10 Best Router Monitoring Software and Tools

Introduction

              

Your IT infrastructure needs the best router monitoring software and tools. Are you using an option that helps employees and end-users succeed? Router monitoring software and tools have become essential for administrators to observe their IT infrastructure's traffic, prevent bottlenecks, and improve availability by predicting serious challenges before they occur.

          

The right network monitoring tools give you insight into the overall health of your on-site infrastructure. Some software can also extend network management to the cloud, making it easier for you to manage every aspect of your infrastructure.

         

The following pieces of network monitoring software will give you more control of your IT ecosystem. They offer a variety of features, though, so you want to make sure you choose one that matches the needs of your organization.

             

Want to add more power to your router monitoring abilities? Discover how MetricFire can give you complete control of your IT infrastructure by scheduling a free demo. You should also book a demo and talk to the MetricFire team about how you can best set up your monitoring stack.

           

               

Key Takeaways

1. Router monitoring software is crucial for managing IT infrastructure and improving availability.
2. Paessler PRTG Network Monitor offers comprehensive monitoring with flexible alerts and cloud-based options.
3. Logic Monitor is a SaaS tool with features like auto-discovery and hybrid infrastructure monitoring.
4. Icinga is an open-source monitoring tool supporting SNMP and multiple operating systems.
5. SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor provides SNMP monitoring, advanced alerts, and multivendor network monitoring.

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Paessler PRTG Network Monitor

Paessler PRTG Network Monitor can monitor any aspect of your IT infrastructure. It provides security by monitoring firewalls, ports, and servers. It helps improve efficiency by monitoring sFlow, jFlow, bandwidth usage, WiFi, LAN, and WAN.

             

Key Features of Paessler PRTG

Key features that attract many PRTG users include:               

• Multiple user interfaces that adapt to individual needs
• Flexible alerting that pays attention to unusual metrics and instances you define
• Pings defined IP ranges to scan network segments
• Cloud-based monitoring
• Packet sniffer

                 

Paessler PRTG Pricing

Paessler sets its PRTG Network Monitor prices according to how many sensors you want. "Sensor" can include any aspect that you want to monitor, such as a network connection's traffic or a machine's CPU load.

                             

You can get a free version of PRTG, but it only gives you 100 sensors. Paid versions include:

• 500 sensors for $1,750
• 1000 sensors for $3,200
• 2500 sensors for $6,500
• 5000 sensors for $11,500
• Unlimited sensors for $15,500

             

                

Logic Monitor

Logic Monitor operates as a SaaS network monitoring tool you do not have to house on-site. If you don't want your router monitoring software to take up space on your network, Logic Monitor could suit your needs.

             

Key Features of Logic Monitor

Some of the reasons developers choose Logic Monitor include features like:

• Network device auto-discovery
• AIOps that uses data forecasting to predict upcoming network needs
• Fast deployment that auto-configures to match your needs
• Cloud-based hybrid infrastructure monitoring

               

Logic Monitor Pricing

Logic Monitor has two pricing tiers: Pro and Enterprise. If you want to monitor up to 199 network devices, choose Pro. If you want to monitor 200 or more network devices, choose Enterprise. Unfortunately, Logic Monitor doesn't advertise its pricing. You will need to get a custom quote that addresses your specific infrastructure needs.

                

                 

Icinga

Icinga stands out for its open-source approach to infrastructure monitoring and management. If you prefer open-source tools, learn more about this option for your IT ecosystem. Assuming that you have the right skills to use it, you can get exceptional flexibility from Icinga's open-source software.

               

Key Features of Icinga

Some of the features users like about Icinga is that it:

• Supports SNMP and direct monitoring;
• Works with Microsoft Windows, Unix, and Linux operating systems;
• Has on-premises and cloud-based server monitoring;
• Discovers bandwidth problems to reduce downtime;
• Offers a full-stack monitoring solution that can alert you when errors occur anywhere.

                    

Icinga Pricing

Icinga doesn't advertise its prices. You will need to contact their sales department to get a quote.

                      

                    

Progress WhatsUp Gold (WUG)

Progress WhatsUp Gold has a highly intuitive dashboard that almost anyone can use to monitor an IT infrastructure. Of course, users will need additional skills to solve the problems that WUG discovers.

                    

Key Features Progress WhatsUp Gold

WhatsUp Gold's standout features include:

• Auto-discovery and entire network mapping
• User-created custom alerts to prevent outages
• GUI (graphical user interface) dashboard for easy network monitoring
• Monitoring of devices, applications, and network traffic.

                    

Progress WhatsUp Gold Pricing

You can download a free trial of WhatsUp Gold. Once your trial period ends, though, you will need to contact the company to get a quote for continued monitoring.

                

                   

SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor

SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor does more than monitor your network's traffic and look for abnormalities. It can also integrate with performance monitors to solve problems quickly.

                     

Recommended reading: SolarWinds Review: SolarWinds vs. MetricFire

                                                 

Key Features of SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor

You may like SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor because of its:

• SNMP monitoring;
• Advanced alerting that keeps admins aware of potential problems;
• Ability to use NetPath and PerfStack for troubleshooting;
• Multivendor network monitoring that gives large organizations ample flexibility;
• Ability to correlate with NetFlow, virtual machines, servers, and application data for a detailed view of IT ecosystems.

