In today’s digital era, slow networks have become one of the main obstacles to productivity and ease of work. Not only does it cause disappointment for users, but it also has the potential to hamper overall business operations.
Therefore, the concept of network monitoring is becoming increasingly important. Network monitoring is a process in IT management in which all network components such as routers, switches, firewalls, servers, and VMs are continuously monitored for failures and performance, and evaluated continuously to maintain and optimize their availability.
So what is network monitoring and how does it work to help identify problems in the network? Find out more in the following article.
What is Network Monitoring?
Network monitoring is the process of bringing together a computer network to ensure that various network components function properly and operate optimally. The main goal is to detect and prevent network problems, as well as ensure network availability, verification and good performance.
What are the Benefits of Network Monitoring?
There are several advantages when you implement network monitoring, including:
Fast Problem Detection
Continuously monitoring your network, you can detect problems or disruptions before they impact users or business operations.
Improved Network Performance
Understanding how your network operates allows you to identify areas that need optimization or improvement.
Network Security
Helps in detecting suspicious activity or security attacks on your network, enabling rapid preventive or response actions.
Better Resource Management
Understanding bandwidth and other resource usage can help you allocate resources more efficiently.
Data Analysis
Data collected from monitoring can be used for in-depth analysis of usage patterns, trends, and network performance.
Meeting Regulatory Needs
Some industries or countries may have regulatory requirements regarding data security and privacy that must be met. Monitoring can help you ensure that these needs are met.
Capacity Requirement Prediction
Integrating current network usage, you can predict future capacity needs and plan your infrastructure growth accordingly.
Support Decision
Data obtained from monitoring can be used as a basis for better decision making in terms of technology investment or business strategy.
What are the Types of Network Monitoring?
To monitor a network effectively, there are various network monitoring methods and tools used. Here are some of the main types of network monitoring:
1. Real-time Monitoring
This type of monitoring provides immediate alerts for unexpected changes in network performance or security incidents, allowing IT teams to take quick action to resolve issues and minimize their negative impact.
2. Performance Based Monitoring
Performance-based monitoring focuses on measuring and analyzing network performance metrics such as data transmission speed, latency, and throughput. The goal is to ensure that the network is functioning at optimal performance levels and to identify potential bottlenecks or areas that require performance improvements.
3. Security Monitoring
Security monitoring is focused on detecting and preventing security threats that may threaten the integrity and confidentiality of data in a network. This involves monitoring network traffic for suspicious activity or possible attacks, as well as identifying and responding quickly to security incidents.
4. Configuration Monitoring
Configuration monitoring involves monitoring and managing configuration changes on network devices. This ensures that network device configurations remain consistent and comply with established security policies and operational standards.
Selecting the right type of monitoring depends on the specific needs and goals of each company or network environment.
5 Steps to Implement Network Monitoring Effectively
Network monitoring is a key element in ensuring good system performance and security. By implementing an effective monitoring strategy, you can identify problems quickly and improve overall network efficiency.
Here are some important steps to carry out network monitoring effectively:
1. Monitor Critical Network Devices
The first step in conducting effective network monitoring is selecting the devices to monitor. This includes routers, switches, firewalls, servers, and other network devices that are crucial to your business operations.
2. Optimizing Network Monitoring Interval
Next, it is important to optimize the network monitoring interval. These intervals should be frequent enough to detect problems quickly, but not so frequent that they overload your network.
3. Choosing the Right Network Protocol
Selecting the right network protocol is also key to conducting effective network monitoring. Some commonly used protocols include SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol), ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol), and NetFlow. Choose a protocol that suits your monitoring needs and the capabilities of your network devices.
4. Setting Monitoring Limits
Next, set appropriate monitoring limits for your network devices. This limit determines when you will receive notifications or warnings about network problems. Make sure these limits are set in such a way that you can take the necessary action before the problem becomes more serious.
5. Selecting a Network Performance Monitor Solution
Finally, to ensure your network monitoring runs well and efficiently, consider using a solution like SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor (NPM). SolarWinds NPM provides advanced features to monitor, analyze, and manage network performance effectively.
Best Network Monitoring Solution: SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor (NPM)
SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor (NPM) is an advanced network monitoring solution designed to help companies effectively monitor, manage, and optimize their network performance.
With real-time visibility into network health and performance, SolarWinds NPM allows users to monitor key aspects such as bandwidth usage, latency, throughput, as well as quickly detect network issues such as downtime or bottlenecks.
With the information gathered by SolarWinds NPM, IT teams can take proactive action to resolve issues before they negatively impact users or business operations.
SolarWinds NPM is also designed with high scalability and flexibility, supporting various types of network infrastructure from small to large scale. The solution also offers easy integration with other solutions in the SolarWinds suite and third-party tools, ensuring seamless interoperability and providing a comprehensive monitoring solution.
With these comprehensive features, SolarWinds NPM helps companies improve the performance, availability, and security of their networks, and enables IT teams to respond to problems quickly and efficiently.
What are the Benefits of Using SolarWinds NPM?
One of the main advantages of SolarWinds NPM is that it provides a variety of network performance reports and in-depth trend analysis, allowing users to understand usage patterns, performance history, and plan for future capacity needs.
Additionally, here are some key advantages of using SolarWinds NPM:
Reduce Network Downtime
Helps you prevent expensive and disruptive network downtime. With real-time monitoring and rapid problem detection, you can identify and resolve issues before they impact business operations.
Increase User Productivity
With a more responsive and stable network, users can work more productively without interruptions or delays caused by network problems. This will help improve operational efficiency and overall user satisfaction.
Cost Saving
More cost effective by reducing troubleshooting costs and network downtime. With proactive monitoring and quick problem identification, you can reduce the time and resources spent troubleshooting network problems.
In addition to the main benefits above, SolarWinds NPM is also known for its ease of use, even for network administrators who are just starting out. This solution offers an intuitive interface and informative dashboard to facilitate network management and monitoring.
Additionally, NPM can scale to meet the needs of both small and large networks, providing high flexibility and scalability. With excellent value for money, SolarWinds NPM is a profitable investment to improve your network performance and security.
Get SolarWinds NPM Solutions Only at Virtus
Virtus Technology Indonesia (VTI) as an authorized partner of SolarWinds, helps you present a Network Performance Monitor (NPM) solution with comprehensive advantages and according to your company’s network security needs.
Supported by a competent and certified IT team, Virtus will help you through every process of implementing SolarWinds NPM starting from consultation, deployment, management, to after sales support.
Interested? Click here to get free consultation, free trial, and demo that will allow you to try the capabilities of this solution with Virtus!
Author: Ary Adianto
CTI Group Content Writers
