Network discovery software freeware

The server status monitoring extends to Cloud storage and online application services. Application transaction and resource utilization are also covered, and the monitor extends to the tracking of database transactions that server application execution.

PRTG will also cover virtual environments and wifi elements in your network. All of those different types of services take a lot of tracking, and it can be challenging to conceptualize all of the interfaces between different types of systems. The software installs itself, and one of the setup steps is a network discovery scanning phase that will document and list all of these different types of devices and how they work together.

You can opt for an online version of the system, but that still needs an agent to be installed on your system. The PRTG dashboard can assemble maps that represent all of the different elements of your network. You can access maps that show virtualization , wifi performance , VoIP traffic , general network performance by link and end-to-end , and connections over the internet through to the operations of network links and server performance owned and managed by other companies.

Any potential problems arising in any part of the system get reported to the console immediately. Those alerts can be customized , so you can specify your combination of errors and warnings that would make you sit up and take notice, rather than getting notified about low ink toner levels or other non-critical maintenance conditions.

While all of this monitoring is going on, the network discovery process keeps you in the loop. So, any outages or performance problems get reflected on your various network maps. The PRTG system can be accessed as a Cloud service , or it can be installed on premises — the software will run on Windows 10 and Server environments.

The system is available for free to monitor small networks. You can also get a day free trial of PRTG. You will encounter two types of Nagios monitoring software. The one you need to consider is Nagios XI. Nagios Core is a free, open-source network management tool. There is a Nagios Community made up of Nagios users and you can get interfaces for Nagios Core in the community forum for free from some of those users.

However, Nagios XI is Nagios Core with a professional interface included , so you are better off going for that version. The Nagios XI suite includes an autodiscovery module that will map all of your network for you and compile an inventory list. This means that you can review periods of network congestion and watch as bottlenecks appear. This is an excellent tool for analyzing the system weaknesses because you can examine events over and over again, making sure that you understand exactly what happened.

The monitor will observe and record the status of your network equipment and you will see alerts when failure and warning conditions occur. In addition to showing alerts in the Dashboards, you can get Nagios to notify team members by email or SMS. Those alerts can be directed to different team members according to source and severity. The Dashboard can also be customized, which means that you can give access to different views and controls to different team members. The Dashboard widgets include dials, graphs, histograms, and charts that make data easier to view.

There is a free version of Nagios XI. This is capable of monitoring small networks. Free Nagios XI is limited to monitoring just seven pieces of equipment. The paid version of the system is available in a Standard Edition and a more expensive Enterprise Edition depending on the size of your network. Related post: Nagios vs Zabbix. A significant advantage of the SNMP methodology is that it has network discovery software built-in.

This is because all network devices have SNMP agents installed on them, so any monitoring program just has to broadcast a report request on the network to receive notifications from all of the network equipment.

This enables an initial network device inventory to be compiled. The polling process of SNMP is re-issued periodically. That means that the equipment list is continuously updated. So, if you add or remove a device, those changes get registered in the inventory automatically.

Cacti is a free, open-source system that was created to provide a front end to the data gathering RDDTools. So, you need to install both of these systems to get network discovery and monitoring. The RDDTool system is also open source and free to use. The Cacti package includes a set of graph templates. You can customize a user interface by selecting a subset of the graph template pack. You can also create multiple user accounts and assign different sets of graphs to each.

The free tool is useful for allowing users to see their own service consumption in leased service scenarios, SaaS provision, storage services, and even internet service provision.

The package includes a live network monitoring system that is based on SNMP. As SNMP performs regular status polling by broadcasting a report request, it automatically discovers all network devices.

Network devices are shipped from the manufacturer with an SNMP agent installed and that agent is programmed to constantly listen for a status request. Any device out on the network will automatically respond to the status request and these answers inform the network monitor of exactly what devices are out there on the network. The first time the status request and response cycle runs NinjaRMM collates an asset inventory database.

In that case, the new device gets added to the inventory. The network discovery tool is just one of the features of the NinjaRMM system. The dashboard also gives access to live traffic flow data with alerts when devices get overloaded. Other features include Syslog monitoring, patch management, and a managed antivirus service.

