The Best Network Monitoring Tools of 2024

What are network monitoring tools?

There are four types of network monitoring systems, but only two are usually categorized under the term “network monitoring.” These are network device monitoring and network traffic monitoring. The other two are availability monitoring, which uses Ping to test whether a device, endpoint, or website is available, and security monitoring, which can include network scanning. 

A network device monitoring system starts with network discovery. This will identify all devices connected to the network, which includes endpoints. The tool will compile a network inventory; many packages also draw up a network topology map. The typical network device monitor will implement continuous monitoring. It will raise an alert if a device reports a component failure.

A network traffic monitor is also sometimes called a bandwidth monitor, a bandwidth analyzer, a protocol analyzer, a NetFlow analyzer, or a traffic analyzer. This type of system extracts traffic statistics from switches and routers using what are called flow protocols. The traffic analyzer helps with capacity planning and it will raise an alert if it detects that traffic volumes are about to exceed the capacity of a switch interface. 

How does network monitoring work?

A network device monitor uses the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP). This is an industry-standard, and all network device providers load an SNMP agent on their equipment. The agent continuously scans its host and compiles a report but does nothing with it. It waits for a request and then sends out its status report. If there is no SNMP Manager on the network, no request will ever arrive, so network device monitoring tool providers exploit this gap and give their trolls that role. 

The SNMP Manager broadcasts a request for status reports. That means all SNMP device agents will receive the request and immediately send their reports. The network device monitor uses the data from these reports to create a network inventory; some generate a network map. The tool will also process fault notifications from device agents into alerts. 

A network traffic monitor uses flow protocols to collect traffic statistics from network devices. NetFlow, IPFIX, sFlow, and J-Flow are the most widely used flow protocols. The best network monitoring systems can use all of these protocols. This is important because different vendors include different protocols for statistics collection and if you have one that uses a language that your network monitor isn’t loaded with, you won’t be able to get traffic statistics for all the network.

What to look for in a network monitoring system

The exact specification for a network monitoring system depends on which type of network monitor you want to buy. Some packages will perform both network device monitoring and network traffic monitoring. However, here are some attributes that you should look for:

1. Network Discovery: A feature of network device monitors. 
2. Network Documentation: Network device monitors should be able to create an inventory and a network map.
3. Real-Time Monitoring: Both network device monitors and traffic analyzers should scan the network continuously.
4. Performance and Fault Alerts: Network device monitors should raise an alert if a device has a problem, and a traffic analyzer should raise an alert if traffic volumes rise too high.  
5. Comprehensive Coverage: All devices will need their SNMP agents activated, and traffic analyzers will need to be loaded with as many follow protocols as possible.
6. Integration with Other Tools: Network monitors can assist in security monitoring if they can integrate with a SIEM tool.

Beyond these factors, price and visual appeal are important influences in the tool selection process.

FAQs

Network monitoring meaning

Network monitoring can refer to a system that checks network device statuses or a service that gathers traffic statistics from a network. 

What is a network monitoring software?

Network monitoring software can be delivered as a software package to scan your network. However, it is becoming increasingly more common for network performance software to be hosted on the cloud and offered as a SaaS platform on a subscription.

Why do you need network monitoring?

Network problems can bring all of an organization’s IT systems to a standstill. Often, problems that users experience in their applications are caused by network issues that prevent the delivery of instructions or data. Therefore, network monitoring is one of the most important activities that your IT administrators will perform. The actual task of network monitoring is usually implemented by an automated tool.