9 Essential Network Diagnostics Tools for Businesses of All Sizes

Network diagnostics tools are essential for identifying and resolving network problems. They provide a variety of features to help IT professionals monitor and troubleshoot network performance, including:

• Network traffic analysis: Network diagnostics tools can be used to analyze network traffic to identify patterns, trends, and anomalies. This information can be used to identify and troubleshoot performance bottlenecks, security issues, and other network problems.
• Network device monitoring: Network diagnostics tools can be used to monitor network devices such as routers, switches, and firewalls. This information can be used to identify problems with hardware, software, or configuration.
• Network performance testing: Network diagnostics tools can be used to test network performance to identify and troubleshoot performance bottlenecks. This information can be used to optimize network performance and improve user experience.
• Network forensics: Network diagnostics tools can be used to investigate network security incidents. This information can be used to identify the root cause of the incident and take steps to prevent it from happening again.

Uses of Network Diagnostics Tools

Network diagnostics tools are used by IT professionals to:

• Identify and troubleshoot network problems: Network diagnostics tools can be used to identify and troubleshoot a wide range of network problems, such as slow performance, connectivity issues, security breaches, and application performance issues.
• Prevent network problems: Network diagnostics tools can be used to proactively monitor and analyze network performance to identify potential problems before they cause major disruptions.
• Optimize network performance: Network diagnostics tools can be used to optimize network performance by identifying and eliminating bottlenecks and improving traffic flow.
• Improve network security: Network diagnostics tools can be used to identify and remediate security vulnerabilities.

Key Features of Network Diagnostics Tools

Network diagnostics tools typically include the following key features:

• Network traffic analysis: The ability to capture, analyze, and visualize network traffic.
• Network device monitoring: The ability to monitor the health and performance of network devices.
• Network performance testing: The ability to test network performance and identify bottlenecks.
• Network forensics: The ability to investigate network security incidents.
• Reporting and alerting: The ability to generate reports and alerts about network problems.

Benefits of Using Network Diagnostics Tools

There are many benefits to using network diagnostics tools, including:

• Improved network performance: Network diagnostics tools can help to identify and eliminate bottlenecks, improve traffic flow, and optimize network performance.
• Reduced downtime: Network diagnostics tools can help to prevent network problems before they cause major disruptions.
• Enhanced security: Network diagnostics tools can help to identify and remediate security vulnerabilities.
• Increased productivity: Network diagnostics tools can help to improve network performance and reduce downtime, which can lead to increased productivity for employees.
• Reduced costs: Network diagnostics tools can help to prevent costly network problems and improve network efficiency, which can lead to reduced costs for organizations.

Overall, network diagnostics tools are an essential part of any IT professional’s toolkit. They can help to identify and resolve network problems, prevent network problems, optimize network performance, improve network security, and reduce costs. Below given are some of the best network diagnostics tools. 

9 Essential Network Diagnostics Tools for Businesses of All Sizes

1.ManageEngine OpManager ManageEngine OpManager is a comprehensive network monitoring and management solution that is designed for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). It offers a wide range of features, including network device discovery and monitoring, traffic analysis, and performance troubleshooting.

Here are some of the key features of ManageEngine OpManager:

Network Monitoring:

• Comprehensive Network Device Discovery and Monitoring: Automatically discovers and monitors a wide range of network devices, including routers, switches, firewalls, servers, wireless access points, and load balancers.

• Real-time Network Performance Monitoring: Provides real-time visibility into network performance metrics such as CPU utilization, memory usage, network traffic, and latency.

• Advanced Network Fault Management: Proactively identifies and alerts on network faults, enabling IT teams to resolve issues quickly and minimize downtime.

• Network Traffic Analysis and Visualization: Analyzes network traffic patterns to identify bottlenecks, congestion, and anomalies, helping to optimize network performance.

Server Monitoring:

• Comprehensive Server Monitoring: Monitors physical, virtual, and cloud-based servers, providing insights into CPU, memory, disk usage, and application performance.

• Server Performance Optimization: Identifies performance bottlenecks and provides recommendations for optimizing server performance.

• Server Configuration Management: Tracks server configurations and alerts on unauthorized changes, ensuring compliance and security.

• Server Health Monitoring: Proactively monitors server health and alerts on potential issues, preventing server failures and downtime.

Virtualization Monitoring:

• In-depth Virtualization Monitoring: Supports monitoring of VMware, Hyper-V, and XenServer virtual environments.

