Network monitoring

[Bruce123]

Hi,

 

What software do people use to monitor their network/devices/WAN links?

 

Do you pay for it, or use free software?

 

Does anyone else use Solarwinds NPM?

 

Kind Regards,

 

Bruce.

[robyholmes]

Using Spicework Network Monitor here as we also use Spiceworks Helpdesk & Inventory. Works quite well but does use a lot of resources. Can't comment how it compares to others as this is the only thing I've used for 'live' montoring. Just make sure its on its own VM so you can limit the amount of RAM it can use up and not affect other services.

[dapaulio]

Nagios here. very powerful, scaleable and the cost is somewhat nothing financially and on your resources. Requires some linux background knowledge

 

I have set up a nagios server using Ubuntu on my vm host with a 10gb VHD and 64mb RAM and runs comfortably.

 

We monitor Servers HDD space, memory and CPU load mainly and specific IP address of switches but i know you can develop nagios to monitor various things on specific ports on those switches.

 

EDIT: Had to go check and was my mistake its using 256MB. really dont know why i thought it was 64MB. just had in my mind it used next to no resources. Apologies for this embarrassing faux par

Edited May 25, 2016 by dapaulio

[jamesfed]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]37006[/ATTACH]Nagios here. very powerful, scaleable and the cost is somewhat nothing financially and on your resources. Requires some linux background knowledge

 

I have set up a nagios server using Ubuntu on my vm host with a 10gb VHD and 64mb RAM and runs comfortably.

 

We monitor Servers HDD space, memory and CPU load mainly and specific IP address of switches but i know you can develop nagios to monitor various things on specific ports on those switches.

 

64MB RAM? Proof......

[adamholt1]

64 megabytes?!?!?!?! Really?

[Fazza]

MUTINY!

 

It's great, simple to use, easy to set up and configure and as it's done by a University in the UK you get approx 90% discount so pay a couple of hundred quid a year for it which includes support and all the updates.

 

Best of all, it's free for 10 or fewer devices so in small Primary Schools there may not be a cost involved! It also means you can have a play with it so see how it works etc.

 

It has a WallBoard which we have on a wall mounted monitor and we use it to proactively monitor our servers and network devices. When a HDD gets to 80% or 90% (or whatever threshold you set) it notifies on the screen and via email so we can take action etc. - the same with RAM useage etc.

 

[dapaulio]

64MB RAM? Proof......

 

Had to go check and was my mistake its using 256MB. really dont know why i thought it was 64MB. i have it in my head for some reason that it was less than 100mb for some reason. Apologies for this embarrassing faux par.

 

lesson learnt alway check before you post

[FN-GM]

Heard good things about this one - http://www.opennms.org/

[whs1000]

The Dude for monitoring if devices are up (you can also monitor bandwidth between links but we dont use that) and PRTG for monitoring switches bandwidth/ports/wan links.

[Homer]

Icinga for up/down and resource utilisation, Cacti for network graphing

 

Both are still a wip here, but worth the work

[Sagima]

Nagios for alerts and Cacti for showing the network traffic/connections and stuff

[victormadrid]

Pandora FMS, using the open or Enterprise version. Network monitoring

Worth to check it out.

[IrritableTech]

We use the dude to monitor servers, switches, APs, links and printers. Doesn't take too long to set up either.

[nwkeene]

another thumbs up for Mutiny... saw it mentioned here, tried it, bought it. 50 nodes for £100 pa. Covers almost all of our servers...! don't use it for Switches or printers though, yet.. next licence level is 250 nodes for £250/pa

`

[Fazza]

another thumbs up for Mutiny... saw it mentioned here, tried it, bought it. 50 nodes for £100 pa. Covers almost all of our servers...! don't use it for Switches or printers though, yet.. next licence level is 250 nodes for £250/pa

`

 

Mutiny is so simple and easy to set up and it's been a life saver so many times (including this morning when it told us that one of our Primary Schools S: drive is nearly full) and at around 90% discount to education it's a bargain to boot! We monitor swithes, servers and our wireless APs so we proactively monitor devices on our network.

[ellsandell]

We use Solarwinds NPM - fantastic once setup, however probably too pricey for schools.

 

If you have under 100 Nodes I would use PRTG or something like Nagios or OpenNMS which are open source.

[zag]

PHP ping app in my signature

[ITGURU]

HP System Insight Manager for monitoring Down/Up of devices with static IPS along with server monitoring i.e reporting of failed NIC links, HDD etc

Syslog for switch log central reporting

the Dude for network mapping and link status also.

[Vegas]

Another vote for Mutiny, we've been using it for nearly 10 years now and it has been brilliant.