Network fault management with PRTG
Identify errors in your IT infrastructure and improve network performance
- Monitor the health and availability of your hardware, applications, virtual systems, and more
- Be quickly alerted to unplanned downtime, malfunctions, and full-blown outages
- Analyze trends from an easy-to-read dashboard and plan storage capacity more efficiently
PRTG network fault management: What you’ll find on this page
PRTG makes network fault management as easy as it gets
Custom alerts and data visualization let you quickly identify and prevent bandwidth bottlenecks, unplanned network downtime, and other performance issues.
4 reasons to choose PRTG as your network fault management tool
All error sources at a glance
PRTG gives you an overview of every possible source of errors, including servers, computers, routers, and switches of any manufacturer or vendor. Just pick your preferred warning and error thresholds, and if a network devices malfunctions, you’ll be alerted at once.
Real-time custom alerts
PRTG automatically alerts you to errors in your network so you can take action at once. No alert, no worries: if you haven’t received a notification, then you can be sure your system is running smoothly. Plus, you can choose to get alerts by SMS, email, push notification, and more.
Fast, easy root cause analysis
Getting down to the root causes of network errors can be time-consuming. PRTG helps you isolate problems faster by letting you immediately exclude potential causes. A more thorough analysis – often done with additional tools – will help you explore the error in detail.
Long-term network monitoring
PRTG monitors your network 24/7. Long-term monitoring and historical data makes it easier to put a finger on the causes of recurring problems. Meanwhile, PRTG reports help you explain problems to your managers, who may have less IT expertise than yourself.
What network fault detection looks like in PRTG
Diagnose network issues by continuously tracking disruptions, downtime, and other network problems. Show response times, uptime, latency, CPU usage, bandwidth utilization, network connectivity, 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 critical network events and improve overall network health.
Start network fault monitoring with PRTG and see how it can make your network more reliable and your job easier.
How PRTG helps to eliminate network faults
Ping monitoring to detect device errors
PRTG automatically sets up initial ping monitoring during installation. Ping sensors display the availability of all network devices, including routers and switches which can cause bottlenecks. This can help you more quickly detect the source of errors.
24/7 server monitoring to avoid crashes
Is an error or malfunction affecting your database servers, web servers, or mail servers? PRTG monitors your servers around the clock, so you’ll be notified quickly in the event of a server crash or failure.
SNMP monitoring to find connection errors
Your connections keep going down – but you have no idea why. Our SNMP sensors provide an immediate overview of your network traffic, while packet sniffing allows for a more in-depth analyses. And with our QoS sensors, you can even monitor quality of service.
Your network fault management software 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 fault 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 fault management as easy as it gets
Custom alerts and data visualization let you quickly identify and prevent bandwidth bottlenecks, unplanned network downtime, and other performance issues.
Network fault management: FAQ
What’s the difference between a network error and a network fault?
There are many different ways to say “network error.” Besides “error,” you might find “bug,” “fault,” or “failure.” It all depends on whether the term is being used by a system administrator, software developer, or software tester.
Network error
Countless errors occur in every network. Here are some examples of error codes for network problems: 400, 1106, 410, 503, 410, and 503. Depending on the severity of the error, the sysadmin may be required to take action at once. On the other hand, in the world of software development, an “error” occurs when a developer makes a mistake because of a misjudgment or misunderstanding.
Network fault
Sysadmins consider “faults” as general network errors that lead to a malfunction or crash. Fault network management was created to combat such errors. In software development, a “fault” is seen as an anomaly in code that leads to an error.
What’s the difference between network management, fault management, and network monitoring?
“Network management” encompasses any task that an IT manager performs with regard to their network infrastructure, and includes error, configuration, invoice, performance, and security management. There are open-source as well as proprietary tools for each of these tasks. The right network management system depends, among other things, on the size of the network and the demands of the IT manager.
The term “IT fault management” is used in a broader context. It involves identifying, diagnosing, and evaluating errors in network operations. These errors can include program errors, operating errors, or certain human errors. IT fault management is used to come up with measures for keeping errors to a minimum. Network monitoring plays an important role in this process.
"Network monitoring” is a passive way of monitoring a network. Sensors automatically monitor the hardware, applications, and traffic in your network. If a malfunction or a critical error occurs, an alert is sent immediately so the IT manager can take action at once. A network monitoring tool like PRTG saves time, prevents crashes, and lets sysadmins focus on other important tasks.
What are the benefits of network fault management?
Network fault management is a critical aspect of network management that focuses on identifying, diagnosing, and resolving network issues to ensure seamless performance. The benefits of effective network fault management include:
- Improved network uptime: Rapid identification and resolution of network issues reduce downtime, ensuring that the network operates with high availability.
- Enhanced performance: By proactively detecting and addressing faults, network performance remains optimized, minimizing disruptions to end-users.
- Proactive issue detection: Fault management tools can identify potential problems before they escalate, allowing administrators to take preventive action.
- Reduced operational costs: Automating fault detection and resolution processes decreases the need for manual intervention, saving time and resources.
- Enhanced security: Detecting anomalies and unexpected changes in network behavior can help identify security breaches or unauthorized access attempts.
- Better user experience: Reduced latency, fewer disruptions, and high network reliability contribute to a better experience for end-users.
- Compliance with service level agreements (SLAs): Effective fault management ensures that organizations meet their SLAs, maintaining trust and credibility with customers and partners.
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?
More than 500,000
sysadmins love PRTGMonitor your entire IT infrastructure
Try Paessler PRTG
for free
Start network fault monitoring with PRTG and see how it can make your network more reliable and your job easier.
PRTG |
Network Monitoring Software - Version 25.1.102.1373 (January 9th, 2025) |
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 |
|