Top 9 Best Network Monitoring Software on Windows
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WinPing
A small, yet reliable software utility that helps you check or measure connections in the local network, as well as on the Internet.
When you store your data or your website on a server, you want to make sure it is always up and running. You can rely on dedicated apps like WinPing to check its status.
Distraction-free GUI
The application comes with a neat and straightforward interface that helps you focus on monitoring your server. In other words, you do not get distracted by flashy colors or redundant buttons.
Instead, you can enter the address or IP of a domain, then ping it to check its current status. The number of pings per host can vary between 3 and 10, and you can choose the value that best suits your needs. You can alter the maximum number of hops to search for the target host to a parameter in the range 30-100.
Adjust the timeout variables
The Settings menu of WinPing is also the place where you can alter the value of the ping requests timeout to vary between 250 milliseconds to 3000 milliseconds. The default is 2000 milliseconds, yet you can easily switch it to a different value.
Similarly, you can modify the host name timeout to a parameter from the same range.
Save results to HTML
A very handy feature of WinPing is that you can save the results of each search to HTML, so you can analyze it at a later time. Alternatively, you can compare it to an old report and examine the status evolution for a certain server.
Conclusion
All in all, WinPing is a small, yet reliable software utility that can help you keep an eye on a server's uptime. Unfortunately, you cannot set to automatically start pinging it according to a schedule, so you need to manually initiate the scan every time.
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Server Check
This specialized app keeps an eye on your websites and web-based services, and lets you know if there’s a problem the second they go down.
Maintaining online content can sometimes be very prone to server instability and this is why keeping your server up and running smoothly is of utmost importance. Of course, manually performing check-ups is one way of addressing the issue, but this is not a long-term solution, especially as efficiency is concerned. Server Check promises to take care of things when it comes to server maintenance, offering users with accessible means for performing close monitoring of their servers.
Highly customizable layout, which offers multiple possibilities for structuring your work
The application features a well-thought layout, which comes packed with several, tiled inner windows, which can all be resized and re-arranged, according to your specific requirements.
Furthermore, all of the main commands for running the functions that are provided by the application are also offered as on-screen buttons, for quick access and in order to provide an easy alternative for those who prefer a more direct working process.
Select one of the multiple chart views and manage multiple monitoring sessions
The main highlight of the app is represented by the PING and HTTP tests that are on offer, as well as their corresponding results’ visualizations. Three, main dedicated charts offer a good overview of the numerical values.
In order to further enhance the plot views, users benefit from three visualization options, which can be easily toggled, on-demand, if the circumstances require a different view of the results.
Purpose-built server monitoring app that offers both good handling and abundant feature package
Regardless if you’re a full-time professional who works with servers and seeks for a tool to perform regular check-ups, or, an amateur running a website on a personal server, this app offers a good way to assess the PING and HTTP responses and visualize their respective values in a customizable graph.
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Fing
An all-in-one network monitoring and troubleshooting suite of tools that is ready to help you make sure all your devices are up and running as they should.
Network administrators require professional-grade tools to make sure they respond promptly to any connectivity-related issue or other similar problems. Designed as an all-in-one toolbox, Fing provides a feature-rich network monitoring application ready to ensure device availability, run speed tests and perform troubleshooting operations.
A user-friendly dashboard to work with
To access the main Fing dashboard, you must first create an account or connect with third-party services, such as Google. Once the account is confirmed, your personalized dashboard is loaded, where all the notifications and alerts are displayed, along with details regarding your Internet Service Provider and the most used functions. In other words, the main window of Fing is designed to offer a quick overview on the network status and facilitate one-click access to various instruments.
Troubleshooting and security tools
The "Tools" area is where you can find all the tools Fing comes with, which you can use to solve network connectivity issues, lower downtime and improve your network’s security.
As expected, Fing includes the basic network monitoring and testing toolbox every such application needs. You get to check network performance and assess the transit delays with the ping and traceroute tools, perform DNS lookup and find the perfect configuration of your DNS servers using the benchmark tool. Moreover, Fing comes with an integrated Wi-Fi scanner and a DHCP discovery tool to help you investigate issues related to failed connectivity.
The second category of tools is geared towards security and includes a port scanner to help you verify the security policies in the network, a router vulnerability checker that can find open ports via UPnP and NAT-PMP or hidden cameras that allow unauthorized monitoring.
Address connectivity issues quickly
In the right hands, Fing can be a real asset. The cost-free edition is feature-limited, but the Premium edition brings to the table a lot more features for network admins to enjoy. Furthermore, the application allows you to keep an eye on Internet outages for your ISP and generates connectivity reports. What is more, you can benefit from the support and advice of a broad community from all over the world.
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Advanced PBX Data Logger
Packed with backup and restore capabilities, this clean application enables you to view information about you calls, view stats and set up custom alerts.
