The Best Cisco Network Magic Alternatives

Here is our list of the best Cisco Network Magic alternatives:

1. ManageEngine OpManager EDITOR’S CHOICE A cost-effective alternative to Splunk with robust monitoring capabilities, user-friendly interface, and customizable dashboards. Download a 30-day free trial.
2. Paessler PRTG Network Monitor (FREE TRIAL) A customizable infrastructure monitoring bundle that will give live statuses on device performance and traffic volumes. Start a 30-day free trial.
3. Site24x7 Network Monitoring (FREE TRIAL) This cloud-based system includes network discovery, inventory creation, and network mapping as well as continuous hardware status monitoring. Start a 30-day free trial.
4. Atera A remote monitoring and management system for managed service providers that includes a network discovery feature.
5. Spiceworks IP Scanner Free, cloud-based service that scans a network and reports all the devices connected to it.
6. SolarWinds Engineer’s Toolset A bundle of more than 60 network monitoring and management tools that install on Windows Server.
7. Domotz This cloud-based remote monitoring system allows you to monitor your network from anywhere and it is available on a fixed price subscription per site.
8. Network Scanner Free for home use, cheap for businesses. This tool discovers all devices connected to the same network as its host.
9. Axence NetTools A free pack of tools that scans the network for connected devices and also checks open ports on a computer.

Network Magic by Cisco Systems is no longer available. This useful tool was ideal for home networks and the networks of small business users. The version of the system for home users was called Network Magic Essentials and was available for free. The small business edition was called Network Magic Pro and cost just $50.

If you are looking for an alternative to Cisco Network Magic, you may struggle, because this useful tool had some unique features. These were:

• Map network automatically
• Report on the IP address of each device
• Report on the hardware and software versions of each device
• Can communicate with both Windows and Mac OS
• Maintenance utilities for troubleshooting and network performance improvements
• Bandwidth usage history per computer

The Pro version of the system had a couple of extra features:

• Enhanced WiFi security
• Status alerts
• Control access to the internet
• Get screenshots of activity on a computer

Although many of these features are available in other packages, most of the alternative systems are aimed at businesses. Home users may find them a little complicated for their requirements.

Many top-quality corporate network management systems offer a free version for small networks. So, getting a very comprehensive system for your home network is not a problem. However, there are very few network management systems written for Macs, so you have a lot less choice of Cisco Network Magic alternatives if you are a Mac user.

The best Cisco Network Magic alternatives:

Here is a list of the best alternatives to Cisco Network Magic. These are not exact matches for the functionality of the Cisco program. However, many of these options include features that Network Magic did not have, so you may end up liking them more than your trusty old network management software.

1. ManageEngine OpManager (FREE TRIAL)

ManageEngine OpManager is the best alternative to Splunk due to its cost-effectiveness and comprehensive monitoring capabilities. It offers detailed insights into network, application, and server performance, similar to Splunk, but at a more affordable price point. The user-friendly interface makes it accessible for users of all experience levels, and the customizable dashboards allow for tailored performance views and reports.

Key Features:

• Custom Dashboards: Create personalized dashboards for real-time data visualization.
• Application Performance Monitoring: Provides in-depth insights into application performance.
• Unified IT Management: Consolidates IT operations into a single platform for easier management.
• AI-Powered Analytics: Utilizes artificial intelligence to predict and resolve potential issues.
• Seamless Integrations: Easily integrates with third-party tools for extended functionality.

Why do we recommend it?

ManageEngine OpManager is highly recommended for its comprehensive monitoring capabilities and AI-powered analytics, making it a robust alternative to Splunk. The tool’s custom dashboards allow for personalized data visualization, enhancing the user experience. Additionally, seamless integrations with third-party tools extend its functionality beyond basic monitoring.

Additionally, its robust automated alert system enables proactive issue detection and resolution, ensuring efficient and reliable IT management. Overall, ManageEngine OpManager provides a powerful and versatile monitoring solution that rivals Splunk without the high cost.

Who is it recommended for?

