Looking for the perfect network software for your business? It’s out there – especially as 2024 rolls in and technology soars to an all-time high!

How do you sort through the sea of options? What will work best for your company’s size, requirements, and budget? We have rounded up the best of the best software the world has to offer.

Here is our list of the best network software:

1. Atera – FREE TRIAL This remote monitoring and management package includes automated network monitoring and technician supervision tools. This is a SaaS package. Get a 30-day free trial.
2. ManageEngine OpManager – FREE TRIAL Offers comprehensive visibility into device health, availability, and performance in real-time. Access a 30-day free trial.
3. Site24x7 – FREE TRIAL Cloud-based system that aids in automatically discovering network-connected devices, and includes network connectivity and availability testing, with its main feature of website application monitoring. Start a 30-day free trial.
4. LogicMonitor This is a cloud-based system that offers three core packages, one of which is the Network Monitoring module.
5. Datadog This SaaS platform provides monitoring and management units, including Network Performance Monitoring and Network Device Monitoring units.

When selecting our top picks, there were a few must-haves we used to judge by. The initial installation is critical, as is the user-friendliness of the interface. Reporting when using the software to manage your delicate networks should be relatively easy, allowing organizations of any size to see potential threats. And finally, cost is always important.

What is Network Software?

If you know you need network software but are in need of a little bit of clarity – we understand. Network software is used to monitor and manage an organization’s network to keep it healthy and working properly. The software can help you detect warning areas and analyze your network for speed, accuracy, and security. Even a little bit of downtime – thanks to a faulty network – can cause a business to crumble in security, revenue, and productivity.

The Best Network Software

Understanding the importance of network management software, here are our top picks for 2024.

1. Atera – FREE TRIAL

Atera offers all of the software that a managed service provider (MSP) needs this includes remote monitoring and management (RMM) systems. These tools include a live network monitor.

Key Features:

• Cloud-Based MSP Tool: Provides all necessary tools for managed service providers, hosted in the cloud.
• SNMP Manager Integration: Uses an SNMP Manager to gather device reports and monitor the network.
• Real-Time Alerts: Sends real-time alerts via email to keep technicians informed.
• Multi-Tenant Support: Accommodates multiple databases and environments for diverse client management.

Why do we recommend it?

Atera is a platform of monitoring and management tools that includes automated network monitoring. This package also provides a ticketing system that enables users to ask for help and it can also be used to automatically distribute maintenance tasks to team members. The ticketing system includes task tracking for team management.

The service is a cloud-based system that requires agents to be installed on-site. The network agent acts as an SNMP Manager and gathers reports from device monitors that are built-in by the manufacturer.

The live network monitor uses throughput information reported by the device agents to plot a throughput graph. The network monitoring dashboard is colorful and easy to read.

One section of the dashboard shows a list of alerts. These relate to two sources of analysis. The first of these is a problem detected by one of the device agents. The second is a series of performance thresholds that are placed on the metrics that Atera gathers.

The performance thresholds are set at levels so that technicians have time to fix gathering problems before the network performance impairment is noticeable by the users.

The alerts can be sent to technicians as emails, so the operators don’t have to pay any attention to the network monitoring screen, they only need to look at a specific client’s network if an alert is raised. This mechanism makes it possible for one technician to manage many networks simultaneously.

Who is it recommended for?

This package is available in two versions: one for IT departments and a multi-tenanted version for managed service providers. Each version is offered in four plans, all of which include network monitoring. The system is charged per technician, making it accessible to businesses of all sizes.

Atera is a subscription service with three plan levels. Prices are set for monthly or yearly payments with the annual payment plan working out cheaper per month. You can get a free trial to assess Atera.

2. ManageEngine OpManager – FREE TRIAL

ManageEngine OpManager is a top network monitoring tool due to its comprehensive visibility into device health, availability, and performance in real-time. It excels in monitoring both physical and virtual servers, ensuring optimal performance for Hyper-V, VMware, Citrix, Xen, and Nutanix HCI servers.

