We feature the best network monitoring tools, so that remote monitoring of your IT infrastructure doesn’t have to be a challenge.
The best network monitoring tools make it simple and easy for remote monitoring and management. Remote networking monitoring tools, sometimes referred to as RMM (Remote Monitoring Management), have become an essential part of securing and keeping IT networks safe. Information Technology is now at the heart of any given business, and applies to every department, every section, and every employee. Yet the larger the business, the more difficult it can be to monitor and maintain the network infrastructure, and keep it monitored for security threats. It’s not even just external threats such as malware and ransomware that need to be guarded against, but more mundane issues such as maintaining security protocols and ensuring network connectivity in the face of upgrades and constant patch management. The more machines worked with, the more challenging this can become. General hardware and software asset management becomes essential as both can easily become out of date, leaving the entire IT network vulnerable to failures which can undermine productivity and efficiency. It’s not just physical hardware that needs to be secured though, as identity management and firewalls are also now integral security features, as are mobile device management solutions for mobile devices. However, there are business solutions out there aimed not just at managing those networks, but making the whole process easier. The challenge is to find the network monitoring tools that work for you and your business. Here we look at the best network monitoring tools. Microsoft Azure Network Watcher is a product specifically for the network monitoring of your cloud services. As expected, it allows you to monitor performance, diagnose problems, and generally gain insights into your network health. However, by using packet capture you don’t even need to remotely login into your virtual machines, and can instead set alerts to get real-time information on performance at the packet level. This means IT technicians only have to spend time logging in to actual issues rather than routine observation. Additionally, flow logs can be used to gather data for general auditing, compliance, and security profiling. There are also tools to diagnose the more common VPN gateway and connection issues, which means not simply being able to identify any issues but also using logs for deeper investigation. As you’d expect with a platform as large and diverse as Microsoft Azure, there is plenty to monitor, but the Network Watcher aims to make it as easy as possible to do this with the least need for intervention, while also applying those tools that might be needed as and when needed.
