Monitor Network Computers and Devices using PRTG Network Monitor

Looking for a good networking monitoring software for your LAN network? I’ve previously written about other network inventory and monitoring software like Spiceworks, but I’m also looking for better ones.

PRTG Network Monitor is a semi-free network monitoring solution that has many advanced features. The freeware version of the program allows up to 10 sensors to be used, i.e. HTTP, SMTP, POP, FTP, etc.

So what are some of the main features of PRTG Network Monitor? Here’s a quick overview of the top features:

1. Up/downtime monitoring for network devices such as servers, switches, routers, etc.

2. Performance benchmarking and identification of server performance bottlenecks.

3. Instant notifications and alerts via SMS, pager, email, etc.

4. Data recorded into a database for historic reports.

5. NetFlow and sFow support for Cisco, HP, Juniper, etc routers and switches to monitor bandwidth usage.

6. Packet Sniffing is integrated so you can inspect all network traffic travelling in inside the LAN

7. Includes a Windows GUI interface, web browser interface and even an iPhone app to view reports and data.

You can also group devices into logical units such as internal routers or file sharing servers, etc. You can then quickly view detailed logs and performance reports just for those groups.

Clicking on an individual device, such as a server, gives you a detailed set of stats such as availability, bandwidth/traffic, CPU load, and more.

If you have a large network with lots of devices and services running, do not worry. The Auto Discovery feature in PRTG Network Monitor will automatically scan the entire network using both WMI, SNMP, and PING protocols and add the device to a pre-defined template with pre-configured sensors, such as memory, processor, etc.

You can also easily create network maps and network charts that are accessible from the web and provide up-to-the-minute status information on the maps.

Overall, PRTG is an excellent network monitoring solution for small or large networks. If you have a small network, you can simply use the 10 sensors and that would probably be enough.

If you have a website and add a link to their site from your site, you can get up to 20 sensors for free. Check it out!