• VM Performance Monitoring: Monitors VM performance metrics such as CPU utilization, memory usage, and network traffic.

• VM Capacity Planning: Provides insights into VM resource utilization and helps in planning for future capacity needs.

• VM Sprawl Management: Identifies and prevents VM sprawl, optimizing virtual infrastructure utilization.

Additional Features:

• Hybrid Network Monitoring: Monitors both on-premises and cloud-based networks, providing a unified view of network performance.

• Network Forecasting: Predicts future network traffic patterns and helps in proactive capacity planning.

• NetPath Analysis: Visualizes network paths and identifies performance bottlenecks along the way.

• Root Cause Analysis: Provides insights into the root cause of network problems, enabling faster resolution.

• Automation Workflow: Automates routine network management tasks, saving time and improving efficiency.

• Alarm Escalation: Escalates critical alarms to the appropriate personnel, ensuring timely response.

• Adaptive Thresholds: Automatically adjusts thresholds based on network traffic patterns, reducing false positives.

• Deep Visibility: Provides in-depth visibility into network devices, applications, and traffic, enabling comprehensive network management.

• Multi-vendor Support: Supports a wide range of network devices and applications from various vendors.

2.SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor is a popular network monitoring tool that is used by businesses of all sizes. It offers a wide range of features, including network device monitoring, traffic analysis, and performance troubleshooting.

Here are some of the key features of SolarWinds NPM:

Network Device Discovery and Monitoring:

• Automatic Network Device Discovery: Automatically discovers a wide range of network devices, including routers, switches, firewalls, servers, wireless access points, and load balancers.

• Real-time Network Performance Monitoring: Provides real-time visibility into network performance metrics such as CPU utilization, memory usage, network traffic, and latency.

• Advanced Network Fault Management: Proactively identifies and alerts on network faults, enabling IT teams to resolve issues quickly and minimize downtime.

• Network Traffic Analysis and Visualization: Analyzes network traffic patterns to identify bottlenecks, congestion, and anomalies, helping to optimize network performance.

Network Mapping:

• Dynamic Network Mapping: Automatically creates and updates network maps, providing a visual representation of network topology and device relationships.

• Customizable Network Map Views: Allows users to customize network map views to focus on specific areas of the network or highlight critical devices.

• Network Dependency Mapping: Maps network dependencies to identify and analyze the impact of potential failures.

• Network Path Analysis: Visualizes network paths and identifies performance bottlenecks along the way.

Performance Troubleshooting:

• Root Cause Analysis: Provides insights into the root cause of network problems, enabling faster resolution.

• Performance Baselines: Automatically establishes performance baselines for network devices and traffic patterns, making it easier to identify anomalies.

• Performance Trend Analysis: Analyzes historical performance data to identify trends and patterns that may indicate potential issues.

• NetPath Analysis: Visualizes network paths and identifies performance bottlenecks along the way.

Alerting and Reporting:

• Comprehensive Alerting System: Provides a variety of alerting options to notify IT teams of critical events, including email, SMS, and SNMP traps.

• Customizable Alerting Thresholds: Allows users to define custom alerting thresholds based on specific performance metrics and device configurations.

• Advanced Alerting Logic: Supports complex alerting logic using IF-THEN rules to filter and prioritize alerts.

• Comprehensive Reporting: Generates detailed reports on network performance, health, and security, providing valuable insights for decision-making.

• Customizable Reporting: Allows users to customize reports to focus on specific aspects of the network or to meet specific reporting requirements.

Additional Features:

• Cloud Monitoring: Monitors both on-premises and cloud-based networks, providing a unified view of network performance.

• Virtualization Monitoring: Supports monitoring of VMware, Hyper-V, and XenServer virtual environments.

• Application Performance Monitoring: Monitors application performance metrics to identify and resolve application-related performance issues.

• Wi-Fi Monitoring: Monitors Wi-Fi networks for performance, security, and coverage issues.

• WAN Optimization: Provides insights into WAN performance and helps to optimize WAN utilization.

• Network Configuration Management: Tracks network configurations and alerts on unauthorized changes, ensuring compliance and security.

• Automation Workflow: Automates routine network management tasks, saving time and improving efficiency.

 

 

3.PRTG Network Monitor PRTG Network Monitor is a free network monitoring tool that is available for Windows and Linux. It is a popular choice for small businesses and home users.