Advanced PBX Data Logger is a software program whose purpose is to aid people in recording, tracking and archiving phone calls, view statistics and create notifications.
Straightforward GUI
The installation process is a piece of cake, as it does not come packed with any unpleasant surprises, while the interface you come across is minimal and clear-cut. It only encloses a menu bar, a few buttons and a panel in which to display all sort of data.
Aside from that, it also encloses some extensive Help contents which ensure the fact that all types of users, including those less experienced, can find their way around it, without facing any kind of issues.
Save and back up settings
First and foremost, you should know that this type of application supports multiple types of ports (e.g. RS232, RS485, RS422, TCP/IP, UDP, TAPI etc.), while you can also choose to save your settings to the registry or to an INI file.
With just a click of the button it is possible to view the current log, as well as the program protocol file, create a configuration’s backup, so that you can restore them at any point.
View stats and set up notifications
You can start or pause receiving data with the help of an incorporated button, while statistics regarding the received and sent data packets, files and bytes, can be viewed in another window.
Last but not least, you can set up the utility to send e-mail notifications for specific events. To be more precise, you can receive mail messages when the app has processed and pared some data packets, it is unable to write to the log file, configurations have been changed or new log file with data has been created.
Conclusion and performance
To sup up, Advanced PBX Data Logger is an efficient and useful piece of software, for all types of users. The response time is good, the computer’s performance is not going to be hampered and we did not come across any kind of issues in our tests, such as errors, bugs or hangs.
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Net Speed Meter
A desktop meter that reveals the download and the upload speed of your Internet connection in real time, also running in the system tray.
Windows does not feature an integrated tool for monitoring the upload and the download speeds of your Internet connection. This is the reason why many developers created simple yet handy software utilities designed to help you keep an eye on such important network-related parameters. One example is Net Speed Meter.
This particular application is one of those tiny software programs that fulfill a simple task but can prove quite useful. Once you run it, a small meter is shown on your desktop, similar to what were once the Windows gadgets.
Runs in the system tray as well
The first instinct is to right-click and double-click on the meter to see if any menu pops up. Actually, you will be surprised to see that the meter simply disappears. If you navigate to the system tray, you will notice that Net Speed Meter’s icon is also there. The application runs in the background and gets minimized when double-clicking it. To get the meter back on the desktop, you simply have to double-click the tray icon or choose to maximize it from the context menu.
Another consequence of a double-click on the meter is that the current download or the upload speed is copied to the clipboard automatically, so you can easily paste it anywhere you need to.
Alter the meter’s appearance with ease
The right-click menu in the system tray enables you to access the application’s settings and customize its behavior. There are just a few things to deal with here. For instance, you can change the speed unit from bits per second to bytes per second. Additionally, the appearance of the meter, which is black by default, can be altered from the Settings window. The font and the text size can also be changed.
Net Speed Meter can be configured to start with Windows, so that you don’t start it manually each time you open your computer.
Monitor the upload and the download speeds
Net Speed Meter displays information regarding the Internet connection speed in plain sight, on your desktop. The meter is set to stay on top of all the other opened windows so that you don’t lose sight of the upload and download speeds.
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SNMP Data Logger
View information pertaining to your network by using SNMP protocol with this clear-cut tool, as well as backup configurations, create alerts and view stats.
SNMP Data Logger is a software utility which can be used in order to get various information from custom SNMP agents from your network, as well as view summary statistics.
Clean interface
The apps layout is pretty minimalistic, seeing it only consists of a menu bar, a few buttons and a pane in which to display information. In addition to that, extension Help contents are included and therefore, both beginners and highly experienced people can easily learn how to handle SNMP Data Logger.
Create configurations and alerts, and view stats
This app can receive a list of variables and their values, so that you can easily solve certain network problems. It is possible to create multiple groups with this kind of information, as well as clone or delete configurations with just a click of the button.
Aside from that, you can bring up summary statistics, including number of bytes, data packets and files received and sent, and create custom notifications. For the latter you are required to select an event from a built-in list, add filtering rules, run a specified program when the event takes place, play a selected sound (WAV, MID, MP3) and send alerts to one or multiple computers, e-mail them or display a message box on the local computer.
Create configuration backups
Last but not least, you can choose whether to save settings to the Windows registry or to an INI, clear the screen with just a click of the button, bring up the program protocol file and back up all your configurations, so as to be sure you do not lost any data.
A final assessment
The system’s performance is not going to be hampered by SNMP Data Logger, as it uses an insignificant amount of resources. All jobs are going to be completed in a timely fashion and our tests did not reveal any errors or hangs.
Taking all of this into consideration, it is safe to say that this is a reliable piece of software, and a good choice for both power and novice users.
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10-Strike LANState
Scan your network, find hosts, place them on a network diagram, and monitor their state visually within minutes using this utility.
