5 Best Switch Port Monitoring Software to Monitor Traffic
A list of the best tools to monitor your PC's port usage
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Key notes
- A port monitoring software will let you know which ports are being used.
- Open-source switch port monitoring tools can give you all the information needed to enhance your network’s speed.
- Some of the best tools on our list can also be used for cloud monitoring.
Keeping track of switch ports in use and free is one of the most demanding and challenging tasks. While you can do this manually, it is advisable to use one of the best port monitoring software.
With this tool, you will be better equipped to have an overview of your network, including bandwidth monitoring. But with the number of port management software available, you need a detailed review such as this guide to pick the best one.
How do I monitor ports in Windows?
Windows PC has built-in port and switches monitoring tools. Below are some of the options available to you:
- Use the Command Prompt: The most popular built-in option for monitoring ports on your PC is the netstat command on Command Prompt. This command has different variations for different tasks you may want to perform.
- Using Task Manager: Another built-in option on old PCs is to use the Processes tab on Task Manager. This method requires sorting and filtering to know the process tied to specific ports.
- Port monitoring software: The third option is using a dedicated third-party tool to monitor and check your ports. These tools save you the stress of managing your ports manually. Also, they provide you with an excellent interface to view and take complete control of your data.
What is the best switch port monitoring software I can use?
ManageEngine OpManager – Best switch port monitoring software
ManageEngine OpManager has a great reputation and is one of the most used tools for switch port monitoring.
This tool is one of the best network management tools and comes with some fantastic features, such as auto-discovery, that will find devices and map your network to give you a uniquely customized dashboard.
Another powerful feature that this software offers is the alert functionality. It will help you identify, detect and troubleshoot network issues before becoming severe problems.
Key features of ManageEngine OpManager:
- Monitor parameters such as temperature, power, and voltage
- Uses SNMP to collect hardware health data
- Historical reports on hardware health status
- Alerts to quickly detect and identify network issues
ManageEngine OpManager
Monitor parameters such as temperature, power, and voltage easily with one of the best software.PRTG Network Monitor – Available on different devices
Paessler has created PRTG Network Monitor, and thanks to its excellent performance, we recommend you try it.
This tool can monitor all devices, traffic, and applications in your IT infrastructure.
PRTG Network Monitor does not rely on external modules or add-ons. Therefore, you don’t need to download and install this type of thing to benefit from the software.
Thanks to its integrated nature, the monitor software can be easily downloaded and installed on your device.
Key features of PRTG Network Monitor:
- Temperature monitor software
- Automatically recognizes a wide range of devices and systems
- Can create custom maps for data display
- Customizable alerts and notifications
- Available for Android, iOS, and Windows phones
PRTG Network Monitor
The PRTG Network Monitor is a powerful switch port monitor software that will keep you updated with all the traffic and system status.Zenoss CiscoMonitor ZenPack – Real-time port monitoring software
CiscoMonitor ZenPack by Zenoss is perfect for switching and routers, providing a performance monitor.
The features included that are of great use are monitoring, discovery, and class-based QoS monitoring.
This tool will allow you to monitor all your physical and virtual networks as part of a real-time model that will include all your cloud and on-premise infrastructure.
The in-depth data collection of metrics, events, logs, streaming data, and model data will allow you to see the current state of each business application.
Critical features of CiscoMonitor ZenPack:
- Performant management platform
- Unified monitoring of all physical and virtual systems
- Integration and monitoring of SNMP traps
WhatsUp Gold Network Traffic Monitor – Real-time bandwidth monitoring
WhatsUp Gold Network Traffic Monitor allows real-time bandwidth monitoring to identify interfaces, applications, or links and how much they occupy the bandwidth.
The tool can study traffic patterns over a selected period, thanks to the built-in functionalities. After analyzing the data, it can identify bandwidth usage trends and spot potential bottlenecks.
Moreover, the software can identify security issues, such as DDoS attacks, unauthorized downloads, or other suspicious and potentially malicious network behavior, thanks to real-time monitoring.
Key features of WhatsUp Gold Network Traffic Monitor:
- Real-time bandwidth monitoring
- jFlow, and sFlow to monitor network bandwidth
- ToS verification available
- Comprehensive Top Protocols, Top Senders, and Top Application reports
Solarwinds Network Performance Monitor – Cloud monitoring feature
Our last recommendation for the best switch port monitoring software, but not the least performant, is Solarwinds Network Performance Monitor.
This software is also great for cloud monitoring, thanks to the Cisco ACI monitoring feature. This is why it is regarded as the port monitoring Cisco software.
Thanks to its fantastic features, you can quickly detect, diagnose and repair all network performance problems and outages.
This IT management software is a powerful tool to ensure you’ll have all the monitoring information needed to increase overall performance.
Key features of Solarwinds Network Performance Monitor:
- Customizable topology and dependency-aware intelligent alerts
- Dynamic wired and wireless network discovery and mapping
- The capacity to forecast, alert, and report
- Detailed monitoring of the F5 BIG-IP family of products
⇒ Get Solarwinds Network Performance Monitor
Monitoring the switch port doesn’t have to be difficult, provided you use specialized tools, such as PRTG Network Monitor, to do it.
If you need a list of the best server monitoring software, check our detailed guide for the top ones you can choose today.
Let us know in the comments section below if you have other suggestions or recommendations; we would love to hear them.
