Chances are your computer network is a vital part of your business. When your network is down, you lose productivity, profit, and customer satisfaction. So continuous and detailed monitoring of your network is crucial, along with alerts sent to an administrator in case of an network device outage, server outage, network intrusion, or ransomware attack. Here are some questions to ask when making a decision on a network monitoring plan that is best for your business.
What?
What specifically do you want monitored? Most importantly you need to know if something on your network is down. You need to know what servers are running which applications on what OS, how many desktops, and how many remote access devices are running on the network. Every network is different but there are specific areas that all network monitoring solutions should cover – Firewalls, Routers, Server Hardware, Patch Management, Software Hardware Asset Management, Web Content Filtering.
How much?
Network monitoring solutions can range from free (open source tool) to a couple thousand dollars a month, depending on the complexity of your network. Having a good understanding of your network map is important to finding a network solution that will work best for you.
Which one?
Depending on the available resources in your IT department, you may choose to implement yourself. Spiceworks seems to be a good choice for those on the DIY path. More complex solutions such as Solar Winds and PRTG require significant time and have more of a learning curve. Many managed Services IT Providers use agent based monitoring such as Kaseya.
If you are choosing to outsource your network monitoring you need to make sure you the provider understands the topology of your specific network very well and can provide after-hours support. If network monitoring seems a bit daunting to take on by yourself, or if you would like some additional help for your IT staff, call Nettology Philadelphia IT support on 610-558-1730. Nettology also offers Network Assessments, Security Assessments and IT Assist Support Packages that include Network and Server Monitoring to keep your network protected and running smoothly.
