Network troubleshooting tools are among the most important products for LAN professionals. So many businesses depend so much on their networks that even a short interruption in service can have major consequences. A network administrator should have as much help at his or her disposal as possible. Network tools for monitoring are among the most common and most useful network tools around.
Network monitoring tools allow administrators to sort out traffic problems and keep watch on external threats. Common network troubleshooting tools include Simple Network Management Protocols (SNMP) and Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS). These resources give network professionals a broad outlook on the data flow within a given network, and can often be used to pinpoint problems and DoS/DDoS attacks alike. These systems are designed to produce alerts when network activity becomes anomalous.
While SNMP and IDS are certainly useful, some think they give too broad a picture of what is going on in a network. The systems work with the statistical picture of the traffic on the network. To actually monitor the packet activity of a network, one needs a protocol analyzer. Such a system will give a much more detailed view of network activity, allowing him or her to actually "see" what is going on, as opposed to receiving a report on traffic patterns. The Protocol Analyzer can capture and analyze network traffic, calculate and collect statistics, analyzer protocol headers on each layers, correlate multiple layers of messages to understand the source of problems and re-construct packets into original messages. This level of detail is more useful in solving complicated networking problems.
More Network Troubleshooting Tools Troubleshooting tools for latency include running a traceroute or sending a "ping," two activities that can help to determine the roots of network slowdowns. Some of the best network troubleshooting tools are located right in the head. Common sense can solve a whole host of problems (unplugged cables, for instance), and should be used as the first line of defense against network problems.
What tool should I buy ?
The answer to this question depends on your involvement in the network and your knowledge level of the network . A network troubleshooting tool may cost you nothing to tens of thousands of dollars. Some are easy to use and some are made for networking experts . The following are some general questions to consider before you made a decision:
- Have you used network troubleshooting before, or do you have sufficient training in using a network troubleshooting tool?
- Do you just need to monitor the network or must solve the problem?
- Do you only need network statistics or must see the actual traffic?
- Are you currently having problems that a n existing network tools can help resolve?
- Are you a system integrator or IS department that supports multiple network ?
- Does your network include greater than 25 users?
- What budget do you have for the tool ?
Depends on the answer to these questions , you may decide what is the right tool to buy . Otherwise, it'll probably be more cost effective to hire someone with a network troubleshooting equipment to perform troubleshooting when needed.