The NinjaRMM is a cloud-based service and is charged for by subscription with a rate per device. You can a day free trial of NinjaRMM to experience the network discovery feature on any site. Zenmap is a graphical front end to Nmap. Both Zenmap and Nmap are free to use. Nmap is a security auditing tool , but it can be used for network scanning.

Details of each node include the operating system, manufacturer, device type, IP address, hostname, and the status of the ports on the device. However, Nmap has a huge following and the combination of Zenmap and Nmap is widely distributed. These tools will be of use to you to provide ad-hoc system scans and security checks.

Spiceworks produces a suite of network monitoring tools that can be installed on premises or accessed online. All of the Spiceworks tools are free but ad-supported. ITo get all of your devices logged, you will need to use the Spiceworks Inventory module. The Inventory tool will search your system and log all of the equipment connected to your network.

Not only will it register each piece of equipment, but the facility also gives you operational details of each device.

The scan will also log all of the software that you have available. The Inventory tool will keep all of your software up-to-date with the latest versions and install patches when they become available. You will also be able to see which applications are overloading the network and watch data flows that result in service bottlenecks.

You can enhance the visibility of data and switch from list views over to a graphical representation of the network by installing the Spiceworks Network Mapper. This tool uses the information registered by Spiceworks Inventory , so you need that research tool installed before the mapper will work.

You will see traffic volumes on the links between devices represented as the thickness of the line representing the link. The map covers Layer 2 switches and Layer 3 routers devices. The device icons in the map act as links to detail pages, where you can see the status and operating methods of each piece of equipment.

Nagios XI is fully customizable, which allows you to change the GUI to display the layout, design, or color themes to your preference. Make sure to check out the online demo and free trial before purchasing. Intermapper includes network performance monitoring capabilities, but this feature is relatively limited.

Its primary use is for discovering and mapping your network. The mapping tool automatically discovers your network including all physical and virtual equipment with an IP address and creates a customizable map. This map then updates automatically and displays real-time network performance data. Intermapper has versions available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. It scans and identifies the Windows PCs on your network and can shut down and wake networked computers remotely.

The main downside is its limited functionality. Many of these tools have free trials so you can test them out. Remember the best tools provide centralized network performance management and discovery, so you can work through all your network needs in one place.

The software is also virtualization aware. WhatsUp Gold is available as a free day trial. You can download a free trial of LogInventory; the trial supports the discovery of up to 20 assets. NetSurveyor is a network discovery tool whose sole emphasis is on WiFi. It's designed to collect information about any nearby wireless access points. Not only can you use this tool to detect rogue wireless access points, but you can also use it to fine tune or diagnose problems with your wireless hardware.

What network discovery apps have worked the best for you? Share your recommendations with other TechRepublic members. The plugins determine the type of information that the agents need to collect. Aside from gathering data, the NetProbe agents can also execute commands and scripts, received from the gateway.

Price: The Standard Version is free and allows monitoring for up to 8 Devices. Download: the standard version of NetProbe for free of charge for unlimited time. Zenmap is the graphical user interface scanner of Nmap , which is a network discovery and security auditing tool.

Nmap and Zenmap are both free and open source tools. Zenmap was initially designed to be the easy-to-use version of Nmap while providing the advanced features from Nmap. Although Znmap does not offer auto-discovery, it is a fantastic network discovery tool.

Its back-end version, Nmap, has countless scanning options. Some of the scanning profiles that come with Zenmap make it easier to scan a network. Spiceworks is more than a monitoring tool — it is an online platform built for and by IT professionals. In this platform, users help each other in almost any IT related issue and also compare IT products and services.

Spiceworks also develops a free and ad-supported suite of network monitoring tools for small to medium-sized businesses. The software can scan and monitor networks, take inventories, and create reports. This tool scans your network and creates an inventory of all the connected devices, including software, user information, and even cloud services. Spiceworks scans the network through either a ping sweep or a Nmap command.

You can configure the software with different scanning time intervals so that it can find new devices connected in the network, schedule scans, customize scan speeds, and Wake-On-LAN scans. While Spiceworks Inventory provides comprehensive lists of devices, you can use Spiceworks Network Mapper to create graphical representations of the network.