This tool is ideal for IT teams looking for a unified platform to manage and monitor their entire infrastructure, especially those needing advanced analytics. It is particularly useful for organizations that require in-depth insights into application performance to maintain optimal operations.

Start by downloading the 30-day free trial.

2. Paessler PRTG Network Monitor (FREE TRIAL)

Paessler PRTG Network Monitor is an infrastructure monitoring package. It tracks activities on network devices, network links, and servers. The performance of websites, applications, and virtualizations are covered by this software and it can even reach out to cloud services and remote sites.

Key Features:

• Comprehensive Monitoring: Covers networks, servers, and applications, extending to cloud services and remote sites.
• Customizable Alerts: Notifies administrators of system issues, ensuring rapid response to potential problems.
• Flexible Configuration: Adaptable package with network discovery and mapping for tailored monitoring setups.

Why do we recommend it?

Paessler PRTG Network Monitor is a large package of monitoring services and it also includes some testing features. The tool performed an autodiscovery scan on a network, which uses both SNMP and Ping to identify each device. You can choose which other functions you get from the package and options include switch port mapping.

You can choose to install the PRTG Network Monitor software on premises or access it as a cloud service. If you choose the online version, you still have to install a collector on your in-house system. The software installs on Windows systems.

When you first start up the installed PRTG software it will map all of your infrastructure. This initial baseline establishes an inventory of all of your equipment. It also creates a log of all of your software. You can see the layout of your system on a network map. The monitor then runs continuously and keeps track of network activity and the health of all of the devices connected to the system. The monitoring process includes three methods.

The device monitor uses SNMP, which uses an industry standard messaging system to check on all equipment connected to the network. A packet sniffer captures the real-time traffic on the network to enhance the accuracy of activity monitoring. This only copies the headers of packets traveling across the network to preserve data privacy. Network traffic messaging systems are also employed by PRTG to get deeper insights into the network’s performance. These systems include NetFlow, IPFIX, jFlow, and sFlow, which are used by routers and switches to report on statuses and activities.

The constant checks performed by PRTG generate alerts that arise from status problems, unusual activity, and critical conditions. You will be notified if any new equipment connects to the network and you will also be able to see unusual activity, so the monitor can be used to detect intrusion. Network activity can be filtered by IP address, by MAC address, by port number, or by application. All of this detection extends to remote sites and also includes wireless networks.

Who is it recommended for?

This package is very flexible because you decide which of the many monitoring tools in the package to turn on. Buyers pay for an allowance of sensors, with the minimum purchase quantity being 500. If you only want to activate 100, you don’t have to pay.

Although the monitoring software installs on Windows, it can interact with equipment running other operating systems. The Paessler PRTG system is available on a range of plans with pricing based on the number of sensors that you deploy. Sensor is a monitored condition. The software is free to use for up to 100 sensors. Paessler offers a 30-day free trial for larger implementations.

Paessler PRTG Network Monitor Download 30-day FREE Trial

3. Site24x7 Network Monitoring (FREE TRIAL)

Site24x7 Network Monitoring includes an autodiscovery routine that scans a network, identifies all equipment, and compiles a network inventory. The package also draws up a network topology map from the information held in the inventory. The discovery process repeats constantly, updating the inventory and map. This system is hosted in the cloud but it installs a data collection agent on the monitored site.

Key Features:

• Cloud-Based: Ensures ease of access and management without the need for on-premises hardware.
• Dynamic Inventory Updates: Automatically revises network inventory and topology map for current visibility.
• SNMP Monitoring: Leverages SNMP for comprehensive device polling and status reporting across the network.

Why do we recommend it?

Site24x7 Network Monitoring is a SaaS package that uses the Simple Network Management Protocol to poll all devices on a network and compiles equipment documentation from the responses that it received. The SNMP responses also provide live status reports and a mechanism for reporting component failures.

