't matter how simple your network is. If you're tracking routers, switches, servers, and other devices manually (anyone thinking of Excel sheets?), you're asking for trouble.
For one, when you have a million and one things to do, bottlenecks, firmware updates, missing configuration backups, and other issues can easily go unnoticed until your network gets disrupted and your phone starts ringing off the hook.
More to the point, you should start as you mean to go on. It's easier to deploy smart network device management tools from the get go, than rip out everything and start from scratch when your network infrastructure has become so complex you couldn't find your way through it with a map.
PRTG's network management is simple to set up, intuitive to use, and fully configurable. Better still, it can take both simple and complex networks in stride. Which means you can keep counting on it as you grow.
What network device management looks like in PRTG
Diagnose network issues by continuously monitoring modems, switches, routers, printers, servers, firewalls, and other hardware components. Show connected end devices, availability, status, network device configurations, and other key metrics in real time and visualize data in clear graphs and dashboards to identify problems more easily. Gain the visibility you need to troubleshoot unauthorized changes, faulty access control, configuration errors, and other issues.
PRTG makes network device management as easy as it gets
Custom alerts and data visualization let you quickly identify and prevent network device issues.
Effortless all-in-one network configuration management for essential network devices and end devices
Plug-and-play setup
Launch PRTG and it will take care of the rest. The auto-discovery tracks down all available devices on your network, adds them to your monitoring environment, and assigns the correct sensors.
Start tracking and managing your devices in minutes, not hours (or days). You’ll also receive an up-to-date display of available network devices and status information automatically.
Centralized management
Map out your network in intuitive device tree views and topology maps, and track their health and status, without having to switch between different locations, for example remote data centers.
Pull all your data into one dashboard, break things down with custom reports, manage updates, and plan maintenance and lifecycle optimization from one place.
Automatic notifications
Spot issues fast, minimize downtime, and save yourself hours of frustration. Our network device management software alerts you as soon as devices are at risk of errors or show security vulnerabilities such as open ports or suspicious traffic.
Enjoy simplified troubleshooting and proactively address problems before they cause disruption.
Easy scalability
Going on a hiring spree that will require adding more hardware to your network? Or seeing a spike in traffic?
PRTG can monitor an unlimited number of local and remote devices, as well as your entire network, which means you can count on it no matter how big your organization gets.
Start managing network devices with PRTG and see how it can make your network more reliable and your job easier.
PRTG is compatible with all major vendors, products, and systems
6 good reasons to choose PRTG as your network device management tool
PRTG keeps a close eye on the performance, availability, bandwidth, uptime, and other key variables of every device that's connected to your network. Our more than 250 preconfigured sensor types monitor your chosen parameters round the clock, alerting you when they're at risk of going above or below predetermined thresholds so you can take proactive steps to prevent issues.
Minimize device downtimes
PRTG’s fast-acting error detection and overload indicators help keep the downtime of network devices to a minimum.
Identify bandwidth bottlenecks
PRTG makes it easy for you to spot network congestions and bandwidth bottlenecks directly on the route.
All devices at a glance
PRTG’s intuitive dashboard provides network administrators with an easy-to-understand overview of all network devices’ monitoring data.
Create custom sensors
The powerful PRTG API lets you set up tailormade monitoring for individual network devices. Add custom sensors with a few quick clicks.
Improve network security
PRTG effectively monitors all performance metrics in your network environment. Find problems faster and prevent them in the future.
Improve network security
PRTG makes it easy to spot security loopholes and anomalies in network traffic. Unencrypted connections between devices can also be secured.
Find the root cause of the problem with our PRTG network device management system
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
Create innovative solutions with Paessler’s partners
Partnering with innovative vendors, Paessler unleashes synergies to create
new and additional benefits for joined customers.
“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 network device management easy
Custom alerts and data visualizations make it easy to monitor, identify, and prevent device outages, configuration changes, missed updates, and other hardware issues.
Manage network devices: FAQ
How is a network built?
Cables form the basis of almost every company network. These cables should be arranged in a standardized manner. Quality and stability are two key factors which are taken into consideration to maximize data transmission speeds and thus make it easier for employees to work.
Most of the time, cables are arranged in accordance with Ethernet cabling specifications, otherwise known as the “LAN technique.” These specifications apply to both software (protocols) and hardware (network cards, cables, distributors), and involve the use of data frames for exchanging data between the local network and end devices (e.g. a computer or printer).
Other variations include WLAN networks and the power line (PowerLAN).
What types of network devices are there?
Network devices in the general sense
Modems
Modems are used to exchange digital signals between two digital end devices via vast transmission channels. For such an exchange to work, the signals must first be modulated. Modems are connected to the network to provide the latter with access to the Internet. Common types of modems include leased-line modems, DSL modems, fiber optic modems, and cable modems.
Hubs
Hubs connect the computers in a network, so these computers can communicate with one another. Hubs operate exclusively at layer 1 of the OSI model, or the physical layer. The drawback of hubs is that information can only be sent to all connected machines (and not individual ones), and messages only sent or received.
Switches
Today, most networks use switches instead of hubs. As “intelligent” hubs, switches verify where information should be sent (i.e. to which computer). Once this is determined, other computers do not come into play. Switches can send and receive messages at the same time. They operate at layer 2 of the OSI model (data link layer) and thus decide, by way of a MAC address, which computer is to receive the message.
Routers
Routers connect separate networks having different architectures and protocols. They usually connect the internal network (LAN) to the Internet (WAN). Routers allow several computers to use the same connection (gateway). They recognize when a certain computer visits a certain URL and return the requested information to the corresponding computer. To translate the various protocols, routers operate at layer 3 of the OSI model, or the network layer.
Wireless access points
Wireless access points interface wireless communication devices with fixed data networks (LAN, telephone, cable, power supply, etc.). Examples of wireless access points include laptops and mobile end devices, as well as desktop computers, printers, and projectors with wireless adapters. Wireless access points allow for network coverage (and therefore network access) to be as widespread as possible.
Repeaters
Repeaters are used to amplify network signals so the maximum cable length in LANs with bus topologies can be increased and the network made more stable. WLAN repeaters are used to increase the range of a wireless network. Almost all modern, commercial wireless access points offer repeater modules to provide larger buildings, properties, and sites with sufficient network coverage.
Network devices in the broader sense
In the broader sense, network devices are any devices that are connected to the network in order to be accessed by users.
These include so-called “end devices” such as computers, printers, and projectors. Other types of end devices include NAS (network-attached storage), media servers, and more.
What is PRTG network device management?
PRTG is a proprietary network monitoring tool that inventories every hardware device on your network, monitors its health and performance, and alerts you if there are issues. Available for Windows-based on-premises servers or as a cloud-hosted solution, it's capable of monitoring unlimited local, remote, and virtual devices, bringing critical system data together in one simple, intuitive interface you can access from anywhere: at the office, at home, or on the go.
When should I use a network device management tool?
Network device management is a must whether you're a small local business or a multinational with offices across five continents, and a specialized tool can save you time, effort, and much hair-tearing. PRTG tracks backups, configuration changes, and updates, identifies security vulnerabilities, and generally helps you maintain a more secure and stable network. Which means fewer support calls and happier colleagues.
I run a distributed network. Can I still use PRTG to manage my network devices?
Yes. You can monitor any device in any location by installing a remote probe close to its endpoint. The remote probe communicates with your PRTG core server, enabling it to gather and display the data you want to track.
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 managing network devices 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 |