Here are some of the key features of PRTG Network Monitor:

Automated Network Monitoring:

• Automatic Network Device Discovery: PRTG Network Monitor automatically discovers a wide range of network devices, including routers, switches, firewalls, servers, wireless access points, and load balancers.

• Continuous Network Monitoring: PRTG Network Monitor continuously monitors network devices and traffic, providing real-time visibility into network performance and health.

• Comprehensive Network Metrics Monitoring: Monitors a wide range of network metrics, including CPU utilization, memory usage, network traffic, latency, and error rates.

• Historical Data Storage: Stores historical network performance data, allowing for trend analysis and performance comparisons.

Performance Alerts and Notifications:

• Customizable Alerting: PRTG Network Monitor allows you to define custom alerting thresholds and conditions to receive timely notifications about critical network issues.

• Flexible Alerting Channels: Supports a variety of alerting channels, including email, SMS, SNMP traps, and push notifications.

• Escalation Alerting: Supports escalation alerting to ensure that critical issues are handled promptly by the appropriate personnel.

Network Traffic Analysis and Visualization:

• Real-time Network Traffic Monitoring: PRTG Network Monitor provides real-time visibility into network traffic patterns and trends.

• Traffic Anomaly Detection: Identifies anomalous network traffic patterns that may indicate potential issues or security threats.

• Traffic Flow Visualization: Visualizes network traffic flow using graphs and charts, providing a clear understanding of network traffic patterns.

Centralized Network Management:

• Web-based Management Console: PRTG Network Monitor offers a centralized web-based management console for easy access to network monitoring data and configuration options.

• Remote Probe Support: Supports remote probes to monitor geographically distributed networks from a central location.

• Multi-user Access Control: Allows for role-based access control to manage user permissions and access levels.

• Multi-language Support: Supports multiple languages to cater to a global user base.

Additional Features:

• Cloud Monitoring: Supports monitoring of cloud-based resources, including AWS, Azure, and GCP.

• Virtualization Monitoring: Monitors virtualized environments, including VMware, Hyper-V, and XenServer.

• Application Performance Monitoring: Monitors application performance to identify and resolve application-related performance issues.

• SNMP Support: Supports SNMP for monitoring and managing SNMP-enabled devices.

• API Integration: Provides an API for integrating PRTG Network Monitor with other IT management systems.

4.Wireshark Wireshark is a free and open-source network protocol analyzer. It is a powerful tool that can be used to troubleshoot network problems and analyze network traffic.

Here are some of the key features of Wireshark:

Network Traffic Capture and Filtering:

• Live Capture: Wireshark can capture network traffic in real-time from various network interfaces, including Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.

• Offline Analysis: Wireshark can analyze captured network traffic data saved in various file formats, such as PCAP, PcapNG, and TCPDump.

• Advanced Filtering: Wireshark provides powerful filtering capabilities to filter captured traffic based on various criteria, such as IP addresses, protocols, ports, and content patterns.

Network Protocol Analysis and Decoding:

• Deep Protocol Support: Wireshark supports a wide range of network protocols, including TCP/IP, UDP, HTTP, HTTPS, DNS, DHCP, FTP, and many more.

• Protocol Decoding: Wireshark decodes captured network traffic into human-readable format, allowing users to analyze protocol-specific information, such as packet headers, data payloads, and conversation flows.

• Custom Protocol Dissectors: Wireshark allows users to create custom dissectors for analyzing proprietary or non-standard protocols.

Network Data Visualization and Analysis:

• Packet List View: Wireshark provides a detailed packet list view with information about each captured packet, including timestamps, source and destination addresses, protocol information, and packet length.

• Packet Detail View: Wireshark offers a detailed view of individual packets, displaying the raw packet data, protocol-specific information, and decoded data contents.

• Graphical Analysis: Wireshark provides various graphical tools, such as time series graphs, flow graphs, and protocol hierarchy charts, to visualize network traffic patterns and identify anomalies.

Network Troubleshooting and Security Analysis:

• Traffic Anomaly Detection: Wireshark can identify anomalous network traffic patterns that may indicate potential security threats, network congestion, or malfunctioning devices.

• Security Protocol Analysis: Wireshark can analyze encrypted traffic using various techniques, such as SSL/TLS decryption and SSH key exchange analysis.

• Network Forensics: Wireshark can be used for network forensics investigations to identify the root cause of network incidents and reconstruct events leading to security breaches or network outages.

Additional Features:

• Scripting Support: Wireshark supports scripting languages Tcl and Lua for automating tasks and extending functionality.