The discovery and system documentation features of the package start off the monitoring service and report on the locations and activities of all switches and routers. The SNMP responses provide live performance data in the Site24x7 dashboard. The tool will raise an alert if it receives a warning message from a device agent. The alerts of Site24x7 appear in the system console and you can also set up the service so it forwards those warnings to technicians by SMS, voice call, email, or Slack message.

The platform also provides a traffic analysis unit that gathers packet flow data from switches. Different manufacturers of network devices load their products with different protocols, so Site24x7 is loaded with all of them. This enables the package to communicate with all switches, no matter the brand and it can collect data from different brands simultaneously on the same site.

The Site24x7 is able to communicate with the NetFlow, IPFIX, sFlow, J-Flow, cFlow, AppFlow, and NetStream protocols. The local agent uploads data collected from switches to the Site24x7 cloud server where it is analyzed. The tool shows live traffic capacity data per link. Activity can be segmented per protocol, source, and destination to illuminate where all of the traffic is coming from.

The bandwidth analyzer also includes an alerting mechanism. Performance thresholds denote acceptable levels of traffic for each link according to switch interface capacity. If traffic levels approach that full capacity level, an alert will be raised. Floor data will also be stored and it can be recalled for capacity planning analysis.

Who is it recommended for?

This package is suitable for companies of all sizes. The platform’s modules are bundled into plans, which all include the network monitoring service. The capacity of each plan is scaled to suit small businesses and expansion packs are available for larger companies. Plans also include server and application monitoring services.

Site24x7 includes all of the functions of Network Magic plus a lot more features, such as capacity planning. The service is provided in plans that add on server and application monitoring. Plans also provide network device configuration management and log management. There is a plan for website monitoring and another that is designed for use by managed service providers. You can examine the entire Site24x7 platform with a 30-day free trial.

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4. Atera

Atera is a software package that was designed to assist managed service providers (MSPs). The online platform includes all of the tools that an MSP needs including technician utilities to access the networks and servers on client sites and the systems that MSP managers need to run the business. The technician tools are known as a “remote monitoring and management” (RMM) system. The package has much more functionality than Network Magic and it can monitor multiple networks simultaneously.

Key Features:

• MSP-Oriented: Specifically designed to support the operational needs of managed service providers.
• Multi-Site Monitoring: Capable of overseeing multiple client networks simultaneously from a single dashboard.
• Integrated Management Tools: Includes a suite of tools for network management, including patch management processes.

Why do we recommend it?

Atera is a rival to the ManageEngine RMM Central system. This tool is only available on the cloud as a SaaS package. You don’t buy the software outright but you pay for a subscription to the service for each of your technicians. It doesn’t matter how many clients you have – that doesn’t influence the price.

The cloud-based format of Atera bundles all of the server processing time and storage space needed to operate an MSP together with the software. The MSP using this service doesn’t need to install any software on its site and, by using Atera, could start-up a business without investing in any infrastructure at all. For this reason, Atera is a very good package that appeals to small MSPs, independent freelance technicians, and startups.

The cost of the software is not charged directly to the client upfront. Instead, businesses using the platform just pay a monthly subscription fee for each technician. The subscription model makes Atera very scalable. As the MSP gains new clients and takes on more technicians, it just needs to increase its number of subscriptions.

The Atera package includes many functions that Network Magic could perform. It automatically scans a network and discovers all attached devices. It uses the information gleaned from this process to compile an equipment inventory, detailing the make and model of each device and the versions of its firmware or operating system. The network discovery process is continuous and will spot any changes to the hardware inventory on the client site.

Who is it recommended for?

This is a good package for any managed service provider. The company now also produces a version for IT departments and each of the plans have a few different services when packaged for IT departments. However, the network monitoring systems in both versions are the same. Network discovery costs extra.

Beyond those Network Magic-equivalent functions, Atera can take a software inventory and also roll out patches and updates automatically. Atera gives remote technicians the ability to manage servers and networks by monitoring all activity, checking on performance and equipment statuses and intervening when problems arise. The best way to assess Atera is to access the 30-day free trial.

