For a network administrator choosing the correct networking software tools can be the difference between keeping your job and keeping your company’s network secure. From monitoring devices on your network, efficiently running your operating systems, setting up alerts to notify you of incoming potential threats, limiting your bandwidth and more, deciding on the right tool will prove to be crucial to any IT professional tasked with protecting their network of servers. Below we detail just a few of those options to consider when researching the best fitting networking software tools for your needs.
One of the biggest convenience challenges many IT professionals face is the need to lug around their often larger than typical laptops to access some of the networking software tools they need to monitor to keep their company safe. For this reason, it could be beneficial to choose a new tool that offers a mobile or tablet application for your Android or iOS device. Some of these applications can do anything from set up customized alerts that trigger to notify you of potential threats, to tracking network outages and over-use of bandwidth that will be sure to slow down your network’s speed and leave potential exploitable holes.
Beyond more luxury features like mobile applications and alert notifications you’ll want to look for more practical everyday features such as user interface dashboards that serve as the motherboard to your entire networking software tool tasked to protect your entire network. The visualization features your tool offers can also prove to be valuable as they allow you to quickly put into perspective your server or router issues and address them before they spread to be more serious threats. The ability to quickly identify your threats and neutralize them will make the difference between running efficient business with minimal IT glitches and a complete disaster that could cripple your company’s infrastructure and take years to recover from. The more intuitive and natural the user interface of your new software is to you, the less the learning curve and quicker the reaction to issues to the overall health of your network.
When considering networking software tools another often overlooked feature is a network configuration management tool that not only increases the entire safety of your network and servers but adjusts to the constantly changing landscape of your network. This feature can be especially important if your network is constantly receiving new devices trading information with your servers on a regular basis. If this is the case and you want a package of networking software tools that truly fit your needs, a network configuration management tool is one you simply cannot do without.
Choosing a suite of networking software tools that can consistently and accurately track your most used applications and devices can be valuable. Bandwidth issues are one of the most common in today’s IT professional’s world and finding a software that can track and notify you of specific user activity can prove to be useful in keeping the speed of your network at satisfactory levels.
There is no shortage of networking software tools on the market today with features ranging all over the board. The aforementioned features are just a few to consider in your search and the selection process is one that should be thorough and deliberate. When narrowing down your options to a final few, it may be a good idea to see if your final prospects have a free trial to test your comfortability with the product before making this important purchase. As mentioned above, the quicker you are able to fully understand use the software to its full capabilities the earlier your network will be come as safe as it can be.