The Mapper will take the information from the Inventory and create complete and customizable maps of the network. The maps are highly interactive. You can click on a device on the diagram, and it will give you all the information obtained in the Inventory, such as IP, hardware, bandwidth usage, etc. Price: Spiceworks is a free software supported by ads. It comes with four different plans Individual, Team, Enterprise, and Custom, all for free. Download: Spiceworks Inventory from free.

Some of the tools we included above for Network Discovery are appropriate for Small-to-Medium businesses, and some others are powerful enough to discover and monitor enterprise-level organizations.

At the most basic level, a Network Discovery Tool and software should be able to scan and create inventories. A basic ping sweeper with an organized list of results could be considered a network discovery tool.

But features such as auto-discovery, dynamic mapping, and the availability of multiple scanning methods, make a Network Discovery Tool more powerful. The basis for making a decision should always be related to your resources.

What is your budget? Your existing infrastructure? The size of your network? Answering questions like these will help you decide where to start. Is that all the tools mentioned above have Free Downloadable trials or at least product demos. Testing a product gives you confidence that the product will match your needs.

Have you already tested any of the tools mentioned above? If not, is there another tool that you would recommend? Please, comment below. Both the device inventory and network topology map are automatically updated.

Installs on Windows Server. Start day free trial. This is a cloud-based service. InterMapper A device discovery tool that is very strong on topology mapping and can even overlay a network topology over a real-world map. NetBrain A network automation platform for large businesses that includes autodiscovery of devices connected to a network.

ManageEngine OpManager This network monitor offers a range of topology maps that are based on a constantly updated device inventory. Installs on Windows Server and Linux.

WhatsUp Gold A network monitor with autodiscovery and network topology mapping features. Nagios XI A Linux-based resource monitoring suite that can be extended by a large library of plugins and includes network discovery and topology mapping features. Installs on Linux. Cacti A free network data interpreter that includes a library of templates for network topology mapping.

Installs on Windows and Linux. OpsView Monitor A system monitoring tool that can be extended by Nagios plugins and includes an autodiscovery feature. NetProbe A simple network monitoring tool for Windows that is based on an autodiscovery process that produces a network layout plan.

Zenmap A free graphical interface that interprets network data sourced through Nmap and creates a network map from autodiscovery data. Spiceworks A free, ad-supported online website monitoring tool that traces devices across the internet. What is Network Discovery? What should you look for in Network Discovery tools? We reviewed the market for systems that offer scanning and discovery of network devices and analyzed the options based on the following criteria: An automated service that can scan an entire network continuously A system that will compile a hardware inventory including all discovered network devices A system that is able to spot when devices are added, moved, or removed An easy-to-use system that shows live device statuses in the dashboard A network topology mapping service A free trial or a system that is free to use A free tool or a paid system that offers value for money With these selection criteria in mind, we have found several network scanners that can discover and log all connected network devices.

NPM scans the network with its devices, end-points, and links whether physical or logical. What are some features related to network discovery and mapping?

You can also optimize your Wifi network by troubleshooting signal overlaps and dead zone areas. Color-Coded Maps: The maps use different colors to help visualization. An overloaded connection is red, up and running connection is green, and warning links in yellow.

NetPath can also measure performance characteristics of each node and its links. With PerfStack you compare different data types side-by-side in one dashboard and see data on the same timeline.

Network Performance Analyzer is only supported by Windows Server and Pros: Supports auto-discovery that builds network topology maps and inventory lists in real-time based on devices that enter the network Has some of the best alerting features that balance effectiveness with ease of use Supports both SNMP monitoring as well as packet analysis, giving you more control over monitoring than similar tools Uses drag and drop widgets to customize the look and feel of the dashboard Tons of preconfigured templates, reports, and dashboard views Cons: Is a feature-rich tool that will require a time investment to properly learn EDITOR'S CHOICE SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor is our top pick for a network discovery tool because the network scan phase of this service is continuous.

Reviews Tutorials hardware Software Search for:. Pros: Supports auto-discovery that builds network topology maps and inventory lists in real-time based on devices that enter the network Has some of the best alerting features that balance effectiveness with ease of use Supports both SNMP monitoring as well as packet analysis, giving you more control over monitoring than similar tools Uses drag and drop widgets to customize the look and feel of the dashboard Tons of preconfigured templates, reports, and dashboard views.

Cons: Is a feature-rich tool that will require a time investment to properly learn.