Today, IT networks form the foundation of almost every business operation. If your network isn’t. Simply put, if your network isn’t working optimally, the flow of data and services will be hampered, causing your business operations to suffer. It involves constant observation of the network and its performance for early signs of problems, for efficiency and to prevent network failures. Since networks are evolving and can comprise many different devices and tools, it becomes critical to have effective about network monitoring strategies. At Splitpoint Solutions, we know just how critical it is to always be informed by the tools that you have to keep your infrastructure safe and efficient.
In this blog, we will explore What is Network Monitoring? As well as different types of network monitoring, discuss various devices involved, and explore essential tools for networking monitoring.
What is Network Monitoring?
Network monitoring can be defined as the process whereby a computer network is under observation for any characteristics that reveal poor performance, failure, or vulnerability to security threats. It deals with monitoring the state of a network’s components such as routers, switches, firewalls, servers, and other relevant devices to make certain appropriate functionality of a company’s IT infrastructure.
By the use of network monitoring, the IT departments can recognize the issues that are likely to cause slow or failing components before affecting the end users. Additionally, having visibility into your network infrastructure can minimize chances of data breaches, allow efficient bandwidth usage, and help meet industry standards.
Why is Network Monitoring Important?
In the current world of business, poor network performance, interruptions or outages can lead to revenue loss, decreased productivity, and disgruntled customers. Effectively identifying the root causes allows businesses to rectify the problems promptly.
Some key reasons why about network monitoring is essential include:
- Proactive Problem Resolution: Identifying and addressing issues before they escalate.
- Security Monitoring: Detecting any unauthorized access or malware intrusions.
- Performance Optimization: Ensuring optimal bandwidth usage and device performance.
- Compliance Management: Helping companies stay compliant with industry regulations.
- Cost Savings: Reducing downtime and preventing costly repairs.
Types of Network Monitoring Tools and Available Solutions
Network monitoring employs various techniques to ensure that all components of a network—including hardware devices, communication links, and services—are functioning properly. The specific techniques used depend on the network’s architecture, hierarchy, and complexity
1. Network Performance Monitoring
Performance monitoring focuses on ensuring that all components of the network are operating optimally. Critical parameters such as bandwidth usage, latency, and packet loss are continuously monitored. By implementing performance monitoring tools, IT teams can identify potential bottlenecks and address them before they lead to significant slowdowns or service disruptions.
For example, if a firewall is experiencing high CPU usage or if a router is showing increased packet loss, about network monitoring tools will generate an alert. This allows network administrators to resolve issues promptly, preventing network outages and maintaining optimal performance.
2. Fault Monitoring
The purpose of fault monitoring is to detect hardware or software failures for the network administrator in real time. Most problems in network system monitoring arise from faulty switches or breakdowns, bad cables, or a device that is not well configured. Automated tools constantly check for errors within the system, alerting administrators to assist in resolving the problem.
This method of monitoring uses a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) that collects usage and health metrics of the devices running in the network. It is possible to create messages that will inform administrators about anything from hardware failure to configuration issues.
3. Security Monitoring
With the current increased rate of cyber threats, security monitoring has become a core component of networking monitoring. This type of monitoring focuses on identifying any changes made in the flow of data for any malicious or unusual activity including but not limited to external unauthorized access attempts, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, or data breaches. Tools for security monitoring can define the threats and enable management to take the necessary corrective actions.
The goal of security monitoring is to keep your network secure and in compliance with the about network monitoring system. Such systems and tools in conjunction with artificial intelligence can help get advanced analytics that are needed to address and deter cyber security threats.
4. Availability Monitoring
Availability monitoring is the process of verifying the status of all the services and devices within a network. Maintaining high availability of networks is especially important for business continuity as the majority business critical applications rely on network availability. Network availability monitoring alerts you to changes in your network status, should a service go down or there is performance degradation you can then take necessary action to rectify the situation.
Availability monitoring tools are used to monitor all parts of a system including servers, routers, switches, and access points. Administrators are alerted to such component failures so that immediate actions are taken to minimize business interuption.
5. Application Monitoring
Modern IT infrastructure, networks are the fundamental transportation layer to interact with business critical applications. Application monitoring is fundamental for ensuring your business critical apps are reachable, and performing optimally. Application monitoring provides valuable insight into areas that may be causing poor performance such as resource allocation, application availability, and errors. This is especially necessary for cloud-based services and web applications that must be available at all times.
Application monitoring tracks application response times, availability, and errors, offering valuable insights into how applications perform and interact within the larger network
Devices Involved in Network Monitoring
Network monitoring involves a large array of devices, each of which are responsible for a specific purpose, with the end goal of creating an interconnected and high performance system. These include:
1. Routers and Switches
Routing and switching infrastructure are core components of any network, and play an important role in data transmission and network efficiency. Routers direct and transmit data packets between different networks. They analyze network traffic and determine the most efficient path for data to travel, enabling communication between disparate networks.
