Lyne Fotchin Wide Area Networks

Lab - Research Network Monitoring Software

Part 1: Survey Your Understanding of Network Monitoring

Describe network monitoring as you understand it. Give an example of how it might be used in a
production network.
Network monitoring means observing, analyzing, and recording what happens in a network. To
properly monitor, the administrator needs a global vision of the network – what area it covers,
how many routers and switches are there, how many users have access, what software and
protocols are used – and also to record major events happening, like security breaches, traffic
issues, etc. In a production network, network monitoring is important because a small problem
can have major consequences, i.e., revenue loss. Network monitoring is used to quickly identify
where the problem is located and what is the best way to solve it.

Part 2: Research Network Monitoring Tools

Step 1: Research and find three network monitoring tools.
List the three tools that you found. (They are all free.)
1. Zabbix
2. Cacti
3. Nagios
Step 2: Complete the following form for the network monitoring tools selected.
Vendor Product Features
Name
Zabbix LLC Zabbix Open source, allows monitoring through use of any
scripting/programming language, supports all Linux, Windows,
and Solaris distros, supports many databases
The Cacti Cacti Supports SNMP polling, uses RRDTool with an infinite storage
Group capacity, allows multiple users with different level of permissions
Ethan Nagios Open source, active development community, many plugins
Galstad & available for: extended graphing, easier GUI, notification
others escalation

Part 3: Select a Network Monitoring Tool

Step 1: Select one or more monitoring tools from your research.
From your research, identify one or more tools you would choose for monitoring your network.
List the tools and explain your reasons for choosing them, including specific features that you
consider important.
It depends on what network I have and what are the most important features to monitor. If the
network is used by a giant company, then the Network Operation Center team is very large. A
tool like Cacti will make it easier to assign permissions to each user. For a simple network,
Nagios is the go-to, because it is simple and efficient and many plugins are available for specific
needs, with a large support community, so it’s perfect for a startup company with very few nodes
and only one admin to manage it all. Zabbix is perfect for intermediary companies, because
passed the 1000 nodes, it is not efficient anymore. It’s also easy to configure and provides many
features. One big plus not to forget is that all those tools are free.
Step 2: Investigate the PRTG network monitoring tool. Tool like Cacti
Search the internet for the terms Paessler and PRTG and look for a feature list. Give examples of
some of the features that you found for PRTG in the space provided below.
 Quick download, install and config
 Easy to use, choice between several user interfaces
 Comprehensive Network Monitoring
 Flexible Alerting
 Distributed Monitoring using remote probes
 Data publishing and maps
 In-depth reporting
Reflection Question
Based on your research, what conclusions have you reached regarding network monitoring
software?
The more the software can accommodate the needs of the administrator and of the network, the
better it is. A good software provides a detailed approach to monitoring and saving/graphing
data, along with comprehensive tools that let the user decide the features to focus on as well as
the notification system. It should also be fast, user friendly, and provide mapping.