5. Spiceworks IP Scanner

Spiceworks IP Scanner is a cloud-based service, but it requires a small program to be downloaded onto your computer. The system is free to use and it gives you the basic network discovery and device inventory functions that you enjoyed with Cisco Network Magic. This system will work with Windows, macOS, and Ubuntu and Debian Linux. The dashboard for the system is accessed through your regular web browser.

Key Features:

• Cost-Free: Offers basic network discovery and inventory functionality at no charge.
• Multi-OS Support: Compatible with Windows, macOS, and select Linux distributions for diverse network environments.
• User-Friendly Dashboard: Access to device details through a simple, browser-based interface.

Why do we recommend it?

Spiceworks IP Scanner is a free, online system that scans your network and identifies the devices on it, listing each by its IP address. The package needs an agent installed on the network in order to scan it and the device that hosts that agent can be profiled in more detail.

The IP Scanner will automatically trace all of the devices connected to your network and give an inventory on each device including its IP address, MAC address, hostname, manufacturer, operating system, a description, and a list of open ports.

The little program that you download in order to get this utility gathers data about your network and uploads it to the cloud. The communications between the agent on your computer and the Spiceworks server are encrypted, both in transit and at rest on the server. You have to use a special access key to see the information on your network. That prevents third parties from being able to get information on your network. This program doesn’t run all the time, but instead, will document your network on demand.

The interface allows you to filter and sort the list of connected devices. You can also export the status report to a CSV file for import into a spreadsheet.

For a more in-depth tool, you could try Spiceworks Inventory, which is also a free, cloud-based system. This system is probably more appropriate for small businesses because it tracks user activities and all the software installed on devices on your network in its inventory. Spiceworks Inventory can be scheduled to run periodically, giving you a near-live network monitoring tool.

Spiceworks Inventory runs on the cloud but requires a program to be downloaded on your computer. This program will only run on the Windows operating system. However, it can track Macs and Linux machines as well.

Who is it recommended for?

This is a nice tool for use by a small business to create an inventory of devices. It doesn’t operate continuously, so you won’t get ongoing network monitoring from it. The lack of automation in the tool means that it won’t appeal to any but the smallest businesses.

6. SolarWinds Engineer’s Toolset

The SolarWinds Engineer’s Toolset is a bundle of tools that collectively exceed the functionality of the Pro version of Network Magic. Within the package, you will find a group of tools that discover your network and log all of its equipment. These are the Port Scanner, Switch Port Mapper, the SNMP sweep tool, an IP Network Browser, a MAC Address Discovery tool, and a Ping Sweep utility.

Key Features:

• Extensive Tool Collection: Over 60 system management utilities for comprehensive network oversight.
• Centralized Dashboard: Unified access simplifies management of network tools and reports.
• Versatile Monitoring: Tracks networks, servers, and device performance with both live and historical data.

Why do we recommend it?

SolarWinds Engineer’s Toolset is a very large package of system monitoring and management tools. This exceeds the list of functions that you get from Cisco Network Magic. This tool provides a range of IP address-related functions and port scanning utilities, so you can detect devices and monitor switch allocations.

You can use modules from the Toolset to monitor your network. You get real-time performance data from the Toolset’s Response Time Monitor, Memory Monitor, CPU Monitor, Interface Monitor, and TraceRoute facility.

If you were hoping to use Network Magic for troubleshooting and performance improvement analysis, you will be interested in the Toolset’s WAN Killer. This tool generates traffic so you can stress test your network and check for bottlenecks before you add extra real demand.

The toolset has many features that help you enhance your networks’ security. These include a Router Password Decryption tool, the SNMP Brute Force Attack tester, and a SNMP Dictionary Attack utility. You can also tighten up intruder detection through better configuration and log file management.

Who is it recommended for?

This package is useful for any network administrator. There are more utilities for ad-hoc investigations than for ongoing automated monitoring. So, you wouldn’t buy this system as an alternative to a monitoring package, such as Paessler PRTG or ManageEngine RMM Central. You would get this in addition to a network device monitor.