• Plugin Support: Wireshark supports a vast ecosystem of plugins that add new features and capabilities, such as protocol support, analysis tools, and export options.

• Cross-Platform Compatibility: Wireshark is available for various operating systems, including Windows, Linux, macOS, and BSD flavors.

5.Dynatrace

Dynatrace is a cloud-based application performance monitoring (APM) solution that offers a wide range of features for monitoring and managing application performance, infrastructure health, and user experience. Here are some of the key features of Dynatrace:

Application Performance Monitoring (APM):

• Real-time Application Visibility: Provides real-time visibility into application performance metrics, including CPU utilization, memory usage, response times, and error rates.

• Application Code-Level Monitoring: Monitors application code to identify performance bottlenecks, errors, and exceptions.

• Distributed Tracing: Traces application requests across multiple servers and microservices to identify performance issues at the service level.

• Root Cause Analysis: Automatically identifies the root cause of performance problems, saving time and effort for developers and IT operations teams.

Infrastructure Monitoring:

• Full-Stack Infrastructure Monitoring: Monitors the entire infrastructure stack, including servers, virtual machines, containers, storage, and network devices.

• Real-time Infrastructure Visibility: Provides real-time visibility into infrastructure metrics, including CPU utilization, memory usage, disk I/O, network traffic, and error rates.

• Infrastructure Capacity Planning: Helps to plan for future infrastructure capacity needs by analyzing historical and projected usage trends.

• Infrastructure Optimization: Provides recommendations for optimizing infrastructure performance and resource utilization.

User Experience Monitoring (UXM):

• Real-time User Experience Monitoring: Monitors user experience metrics, such as page load times, first response times, and user satisfaction ratings.

• User Session Replay: Provides session replays to visualize user interactions and identify usability issues.

• User Journey Analysis: Analyzes user journeys across multiple pages and interactions to identify bottlenecks and optimize the user experience.

• Digital Experience Insights: Provides insights into the overall digital experience of users, including sentiment analysis and correlation with business metrics.

Additional Features:

• AI-powered Insights: Uses artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze data and provide actionable insights into application performance, infrastructure health, and user experience.

• Automated Workflows: Automates routine tasks, such as anomaly detection, alerting, and incident resolution, to improve efficiency and reduce manual effort.

• Cloud-native Architecture: Scales seamlessly to support dynamic cloud environments and provides a unified view of on-premises, cloud, and hybrid infrastructure.

• Multi-cloud Support: Supports multiple cloud platforms, including AWS, Azure, GCP, and Alibaba Cloud.

• Open Standards Compliance: Supports open standards, such as Prometheus, Jaeger, and OpenTracing, for integration with other tools and systems.

Dynatrace is a powerful and comprehensive APM solution that provides a holistic view of application performance, infrastructure health, and user experience. Its AI-powered insights, automated workflows, and cloud-native architecture make it a valuable tool for organizations of all sizes.

6.Microsoft Network Diagnostic Tool

The Microsoft Network Diagnostic Tool is a free tool included with Windows 10 and 11 that can help you troubleshoot network problems. It offers a variety of features to help you identify and resolve issues with internet connectivity, network performance, and specific applications or services.

Key Features:

1. Automatic Network Diagnostics: Run automated tests to identify common network problems, such as internet connectivity issues, DNS issues, and routing problems.

2. Detailed Network Information: Gather detailed information about your network adapters, IP addresses, DNS settings, and other network configuration details.

3. Ping and Trace Route Tests: Perform ping and trace route tests to measure network latency and identify potential bottlenecks along the network path.

4. Connectivity Tests for Specific Applications and Services: Verify connectivity to specific applications or services, such as Microsoft Teams, Skype, and Office 365.

5. Troubleshooting Guides and Recommendations: Receive step-by-step troubleshooting guides and recommendations based on the identified network issues.

6. Support for Different Connection Types: Supports troubleshooting for wired Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and cellular connections.

7. Ease of Use: Simple and user-friendly interface, making it accessible to users with varying levels of technical expertise.

8. Free and Integrated with Windows: No need for additional installations; it’s built into Windows 10 and 11.

The Microsoft Network Diagnostic Tool is a valuable tool for diagnosing and resolving network issues in Windows environments. Its comprehensive features, ease of use, and integration with Windows make it a handy tool for both home and enterprise users.