Key Features:

• File Integrity Monitoring: Continuously tracks and records changes to critical system files to ensure data integrity and security.
• Customizable Dashboards: Allows the creation of tailored dashboards for specific views of critical metrics.
• Real-Time Network Monitoring: Monitors network performance in real-time to quickly identify and resolve issues.
• Automated Alerts: Sends notifications based on predefined thresholds to address potential problems promptly.
• Application Performance Monitoring: Tracks the performance of various applications to ensure optimal functionality.
• Integration with Other Tools: Easily integrates with a variety of other IT management and monitoring tools.
• Scalability: Adapts to the needs of both small businesses and large enterprises.
• User-Friendly Interface: The interface is intuitive and easy to navigate, even for beginners.

Why do we recommend it?

ManageEngine OpManager is recommended for its comprehensive visibility into device health, availability, and performance in real-time. Its capability to monitor both physical and virtual servers ensures optimal performance across various environments. The tool’s advanced visualization and integration options make network management efficient and effective.

OpManager also offers in-depth wireless network stats, enabling users to monitor Wi-Fi strength and traffic across access points, routers, and switches. Its WAN monitoring capabilities leverage Cisco IPSLA technology, allowing for effective visualization and troubleshooting of WAN link outages and performance issues.

The tool provides advanced network visualization through Layer2 maps, virtual topology maps, and 3D views, making network management more efficient. With integrated troubleshooting and configuration management, OpManager simplifies network performance monitoring, providing detailed insights and quick resolution of network issues.

Who is it recommended for?

This tool is ideal for IT professionals in both small businesses and large enterprises who require a scalable and comprehensive network monitoring solution. Its extensive customization options, real-time insights, and seamless integration with other IT management tools make it particularly valuable for organizations needing detailed and proactive network management.

Start by downloading a 30-day free trial.

ManageEngine OpManager Start a 30-day FREE Trial

3. Site24x7 – FREE TRIAL

The Site24x7 package includes several modules, such as network connectivity and availability testing, but one of its main features is website application monitoring. It is a cloud-based system that aids in automatically discovering network-connected devices. Better comprehension and clarity can be achieved by drawing the equipment inventory more easily, thanks to the inclusion of the network topology map feature. Consequently, the program creates the inventory and maps automatically whenever new equipment is discovered.

Key Features:

• Automatic Network Discovery: Capable of automatically discovering networks and connected devices.
• Real-Time Device Tracking: Tracks all devices connected over a network in real-time.
• Alerts and Reporting: Provides robust alert options and comprehensive reporting.
• Network Mapping: Collects devices and maps them for quick analysis.

Why do we recommend it?

Site24x7 is recommended for its comprehensive suite of monitoring services, including network performance and availability tracking. Its ability to automatically discover and map network-connected devices, combined with robust alerting and reporting features, makes it an invaluable tool for maintaining network health and performance.

One of the best software on the market for tracking network performance and availability. It is a complete suite of monitoring services from which you can choose different plans as well. Using it, you can quickly identify performance issues, trigger alerts, and troubleshoot them.

The tool would take care of all the network component monitoring, so you wouldn’t need to pay extra for other tools to do so. Furthermore, you can monitor all of your network equipment from a single console, including your firewall appliances, load balancers, switches, and routers.

All the editions of Site24x7 have the same features but vary in capacity. Businesses of all sizes can use the tool for monitoring networks and running connection testing services. Large businesses that might require more capacity can pay higher fees to access it.

Who is it recommended for?

This tool is suitable for businesses of all sizes, offering various plans to match capacity needs. Large enterprises requiring extensive monitoring capabilities can benefit from its scalable features, while smaller businesses can use it to maintain efficient network operations from a single console.

Access the 30-day free trial.

Site24x7 Start a 30-day FREE Trial

4. LogicMonitor

Known for being an all-around great solution for network software, LogicMonitor has most of what you need. The software is quickly installed, using its LogicMonitor Collector to collect your network devices automatically. It almost immediately begins to monitor those devices using an interface that is both comprehensive yet easy to digest.

Key Features:

• Cloud-Based Application Monitoring: Provides comprehensive monitoring for applications via the cloud.
• Customizable Dashboard Interface: Features a customizable dashboard with drag-and-drop widgets for easy viewing.
• Hybrid Cloud Environment Support: Supports monitoring in hybrid cloud environments.
• Comprehensive Reporting Module: Offers a robust reporting module for detailed analysis.