                      

SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor Pricing

You can try a fully-functional version of SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor for free for 30 days. Once your trial ends, you should contact the company for a quote. Subscriptions start at $1,638.

                     

                  

ManageEngine OpManager

ManageEngine OpManager is an incredibly versatile network monitoring tool that can perform several tasks at once, such as hardware monitoring, violation alerting, and router monitoring. It gives you a comprehensive way to oversee your IT ecosystem as it grows.

                     

Key Features of ManageEngine OpManager

You may prefer ManageEngine OpManager if you want:

• Physical and virtual monitoring;
• End-to-end network monitoring;
• WAN link monitoring focused on critical metrics like packet loss, latency, and jitter;
• Real-time network monitoring with more than 2000 built-in network performance monitors for common issues like latency, discords, packet loss, and errors.

                

ManageEngine OpManager Pricing

OpManager has three editions: Standard, Professional, and Enterprise. Unfortunately, ManageEngine doesn't advertise its prices for these editions, so you will need to contact the company for a quote.

            

                       

Zenoss ZenPack Cisco Devices Monitoring

It makes sense to choose ZenPacks Cisco Devices Monitoring if your organization uses Cisco Layer 2, 3, or 4 devices. The monitoring software can keep an eye on everything from Cisco virtual load balancers to vLANs.

                

Key Features of Zenoss Cisco Monitor ZenPack

Some of the key features that attract users to ZenPack include its:

• Auto-discovery built entire network maps for easier monitoring;
• Network functions visualization;
• QoS monitoring (quality of service) that can target specific performance metrics;
• Monitoring system built for multi vendor network environments.

                 

Zenoss Cisco Monitor ZenPack Pricing

You need to request a price estimate from Zenoss to find out how much it costs to monitor your IT environment with ZenPack.

            

             

Nagios XI

Nagios XI usually appeals to experienced admins and systems analysts who want a customizable monitoring tool that conforms to their needs. If you don't have a lot of experience, you may find that the software has a steep learning curve.

            

Recommended reading: Graphios – Connecting Graphite and Nagios

                     

Key Features of Nagios XI

People who choose Nagios XI often feel attracted to it because it has:

• Features to monitor more than router network traffic to improve uptime for applications, databases, logs, and other assets;
• Third-party plugins and API's create simple integration with existing and new tools;
• Capacity planning that helps avoid outages and downtime;
• An intuitive dashboard that makes it easy for users to customize features.

              

Nagios XI Nagios XI Pricing

Nagios XI has three editions: Free, Standard, and Enterprise.

The Free Edition lets you monitor a small environment with up to seven nodes and up to 100 hosts and service checks.

• The Standard Edition's price starts at $1,995.
• The Enterprise Edition's price starts at $3,495.

                 

                 

Datadog Network Performance Monitoring

DataDog Network Performance Monitoring has features that should appeal to companies with mid-sized IT infrastructures. It has a somewhat clunky setup process. Once you get everything set the way you want it, the monitoring software works well.

              

Key Features of Datadog Network Performance Monitoring

You might choose DataDog Network Performance Monitoring for its:

• Flexible alerts sent to email, mobile devices, and other contact options;
• Dashboards that offer granular network details and global aggregates;
• Analyzer that finds misconfigured services to improve functionality.

                    

Datadog Network Performance Monitoring Pricing

DataDog Network Performance Monitoring has three tiers: Free, Pro, and Enterprise.

• The Free tier gives you one day of full-solution data retention and only up to five hosts.
• Pro costs $15 per host, per month.
• Enterprise costs $23 per host, per month.

                                         

If you have more than 500 hosts, contact DataDog for a volume discount.

                                                    

Looking for router monitor software you know will meet your needs? Start a free trial and book a demo with MetricFire to see how it can make your infrastructure more transparent and adaptive.

           

               

NetCrunch

NetCrunch from AdRem Software lets you monitor every device in your IT ecosystem, including everything from temperature sensors to mobile devices. This expansive take on monitoring might sound like overkill, but it offers layers of cybersecurity that few router monitoring software solutions can compete with.

             

Key Features of NetCrunch

You might want to adopt NetCrunch if you need a solution that:

• Has options for SNMP devices and network infrastructure;
• Monitors a variety of traffic through flows, including NBAR, sFlow, and Netflow;
• Excels at monitoring packs defined by metrics, triggers, and observed events;
• Lets users create unique notification profiles, action scripts, and sensor templates.

               

NetCrunch Pricing

NetCrunch doesn't offer tiered pricing. Instead, you can get a custom quote based on your number of nodes and interfaces.

                  

Recommended reading: How to display a metric on a Graphite dashboard.

                 

                  

How MetricFire can help with Router and Network Monitoring

Don't forget about the most comprehensive monitoring platform that gives you insight into every aspect of your IT ecosystem, including your network router, cloud services, databases, switches, APIs, and IP addresses: MetricFire.

                                               

You don't necessarily have to abandon your current monitoring software to benefit from MetricFire. In many cases, users find that they can gain deeper insight by adding MetricFire to their existing monitoring software. MetricFire also comes with integrations to Slack, Webhooks, Amazon EC2, and other popular services.

                                                             

Not sure which router monitor software and tools will work best for you? Once you experience the deep insights and automated features of MetricFire, you will see why so many companies choose it.

                            

Schedule a demonstration and start a free trial to see how MetricFire can help with your router and network monitoring.