PRTG Network Monitor

Kommentare: First of all: Actually (April 2016) the product is free for up to 100 Sensors! I was searching for an easy solution to monitor the internetconnection of one of my customers from outside. They sporadically experienced strange bandwidth problems and the cable provider didn't solve the problem within months. So while searching for an easy to install and use monitoring (simple ping) solution I found PRTG from Paessler in Nuremberg. I 've heard of it before as the Windows based alternative to Nagios. What can I say: I expected a solid Dice Game and ended up in Las Vegas! Installed withing minutes on a small Celeron machine running Windows 7. This runs the core Server and the Probe. You create Groups within the Windows (or Browserbased) Desktop. Within those Groups you create Devices and Sensors (Ping, HTTP, FTP, NTP, SIP, SMTP, SNMP Switch Traffic, ... and I'd say hundreds of others) at Locations you can define and are shown on a map. A configurable HTTPS allows secure Browser and mobile APP access. I use the one for my Windows phone that shows me my favorite (customer) Sensors directly. Automatically scan your Network (that might create a lot of Devices and Sensors, especially when you are using SNMP ready Switches, but don't worry, just pause them before you run out of your licenses). Monitor Switch Traffic if you wonder how long the Windows 10 updates disturb your other Machines. You can install remote Probes in other networks to monitor them and still collect all data on one central monitoring server. PS: In the end, the cable provider changed the modem after I sent them several times very clear screenshots from PRTG where you could see the 1800 ms echos all three weeks instead of 32 ms the rest of the time.

Vorteile: Very good structure and overview of your devices and systems load, usage, availability and traffic
Easy install and use. No deep knowledge of MIB, RMON, LINUX or SNMP necessary
Free for small environments
Very Flexible (google 'prtg netatmo' for an impression :)
Be aware and informed about uprising problems (Mail, SMS, Mobile)
You literally see what your users experience

Nachteile: Really! I have been thinking, but didn't find that much.
Rather ... nothing?
OK, one: you need a Windows system. That might be an issue for some.

Kommentare: The application has helped us monitor all types of equipment and proactively resolve issues early.

Vorteile: This monitoring application has helped us stay on track of what is happening at every corner and for every device on our network, from Storage to network, security and usage statistics and notifications for each, this application has saved us many times in restoring and fixing problems before they get noticed by end users. From our desk and our our phones using the app, we can monitor and get visibility into many device types, including Cisco, Linux, storage systems, Microsoft operating systems just to name a few, with thousands of sensors to choose from. Very powerful and constantly improving.

Nachteile: While just a few sensors were not performing well, like the Ping 30 for Cisco 1900 routers, PRTG has constantly released new updates that once applied, these issues are rectified.

Kommentare: We are monitoring our complete infrastructure, from network switches and routers, over servers to virtualized infrastructure and storage's.

Vorteile: Helped us many time with alert so our infrastructure did not go down.

Nachteile: I would like more vendor specific alerts to be included like Fortinet,

Kommentare: We monitor customer routers that we service and their ISP gateways. We can find out rather quickly when a customer goes down, or when a customer is having an issue with just the router, and we do not have to be actively doing it ourselves. We are just notified when there's an issue and jump in and start resolving right it away.

Vorteile: It tells me when there is a problem without much overhead on my part, and it puts me ahead of the game before end users start notifying me there is a problem. Its a pretty great feeling being able to call the end user up and tell them that you have already detected a problem and that you were actively working on before they have gotten around to notify you there was even an issue.

Nachteile: It takes some time to set up and configure the software. Its not as intuitive as I'd like it to be, but its entirely manageable. You just need to invest the time to learn it get it working the way you want and then from that point on its a breeze.

Kommentare: Most of my clients are SMB and need a free option to monitor his IT devices, with a free option it's easier.

Vorteile: -The free version allows up to 100 sensors to be included on his interface. This feature helps allot of companies IT departments to monitor and compare without limitations.
-Easy installation process for core app, available for SNMP devices (almost every tech device has this option).
-Add devices for a monitor it's easier than other competitors because its agent less and his auto discover feature make deployment process fast and secure.
-Available as web interface with every OS and app for the most important devices (iOS and Android).

Nachteile: -User guide needs to be adapted for none IT users.
-Reports need an experienced partner to customize executive options.
-Customer Support it's not the best part of this company, sometimes take days to solve an issue that would take minutes on other monitoring software.