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What is network monitoring?
There are many types of network monitoring tools. They all scan the network and look for different types of data. The most frequently encountered type of network monitor is the network performance monitor, also known as a network device monitor. This scans all devices repeatedly and can maintain a network inventory and topology map as well as record any device faults.
Another type of network monitor is called a bandwidth analyzer. This gathers statistics on link traffic volumes. This is important data because the full capacity of each switch interface is known. So, it is possible to identify when traffic volumes could overwhelm a switch, causing packet loss or a total breakdown in communications for some endpoints. Traffic analyzers store gathered statistics for use in historical analysis, which is useful for capacity planning.
Network monitoring can be used for security scanning, and the data from network scans can be channeled into threat detection systems, such as SIEM tools. Another type of network monitoring is availability testing. This uses Ping and is only concerned with whether a device, an endpoint, or a website is still contactable and active.
About free trial network monitoring
You can get a free network monitoring tool and many paid systems. The best deal comes from getting a paid tool for free. A free trial gets you that, however, only for a limited time. Most network monitoring tools will give you a free trial, but some only offer a demo. A free trial can last 14 days (two weeks) or 30 days (one month). The exact duration depends on the marketing strategy of each package.
How to start a free network monitoring trial
There are two deployment methods for network monitoring tools. Most providers choose one or the other. These are downloadable software or a cloud-based SaaS platform. The way you get a free trial is different depending on the deployment strategy.
Before you choose a network monitoring tool to trial, one important issue to understand is the system requirements. This is particularly vital for downloadable software. If the software requires an operating system that you don’t have on your site, you should probably pass on that and look for another tool. If you absolutely must try a particular package that is incompatible with your servers, you could get around that problem by running the tool on a VM.
Once you have sorted out a suitable server to host your network monitoring software package, check on the space requirements for the installation. Installers often require more disk space than the compiled software will need. This is because, even though the software will be downloaded in a compressed format, the installer will unpack many programs that will contribute to the build but are not needed by the prepared software, so they will be deleted at the end of the installation process.
To get the download, you will need to fill out a form on the network monitoring software’s website. This process will require your business email address. The system will check that the email is correct by sending you a message that includes a verification link.
Signing up for a cloud-based system is much easier. You just have to create a username and password. You will also be asked for a business email address, and again, that email address will be checked.
The downloadable software will stop working at the end of the trial period. If you are using a cloud-based system, you will still be able to access the account area, which will allow you to pay, but you won’t be able to access the network monitoring console. You can expect to be contacted by a salesperson before this end date.
FAQs
How can I monitor my WIFI traffic for free?
Some network monitoring systems are available in a Free Edition and include WiFi monitoring services. An example is the ManageEngine NetFlow Analyzer. Zabbix is a completely free tool that includes WiFi monitoring.
Is SolarWinds monitoring tool free or paid?
SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor is a paid tool without a Free Edition. However, you can get the package for a 30-day free trial. This software package is installed on Windows Server.
Is PRTG free to use?
Paessler PRTG is a paid tool available as a SaaS platform on the cloud or as a software package for Windows Server. You can get a 30-day free trial of the whole system. However, PRTG is a package of many monitoring tools called sensors. If you activate only 100 of them, you never have to pay for the system, and it will run forever, not just for 30 days.