These tools are a Subnet Calculator, the DHCP Scope Monitor, a DNS Structure Analyzer, a DNS Audit tool, and an IP Address Manager. You can download the Engineer’s Toolset on a 14-day free trial.

7. Domotz

Domotz is suitable for use by administrators and managers of all sizes of networks and also multi-site businesses. This system is also offered in a multi-tenanted account structure that can be used for managed service providers. The Domotz system provides remote monitoring and management tools for networks and endpoints.

Key Features:

• Comprehensive Monitoring: Offers detailed oversight of network devices across multiple sites with remote management capabilities.
• Advanced Configuration Management: Includes tools for device patching and configuration for streamlined network maintenance.
• SNMP and Alerting: Utilizes SNMP for detailed device monitoring, complemented by an efficient alerting system for real-time issue notification.

Why do we recommend it?

Domotz is a fully automated network monitoring system that provides autodiscovery, inventory creation, and mapping. The service’s dashboard shows an overview of all network devices and their current statuses, such as if any of them are reporting component errors. The service will raise an alert if a problem is discovered.

You set up a Domotz account, accessing the cloud-based console through any standard Web browser. You can add in any number of networks to your account, with a fixed price per site. The Domotz system will download an agent onto a server on each network. The agent then acts as an SNMP Manager, scanning regularly for device status reports and compiling an asset inventory and a network topology map. This starts the cycle of live network monitoring services.

The Domotz platform includes an alerting mechanism. Alerts are triggered by SNMP Traps and also performance thresholds on each of the metrics that the tool compiles. The system of alerts means that no technician needs to be allocated to watching the network monitor – this is a great labor-saving service that is ideal for small businesses that don’t have dedicated network support technicians.

Security systems in the Domotz package include a backup service for device configurations. The tool rechecks network device setups for changes and will restore the authorized configuration from the backup if any alterations are detected. The package also scans all endpoints for software, creates an inventory, and implements automated patching.

Who is it recommended for?

This tool is designed for use by managed service providers because it has a multi-tenant architecture, but it can also be used by IT departments. The remarkable feature of the pricing for this package is that it is priced per monitored site. So, you don’t have to worry about how many technicians you put on the system because that won’t influence the price.

8. Network Scanner

Network Scanner by LizardSystems is very similar to Network Magic. Home users can have the software for free and businesses can get a license for $79.95. This utility does not require admin privileges to collect data, so any user connected to any network can run a scan and get a report.

Although this might seem like a security risk, keep in mind that the user would have to have the software installed on his computer and the commands in the utility do not allow for alteration of network setup. This tool only gives information — it doesn’t control network settings.

Key Features:

• Effortless Network Discovery: Identifies and catalogs devices across the network without requiring admin rights.
• Access Rights Verification: Checks and reports user permissions for accessing network resources.
• Resource Sharing Insights: Details shared resources within the network, enhancing visibility and management.

Why do we recommend it?

Lizard Systems Network Scanner is a basic network scanner that gives you network discovery. The tool will display address details of each device, which includes the IP address and the hostname. It also shows the latency to each device as reported by Ping. This is an on-demand scanner.

This network management tool scans your network and discovers all devices. You get a report on the addresses and statuses of each device. The scan lists shared folders on the network so you can keep track of which computers have made files available to others. There is no limit to the number of IP addresses that this utility can cope with. You can narrow down the report to a range of IP addresses or just one device. It is also possible to focus the scan on one device type.

The scan will check the ports on each device and assess whether it is on and whether a specified user has access privileges to it. You can’t alter those access rights through the interface. However, the information in the scan results will let each user know whether they can connect to a specific resource, such as network attached storage.

Report results can be filtered and sorted and you can export data to HTML, TXT, or XML formats. Network Scanner is specifically concerned with identifying devices and shared resources on the network, including cataloging all the shared folders on your system. It won’t give you any alerts on hardware statuses and you don’t get a software inventory out of it.

The software is only available for Windows.

Who is it recommended for?

