Switch monitoring with PRTG
Comprehensive observability to improve the performance and security of your switches
- Get deep insights into switch hardware, ports, and data traffic
- Be alerted instantly in the event of malfunctions
- Integrate switches of all manufacturers: no vendor lock-in
Our users give top ratings for monitoring with Paessler PRTG
PRTG switch monitoring: What you’ll find on this page
PRTG makes switch monitoring as easy as it gets
Custom alerts and data visualization let you quickly identify and prevent issues with your switches.
5 reasons to choose PRTG as your switch monitoring tool
Enhance the security of your network
With the switch port monitoring software PRTG, you’ll immediately see if a port is open.
As a result, you can close gateways to prevent brute-force network attacks or the infiltration of your network with malware.
This way, you improve your network security a great deal.
Get instant alerts to fix malfunctions quickly
If a switch malfunctions, you’ll know about it at once.
PRTG comes with a customizable notification system which immediately sounds the alarm via SMS, email, push notification, and more, if there is a switch issue.
This way, you can quickly go about fixing the problem.
Benefit from comprehensive hardware monitoring
PRTG is the perfect tool for monitoring all your hardware – including servers, routers, firewalls, and switches.
You can check, for example, hardware health and status and also keep a constant eye on bandwidth, Wi-Fi traffic, applications, and services.
Identify trends and optimize bandwidth capacity
Easily analyze which applications are responsible for the most traffic and where bottlenecks tend to occur.
Network diagnostics with PRTG provides quick answers to the bandwidth utilization of your switches so that you can determine if you need more resources.
What switch observability looks like in PRTG
Diagnose network issues by continuously tracking your network switches. Show hardware health, bandwidth usage, packet loss, uptime, port utilization and port status, and other key metrics in real time. Visualize monitoring data in clear graphs and topology maps to identify problems more easily. Gain the overview you need to troubleshoot your switches efficiently.
Overview of all devices at a glance
PRTG Packet Sniffer sensor
Sunburst view in PRTG
Start network switch monitoring with PRTG and see how it can make your network more reliable and your job easier.
“All-around winning “The real beauty of PRTG is the endless possibilities it offers” “PRTG Network MonitorIT experts agree: Paessler PRTG is a great solution for IT infrastructure monitoring
network monitor”
is very hard to beat”
What PRTG can do for your switch monitoring needs
Keep an eye on the status of your switch ports
When monitoring switch ports, administrators are up against some major challenges. They must be able to continually check for closed ports that should actually be open, as well as for potentially dangerous open ports.
With PRTG, you'll keep constant track of your switch ports and automatically receive an alarm if there is some unusual activity.
Optimize and boost your network performance
If a switch is stretched beyond its capacities, then it is sure to break down. Such a situation is both frustrating and unnecessary.
With PRTG, you are quickly informed of impending overloads and can upgrade the switch accordingly and also plan for more hardware resources – for more bandwidth capacity on your switches.
Analyze your network traffic capacities
Switch monitoring is not just about observing the status of your switches. It’s also important to understand the kind of traffic they are handling.
With PRTG, you gain insights into the data flowing through each switch, allowing for a comprehensive traffic analysis. These insights let you identify patterns, prioritize critical applications, and optimize bandwidth allocation.
Beyond switches: Get a holistic view of network connections
PRTG's monitoring capabilities go beyond tracking the health and performance of your network switches. The network monitoring tool also provides an overview of your entire vital network infrastructure including all critical connections and components.
This ensures that you have a properly working network environment and minimizes potential downtimes.
Preconfigured sensors for monitoring switch hardware & traffic to help you get started
SNMP sensors
PRTG comes with preconfigured SNMP sensors for the switches of well-known manufacturers. Check out, for example, the SNMP Cisco System Health sensor or the SNMP Dell Hardware sensor.
Packet Sniffer sensor
The Packet Sniffer sensor monitors the headers of data packets that pass a local network card using a built-in packet sniffer, and filters the traffic by IP address, protocol, and data type.
Flow (NetFlow, jFlow, sFlow, IPFIX) sensors
You can also easily monitor the traffic on switches from manufacturers such as Cisco and Juniper using, for example, preconfigured NetFlow v9, jFlow v5, or sFlow (Custom) sensors.
Find the root cause of the problem with our PRTG switch port monitoring solution
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.
Your switch monitor at a glance – even on the go
Set up PRTG in minutes and use it on almost any mobile device.
PRTG makes switch monitoring as easy as it gets
Custom alerts and data visualization let you quickly identify and prevent issues with your switches.
“Easy to implement and configure with good technical support.”
R. v. S., ICT Manager at Heinen & Hopman Eng BV
Switch monitoring: FAQ
What is switch monitoring?
Switch monitoring is the process of continuously observing and managing the performance, status, and activities of network switches. It allows network administrators to ensure switches are operating efficiently, identify potential issues before they escalate, and keep a tab on network traffic.
What are the advantages of switch monitoring?
Switch monitoring with PRTG offers multiple benefits:
- Improved network performance: By keeping an eye on the traffic and performance metrics of a switch, you can identify and fix bottlenecks, ensuring smooth data flow across your network.
- Enhanced security: By monitoring switch ports, you can detect unauthorized devices or activities, preventing potential security breaches.
- Proactive problem resolution: Real-time monitoring helps detect issues early on, allowing for timely interventions before they escalate.
- Efficient resource utilization: By understanding your switch traffic patterns and peak times, you can optimize your network and resource allocation.
How do I go about switch monitoring?
Many sysadmins resort to the command line for swift checks, such as verifying the availability of a particular network device (e.g., a switch). Nonetheless, expert monitoring delves deeper.
An advanced monitoring solution employs protocols like SNMP, NetFlow, and IPFIX to consistently oversee all your crucial network devices. PRTG equips you with multiple SNMP sensors, enabling you to initiate your monitoring immediately.
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
We asked: would you recommend PRTG?
Over 95% of our customers say yes!
Paessler conducted trials in over 600 IT departments worldwide to tune its network monitoring software closer to the needs of sysadmins.
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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Monitor your entire IT infrastructure
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Start switch monitoring with PRTG and see how it can make your network more reliable and your job easier.
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PRTG |
Network Monitoring Software - Version 25.1.104.1961 (April 7th, 2025) |
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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 |
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