7.NMap

NMap (Network Mapper) is a free and open-source network scanner that can be used to discover and scan network devices and services. It is a popular tool for network administrators, security professionals, and network enthusiasts. Here are some of the key features of NMap:

Host Discovery:

• Ping Sweep: NMap can perform a ping sweep to identify active hosts on a network.

• TCP SYN Scan: NMap can perform a TCP SYN scan to identify open ports on hosts.

• UDP Scan: NMap can perform a UDP scan to identify open UDP ports on hosts.

• ICMP Host Discovery: NMap can use ICMP techniques to discover hosts on a network.

Port Scanning:

• Service Version Detection: NMap can identify the versions of services running on open ports.

• OS Detection: NMap can identify the operating systems running on hosts.

• Script Scanning: NMap supports a scripting engine that allows users to write custom scripts to perform advanced tasks, such as vulnerability scanning and web application testing.

Network Scanning Options:

• Scan Level: NMap provides different scan levels, ranging from quick and stealthy scans to comprehensive and aggressive scans.

• Scan Speed: NMap allows users to adjust the scan speed to optimize performance or minimize network impact.

• Target Specification: NMap supports flexible target specification, allowing users to scan individual hosts, ranges of hosts, or entire networks.

• Output Options: NMap provides various output formats, including text, XML, and JSON, for easy data analysis and reporting.

Additional Features:

• Remote Host Execution: NMap supports remote host execution, allowing users to run scripts or commands on remote hosts.

• Network Traffic Generation: NMap can generate network traffic to test network devices and applications.

• DNS Resolution: NMap can resolve hostnames to IP addresses, making it easier to scan hosts by name.

• Packet Capture: NMap can capture network packets, allowing for deeper analysis of network traffic.

NMap is a versatile and powerful tool that can be used for a wide range of network-related tasks. Its comprehensive features, extensive options, and open-source nature make it a valuable tool for network professionals, security experts, and network enthusiasts alike.

8.PerfSONAR

PerfSONAR (Performance Service Oriented Network Monitoring Architecture) is an open-source and widely deployed tool for measuring and analyzing network performance. It provides a standardized framework for collecting, storing, and sharing network performance measurements across multiple domains and networks. PerfSONAR is used by research and education networks, internet service providers (ISPs), and other organizations to monitor network performance, troubleshoot network issues, and plan for future network capacity needs.

Key features of PerfSONAR:

1. Standardized Measurement Architecture: Provides a standardized framework for collecting, storing, and sharing network performance measurements, enabling consistent and comparable data across different networks and domains.

2. Wide Range of Measurement Tools: Supports a variety of measurement tools, including one-way delay (OWAMP), bandwidth testing, packet loss testing, and route tracing, allowing for comprehensive network performance assessment.

3. Measurement Archiving and Analysis: Enables the archiving and analysis of historical network performance data, providing insights into network trends, identifying performance anomalies, and supporting long-term network planning.

4. Multi-domain and Federated Deployment: Supports multi-domain and federated deployments, allowing organizations to share measurement data and collaborate on network performance monitoring across multiple networks and domains.

5. Open Source and Extensible: Open-source nature allows for customization and extension, enabling the development of new measurement tools and integration with other network monitoring systems.

6. Community-driven Development: Supported by a vibrant community of network engineers and researchers, ensuring ongoing development, improvement, and support for the tool.

7. Cloud-based Deployment Option: Provides a cloud-based deployment option for organizations that prefer a managed service solution.

Benefits of using PerfSONAR:

• Improved Network Visibility: Gain insights into network performance across multiple domains and networks, enabling proactive identification of performance issues and bottlenecks.

• Troubleshooting and Root Cause Analysis: Facilitates troubleshooting network problems and identifying the root cause of performance issues, reducing downtime and improving overall network reliability.

• Capacity Planning and Network Optimization: Supports network capacity planning by providing historical and real-time performance data, enabling informed decisions about resource allocation and network upgrades.

• Benchmarking and Performance Comparisons: Enables benchmarking of network performance against industry standards and comparisons with other networks, providing valuable insights into network performance and efficiency.

• Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing: Promotes collaboration and knowledge sharing among organizations and network operators, fostering a collective understanding of network performance and best practices.

PerfSONAR is a powerful and versatile tool that plays a crucial role in measuring, analyzing, and optimizing network performance for research and education networks, ISPs, and other organizations. Its standardized architecture, comprehensive measurement capabilities, and community-driven development make it an invaluable asset for network management, troubleshooting, and capacity planning.

9.OpenNMS