Why do we recommend it?

LogicMonitor is a SaaS platform that offers three core packages and one of those is the Network Monitoring unit. This service includes autodiscovery and network topology mapping. It can reach outside a LAN to monitor SD-WANs and SASE networks. The package can also gather logs from network devices.

The dashboard is easy to customize to fit specific business needs. Each metric including disc space usage and network packet rates are in drag-and-drop widgets that can be placed anywhere on the dashboard for easy viewing.

When it comes to reporting, LogicMonitor has the ability to alert whoever is responsible for certain security or network problems, without your help. Reports can be built on any measure and saved into folders for easy access.

However, you must know what you are looking for to properly use the reporting module. For beginners, the reporting module may not be the best option.

Who is it recommended for?

This unit is available as a standalone unit or as part of the Unified Infrastructure Monitoring package, which also gives you server, database, VM, and storage monitoring. LogicMonitor doesn’t specify the charge rate for its service, whether it is per network or per device. So, its suitability for small businesses is difficult to judge.

Logic Monitoring pricing depends on which modules you choose. The Unified Infrastructure Monitoring package includes the Network Monitoring unit, so you don’t need both. The other core package is the Cloud and Container Monitoring and this would work in conjunction with either the other two packages. There are three additional modules available; Log Analysis, Synthetic Monitoring, and Application Traces.

LogicMonitor’s interface is easy to use and completely customizable, with an easy way to measure each metric you will need. Pricing is available for any size of business and organization, as well as a 14-day free trial for new users. Even though the reporting module is difficult to use, LogicMonitor still receives one of the highest scores on our list: four out of five stars.

5. Datadog

Datadog has made it to our list due to its easy-to-use interface and reporting modules. Installing can be a bit hectic to get started, however, which may cause a lag in your network monitoring efforts.

Key Features:

• TimeBoards and Screenboards: Two types of dashboards for troubleshooting and status display.
• Real-Time Monitoring: Focuses on real-time cloud-based monitoring for up-to-date network insights.
• Extensive Integrations: Supports over 400 integrations, making it highly versatile.
• Scalable Environment: Can be scaled to fit any environment size.

Why do we recommend it?

Datadog provides a menu of monitoring and management tools on its SaaS platform and it has two modules for network monitoring. These are the Network Device Monitoring system, which polls devices for SNMP reports, and the Network Performance Monitoring service, which tracks traffic patterns. These two services complement each other.

Datadog gives you access to two different types of dashboards including TimeBoards and Screenboards. TimeBoards are great for troubleshooting network problems while ScreenBoards are perfect for showing status. You have major flexibility here for what you choose to view on the interface.

Datadog focuses on real-time monitoring, so a traditional reporting method isn’t available. However, Datadog has capabilities for analysis that are more than traditional, even offering a way to create a query based on specific criteria. There isn’t a way to print or export these reports for safe-keeping though.

Who is it recommended for?

Both network monitoring systems are charged per device, which makes them suitable for all sizes of businesses. The Network Device Monitoring tool has an add-on option for NetFlow statistics reading, which is priced per million records processed. You also need to subscribe to the Datadog Infrastructure Monitor for these network monitoring tools to work.

Datadog’s pricing is great at only $15.00 per month with a 14-day free trial of the software. However, other costs may add up depending on what you currently have on hand. You must have a software agent installed first, prior to using Datadog. If you don’t, you will need to purchase one which could cost you up to $200.

Datadog has been rated a three-and-a-half out of five stars for its easy-to-use functionality and analysis.

However, with its learning curve and lack of traditional reporting, it loses some points in our book. It is still a great choice for small businesses looking to be alerted when the network experiences trouble or large companies who already have the IT necessary to use the automation tools.

Conclusion

There you have it – the perfect mix of network management, an easy-to-use interface, and pricing for all your network needs. While there are other great tools available, these are three of the best on the market for 2024.

Still not convinced?

Please be sure to check out our other reviews to find the best network monitoring software for your business.

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