7 Best Network Log File Analysis Software [Free & Paid Tools]

A list of top-notch tools to monitor your network data

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Key notes

  • Network log file analysis tools help you monitor your network to review system events and prevent any issues that may occur in the future.
  • You can choose from a system-based offline and cloud-based log analysis tool depending on your network infrastructure requirement.
  • The ability to collect logs, centralize and index data, search and filter functionality and live alert features are the things to consider when deciding on a log analysis software.
What are the best network log file analysis tools
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Keeping your IT infrastructure up and running requires constant vigilance and detection of all the possible problems within.

It is achieved with the help of network management solutions, including network device log file analysis tools. They help you make better sense of the data generated and saved in the log file.

What is network log analysis?

Network log analysis is the process that allows you to visualize the performance of your network. This is done via the analysis of the log files generated by network components.

What are the best network log file analyzers?

  1. PRTG Network Monitor – All-in-one network monitoring solution
  2. Site 24×7 – Works with all types of servers
  3. Logentries – Supports third-party exporting
  4. Graylog – High level of security
  5. Datadog Log Analysis – User-friendly
  6. Logsene by Sematext – Easy threat detection
  7. Nagios – Easy integration with endpoint applications

PRTG Network Monitor

PRTG Network Monitor is an all-in-one network monitoring solution that also offers a system log analyzer to manage your system messages effectively.

It can detect potential issues quickly and send alerts before the issue arises, analyze system messages on one central server and effectively manage your network.

PRTG Network Monitorโ€™s syslog analyzer protocols provide a wide range of system information. It gathers and processes the log information of your network device.

You can customize the warning system to send SNMP traps and messages to inform system administrators.

Key features of PRTG Network Monitor:

  • Offers an overview of incoming system messages 
  • Automatic notifications when an error occurs via email, SMS, and external program
  • Provides a wide range of system information 
  • Detects loopholes quickly and sends alerts 

PRTG Network Monitor

Maintain an efficient overview about the details of your network with this powerful software today.
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Site24x7

When it comes to network log file analysis tools Site24x7 fits right in the right spot because it can supply all the data in a very comprehensible manner.

The syslogs are detailed and charted information displayed in an editable dashboard so you can select only the data you want to compile.

And after you get the report, feel free to share it anytime with the team to describe a special situation or just to present the current state of a server health status.

Truth be told, the report will be able to compile a lot of information because Site24x7 follows more than 60 performance metrics and inventory reports of up to ten servers at once.

It’s a complex and powerful tool that caters to all types of servers, from application servers, to mail, web, virtual, or database servers.

The tool can be accessed in the cloud so your IT staff will be able to monitor and perform actions on the go, even by using a dedicated mobile app.

Key features of Site24x7:

  • Detailed graphical syslog data overview and sharing
  • Monitors more than 60 performance metrics
  • Tracks Microsoft applications like Exchange, IIS, SQL and more
  • Cloud-based editable dashboards
  • Available to access from everywhere in the world, even with a mobile app

Site24x7

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Logentries 

Whether your data is in structured JSON or plain text, Logentries offers immediate search, visualization, monitoring, and API options.

All the log data can be quickly sent to this network log file analysis tool to organize logs from servers, applications, routers, containers, and more in one central location.

Logentries comes with powerful analytics functions. The robust visualization allows you to analyze log data with line graphs, bar charts, multi-line reports, and more.

It also supports third-party exporting, live monitoring, anomaly detection, interactive alerts, and API support.

Key features of Logentries:

  • Live log management and analytics solutions 
  • Support all the data formats with instant centralization 
  • Powerful analytics tools, robust visualization, and live monitoring support 
  • API support for Rest Query API and User Management API

โ‡’ Get Logentries

Graylog

Graylog is a log management solution that offers seamless log data collection, faster analysis, and insights to help you determine the cause and rectify the error before it occurs.

You can combine, enrich, correlate, query, and visualize all your log data in one place. Graylogโ€™s security solution can help you identify & stop threats, make audits to meet compliance, prevent downtime for IT operations and eliminate complexity for developers and IT administrators.

From gaining insight into your data by building and combining multiple searches for customized analysis and reports and building complex alerts based on a relationship between multiple events or even missing events, Graylog helps you explore your data with ease.

Key features of Graylog:

  • Excellent log analysis and management solution for DevOps
  • Threat-hunting and root-cause analysis workflow with chain queries 
  • Multithreaded and distributed search workflow 
  • Customizable and complex alerts for multiple events 

โ‡’ Get Graylog

Datadog Log Analysis

Datadog Log Analysis allows you to seamlessly analyze logs from your critical applications and services to increase troubleshooting efficiency.

IT admins can visualize and explore collected logs using intuitive, facet-driven navigation designed for outage responders and seamless connect logs with host metrics and application data.

You can discover log patterns and errors rapidly without requiring investigating every log file.

Create log analytics dashboards with Datadogโ€™s dashboard builder and analyze all your logs even if you donโ€™t know the query language.

Key features of Datadog Log Analysis:

  • Discover and analyze log patterns and eros rapidly without requiring investigating individual log file 
  • Real-time monitoring, dynamic index filters, history archive 
  • Smart alerts powered by machine learning 
  • Quickly navigate and troubleshoot issues 

โ‡’ Get Datadog Log Analysis

Logsene by Sematext

Logsene by Sematext is a popular log management and analysis software for IT operations and development teams.

Being a part of Sematext Logs, it offers secure and scalable monitoring solutions with features like centralized logging, customizable alerts, log security, and multi-user RBAC support.

Logsene supports over 75 services and allows you to combine metrics, logs, and real user monitoring from a single dashboard.

The powerful searching and filtering feature allows you to use query and filter to analyze log data with fast search to detect and fix issues. 

Key features of Logsene by Sematext:

  • Powerful search and filtering for easy threat detection 
  • Integration support with over 75 services 
  • Mult-user Role-Based Access Control 
  • Real-time monitoring with Live trail 

โ‡’ Get Logsene by Sematext

Nagios

nagios network log file analysis

Nagios log server is one of the best open source network traffic log analysis tools designed to simplify data collection and presentation. It collects your data in real-time and sends it to a search tool.

One of the major advantages of this Nagios is that you can integrate it with an endpoint application. This allows you to use an data interpretation tool of your choice.

Another strong point of this tool is that it can be used for network security and log analysis. This makes it one of the go-to tools for organizations that need to monitor the level of security of the networks.

Below are some of the other features of Nagios:

  • Ability to run predefined scripts
  • Audits network-related activities
  • Filters data based on geographic location

โ‡’ Get Nagios

How can the network log file analysis tools help you?

Network log file analysis tools can simplify complex data and show them in graphic display formats.

Visualized performance data offered by log analysis tools are easier to comprehend than sifting through text-based information directly.

And after that, it’s easy to use the syslogs to create detailed reports and present them to your peers.

The right network log file analysis tools can help you maintain an overview of the system messages sent by the network devices continuously via Syslog.

Only then can you quickly spot and fix any issues detected by the system before the network is compromised.

But while we are on the subject, you may also be interested in our selection of the best server monitoring software because you might also get some meaningful suggestions.

Did you try any of these solutions? We would like to get your opinions and suggestions in the comments section below.

More about the topics: NetAdmin