This tool is free for personal use and has a low price for businesses. This system runs on Windows. However, there are a number of tools that provide the same service for free, such as Angry IP Scanner.

9. Axence NetTools

Axence has produced a package of ten network tools and they are free. The interface for this bundle is available in English, German, Polish, and Spanish. Unfortunately, these tools only run on Windows.

Key Features:

• Comprehensive Toolset: Offers a suite of ten network management utilities for various monitoring and testing needs.
• No Cost: Freely available, providing valuable network tools without financial commitment.
• Focused Monitoring: Includes port and service monitoring for detailed network analysis.

Why do we recommend it?

Axence NetTools is a nice free package of tools for testing a network. The system runs on Windows and will provide you with ad-hoc tests or for continuous monitoring. The service has a general network performance monitor and also a protocol analyzer that shows the major ports.

The tool most like Network Magic is the Network, Port, and Service Scanner. This has an autodiscovery feature to check on all of the devices connected to your network. It will check on the services running on each device and verify that each is functioning properly. Examples of the services that the system looks for are HTTP, POP3, and SQL services. In all the tool will examine 50 different services.

Another tool in the package that mirrors Network Magic functionality is Netstat, which gives a list of all open ports on your network-attached devices and the activity on each. Local Info lists the configuration details of each device. Netcheck tests the physical attributes of your network, such as the quality of the wiring. One more useful tool is the Bandwidth Tester.

The package also includes Netwatch. This will check on any servers that you have on your network including mail servers. The report generated by this tool lists activities on a range of ports and the packet loss rate. The utility will also check on the DNS entries for your host servers every ten minutes.

A Wintools utility will check on the event logs of each Windows device on the network, reporting back on performance issues related to CPU, disk, page swapping, and memory usage.

There is an SNMP Browser, which queries the statuses of each device, following the SNMP network monitoring standard.

Traceroute is a great tool that is available in many operating systems and Axence created its own version. This utility will trace the location of any given IP address and report on the performance of the internet connection between you and that address. A Lookup function allows you to query DNS and WHOIS information for any given address.

Who is it recommended for?

This is a handy package for a network manager in any business. However, its use as a network monitor would be limited to small businesses. The tool doesn’t have enough capacity for use by most networks with more than just a few devices connected to it.

Child Monitoring

The five network monitoring systems listed in this review match or exceed the network management functions of Network Magic. However, if you specifically chose Network Magic in order to get screenshots of computer activity on your network to check what your children were doing on the internet, then these new options won’t help you.

Simply getting broadband usage reports and taking screenshots of computers on your home network is probably the wrong method for controlling the internet access of children. There are better systems for imposing parental controls. It is better to block your children from accessing certain types of sites than to use a system that allows them access but reports on their activities. In this respect, Network Magic provided too little too late.

Parental control software is a fairer method to control the activities of children on the internet. It is much better to prevent rather than to blame or shame. If you are specifically looking for a Network Magic replacement that will let you know what your children are up to on the internet, these preventative systems provide better solutions than your current strategy.

Net Nanny

Kaspersky Safe Kids

Qustodio

Witigo

KidLogger

Parental control software has really come a long way since the screen capture facility of Network Magic was thought of. These five options provide you with much better security for your children on the internet and include features such as contact logs, social media controls, and cyberbullying protection.

Farewell, Network Magic

If you have been using Network Magic for years, you will probably be reluctant to let it go. Admit it, you’ve been having problems with Network Magic for years. Even before the software was deprecated by Cisco Systems, it stopped working as well as it should have done. It is great to find free software from a trusted provider that does everything you want. However, the networking industry, including Cisco Systems, has moved on and you should, too.

Whichever feature of Cisco Network Magic you liked the most, chances are you can get that facility from one of our five alternatives, and that service will actually be better than your experience with Network Magic.

It is time to uninstall Cisco Network Magic and replace it. The five alternatives in our list are even better. Whichever one you choose, you will soon love it more than Network Magic.

Cisco Network Magic FAQs