Obtaining the right network monitor software is a huge decision for any company’s IT department as it can be the difference between smooth sailing and a potential disaster. With so many options on the market today, finding the right one can be a daunting task. Let’s take a look below at some of the more important features you will want to look for as you begin your search for the best for fit for your needs.
If you are currently using an open source network monitor tool or a version you just want to upgrade, finding a network monitor tool that has a migration tool can be extremely useful when looking to import configuration data from your current setup. Everything from user profiles, notification setups and specific alerts can be migrated over from your current system. Many migration tools need only a port number from your server to migrate over the information.
An easy to use interface that allows for monitoring of the health of your network at all times via easy visualization can be a very convenient way to constantly be monitoring your network without much digging or extensive work. By being able to visualize and fix server and router problems, bandwidth issues and performance lulls, you can identify and address the problem quicker and with less down-time.
Monitoring the network traffic your company is experiencing can also prove to be extremely helpful to analyze precisely how your bandwidth is being used and consumed by your users and the applications they are using. By quickly identifying the users that are using the most bandwidth, you can run reports on the application or source sucking up the bandwidth and address the findings with your users. Finding a network monitor tool that allows for custom plug-ins or server specific add-ons can allow you to further drill down into some of your applications to find any threats or slow-downs in your network.
Finding a network monitor tool with a network configuration management feature can significantly increase the overall safety of your network and the computers and servers located on it. With the configuration of your network constantly changing, any threats to your network’s security can go undetected if not carefully monitored and wreak havoc throughout your organization. Regularly scheduling configuration backups is a feature many network monitor tools offer and can make a huge difference in automatically performing the backups every night.
Detecting and automatically email alerting the IT administrator in real-time is a convenient feature that can give the IT professional somewhat of a peace of mind knowing they will be made aware of any serious issues with their network as it happens, no matter the time of day or night. On the same train of thought, a network monitor tool that offers application for your iOS or Android smartphone and or tablet can create an even easier access method for dealing with unforeseen issues that may pop up. Many of the network monitor tools on the market today offer applications where you can track metrics and the overall health of your network straight from an app. In today’s ever-mobile business world, an app is incredibly convenient feature often overlooked when considering monitoring tools for your network.
The aforementioned features are just a few things you will want to consider but are certainly some of the most important. Whatever your final decision is, look to see if the network monitor tool you choose offers a free trial or an open source version to see if the interface is one you can truly navigate with ease.