Network Monitoring Software Tools

 

The ping program is one example of a basic network monitoring program. Ping is a software tool available on most computers that sends Internet Protocol (IP) test messages between two hosts. Anyone on the network can run these basic ping tests to verify the connection between two computers is working and also measure the current connection performance.

While ping is useful in some situations, more sophisticated network monitoring systems exist. These software programs are designed for use by professional administrators of larger computer networks. Examples of these software packages are HP Openview and LANDesk.
One specific type of network monitoring system is designed to monitor the availability of Web servers. For larger enterprises that use a pool of Web servers distributed worldwide, these systems help to quickly detect problems at any location. Web site monitoring services available on the Internet include mon.itor.us.