Switching infrastructure operates within a single network and manages the flow of data between devices on the same Local Area Network. Switches facilitate communication between different devices like computers, printers, and servers within the network.
Network device monitoring is important to maintain performance, reliability and security of your network. Using SNMP based monitoring tools allows you track important metrics such as bandwidth utilization, CPU and memory, interface status and error rates. Access to these metrics assist in identifying hardware and software issues, network congestion and security threats.
2. Firewalls
Firewalls play a crucial role in protecting networks. They act as barriers, filter out undesirable information and block malicious traffic. An organization can implement security policies and control incoming and outgoing network traffic based on a predefined set of security rules. Network monitoring systems are important for ensuring optimal performance and effectiveness of these firewalls. By monitoring logs, configuration settings, and performance metrics, Security Administrators can ensure security policies are implemented correctly and users are adhering to them. They can also detect anomalies such as unauthorized access attempts, configuration changes, or performance issues. Taking the approach of proactive monitoring will help prevent security breaches and minimize access from malicious actors.
3. Servers
Servers provide computing power and data storage for users, applications, and other systems. Monitoring server health and performance metrics is vital to ensuring the continuity of business-critical services. System administrators use various monitoring tools and techniques to gather key metrics such as CPU load, memory utilization, disk space, network throughput, and application response times. This allows them to identify and plan for resource capacity and constraints and take steps to ensure performance. Taking a proactive approach helps address = problems before they arise to minimize operational impact, prevent downtime, and ensure optimal performance.
4. Endpoints
Computers, printers, and mobile devices—collectively known as endpoints—should be included within the about network monitoring system. Unmonitored endpoints can be problematic and can introduce vulnerabilities into your IT environment such as unpatched software, outdated antivirus protection, or unauthorized applications. Endpoint monitoring tools allow network administrators to track
connected devices, and ensure compliance with authorized hardware requirements, installed software and company security policies. Along with the detection of unauthorized devices attempting to access the network. This helps network administrators enhance network security and prevent threats arising from endpoint vulnerabilities.
5. Wireless Access Points
It becomes necessary to check the access points on a wireless network to ensure that users are accessing the network with the correct signal and bandwidth they require. Networking monitoring services help monitor access points and their performance; any problem such as signal interference or, on the other hand, excess load will be displayed.
Best Network Monitoring Tools for 2024
There are several tools one may use to keep an eye on networks and other systems in a network. Here are some of the most powerful and widely used tools in the industry:
1. Mivu Network Monitoring
Mivu Network Monitoring is a specialized utility to watch over network systems and track their performance with great granularity. Performance: It is great at pinpointing areas that may be slowed, network security problems, and other business inefficiencies. Mivu offers real time information and insights, which allows network administrators to fix problems before they occur. There is also a user-friendly interface which can be utilized by the IT teams for easy tracking and identification of possible network issues that may prove catastrophic to the business.
2. Paessler PRTG Network Monitor
PRTG is a monitoring tool for devices and services in the network with a graphical user interface. It offers(functionality) for routers, servers, and applications, including custom view and deep analysis. PRTG could also work with SNMP and this makes it have good compatibility with the various devices.
3. ManageEngine OpManager
One of the most widely used tools is OpManager, which is suitable for small and large networks and provides bandwidth utilization, applications performance monitoring as well as server health management. Its real-time network mapping enables the IT teams to detect problems and address them.
4. Zabbix
Zabbix is an open-source network monitoring tool and hands down supports all sorts of network devices and protocols. Due to its flexibility, the system can be adopted by any business, small or big. Zabbix offers performance monitoring and instant notification on issues to keep your systems running smoothly.
5. Nagios
Another tool that is open-source based, and mainly used for fault detection is Nagios. It provides numerous options for customization that enable the administrators to monitor according to the network type. It is mostly applied for system about network monitoring to ensure availability and reliability in a business.
Conclusion
In order to achieve a fast, highly available and secure network infrastructure, a about network monitoring system is a must. Whether evaluating availability, performance, or security, solutions exist to minimize business interruptions, guarantee the effective use of business critical applications, and satisfy end users. A holistic approach to network monitoring will address each component within the technology stack to ensure peak performance.
By utilizing advanced tools and strategies, businesses can proactively address issues and ensure smooth operations throughout their networks. To enhance your network monitoring, consider exploring Mivu—our dedicated product designed to optimize performance. Contact Splitpoint Solutions today to discover how we can support your business needs!