All network administrators like to informed at all times about the status of the devices they are in charge with, so rather than walking to each of them to check them up, they can rely on a dedicated software solution that can centralize all the information. Such an application is 10-Strike LANState.
Considering that efficiently using this utility means scanning the network according to the settings specified by users, they need to have some previous knowledge of networking otherwise they might not get access to all the devices they were looking for.
10-Strike LANState comes with a sample file that can help users get accustomed to the ways used by the app for mapping devices and they can also get an idea regarding the correct method of mapping them.
When they want to create a new map from scratch, users can either import individual hosts or they can scan an IP range and import all the detected devices, be they workstations, printers, routers, servers, laptops, firewalls, switches, access points and so on. Once mapped, users can easily check their status by regularly pinging them.
If the generated map does not come with a correct layout (depending on their existing network settings), users can manually add lines and areas, so as to organize their devices more efficiently.
In addition, users can also explore a wide range of information about the monitored device - for example, in the case of workstations, the application can display the IP address, the DNS name and MAC address, the running OS, current date and time, as well as uptime or even Ethernet card vendor.
Admins can also perform other tasks on the mapped devices, including sending them messages, running traceroute or name lookup, remotely shutting them down or creating detailed reports that can be analyzed at a later time.
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Download Hubs
10-Strike LANState is part of these download collections: Bandwidth Managers, Traceroute Clients
10-Strike LANState Pro
Easily monitor your LAN connected PCs and devices with this capable application that features map and diagram views together with various statistics tools.
Network mapping is a useful way for assessing the connectivity and its corresponding characteristics, which pertain to Local Area Networks, as it will allow users to benefit from an overview of the available devices and their connectivity. Offering both network scanning and device monitoring, 10-Strike LANState Pro will allow users to get a better overview of their network, as well as perform dedicated monitoring of its devices, and yield a graphical representation.
Tab-structured layout, which offers quick access and facilitates easy handling
The application offers users a clean interface, whose layout is populated with loads of features that address network mapping, but, more importantly, is the way that these features are provided.
To that end, users will find them all neatly packed into a tab array, which sits right at the top of the app, providing an instant overview of all the main categories of tools. We believe that this offers a very easy and quick selection process when wanting to perform a task and being unsure as to what tool could best fit the job.
Preview your network’s structure, through the resulting graphics, and assess parameters such as response time
A wide range of tools is presented on offer, ranging from the basic, actual network mapping through a graphical representation of the available devices and their connectivity, right to more detailed tasks, such as pings and response times.
The amount of work that the app can offer for those who seek to learn more about their LANs is impressive, and we believe that it provides ample room for customization and further configuration, if required.
Competent LAN mapping utility that also provides device monitoring, all in a single, centralized platform
When wanting to discover more aspects about your Local Area Network and its connected devices, 10-Strike LANState Pro can offer a very insightful view of such aspects, enabling users to learn and discover what they need to, concerning network connectivity.
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PRTG Network Monitor
Monitor your network traffic with a powerful program that allows you to stay in touch with important LAN or WAN statistics by using a web-based interface.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Note: To update to the latest preview (beta) version, please use the "Auto-Update" feature on your stable PRTG installation: in the PRTG web interface, navigate to "Setup | Auto Update".
Network administrators have the permanent need to know what is happening with various devices from their networks. Whether they want to view the bandwidth usage or the availability of a certain resource, this program has the right tools for the job.
PRTG Network Monitor is a useful monitoring tool designed to retrieve information from multiple sensors and send notifications to the responsible network administrators. Its purpose is to provide you with real-time information in order to easily identify and solve problems.
It requires you to configure the sensors
In order to receive updated info, you have to run the program and configure the desired sensors. It automatically detects the network interfaces and allows you to select from a wide range of sensors in order to retrieve the required data.
When adding a new alert a wizard guides you through the required steps and allows you to filter the available tools by using the target system type or the used technology. Thus, you can check the CPU usage on a Windows machine or check the number of messages from an email server.
You can access the app via your preferred web browser
The interface is available in any Internet browser and provides quick access to the sensors, alarms and reports. Additionally, you have the option to create network maps which enable you to access a certain device or probe from a complex network.
Since the main goal of the application is to provide information, it comes with multiple report templates and is able to generate and schedule additional reports. The retrieved information can be displayed in the browser, exported to a PDF file or sent to an email address.
One of the advantages of this tool is the variety of resources that can be monitored. The list includes database servers, file servers, computers, virtual machines and multiple operating systems.
A handy application that can simplify device monitoring in the network
If you need stay in touch with the devices from your network, the PRTG Network Monitor is a versatile tool with advanced reporting features. It also includes an extensive documentation and video tutorials which recommends it for all user categories.
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Download Hubs
PRTG Network Monitor is part of these download collections: Monitor Network Traffic
