Top 5 Network Mapping Tools in '24: 1k+ Reviews Analyzed
Cem is the principal analyst at AIMultiple since 2017. AIMultiple informs hundreds of thousands of businesses (as per Similarweb) including 60% of Fortune 500 every month.
Cem's work has been cited by leading global publications including Business Insider, Forbes, Washington Post, global firms like Deloitte, HPE, NGOs like World Economic Forum and supranational organizations like European Commission. You can see more reputable companies and media that referenced AIMultiple.
Network mapping is one of the best practice in network monitoring and optimization. By visualizing both physical and virtual network components, network mapping tools aids in identifying devices, understanding their interconnections, and pinpointing potential vulnerabilities or bottlenecks.
Whether for small-scale applications or enterprise-grade networks, the right network mapping tool can significantly enhance operational efficiency and network resilience.
- Small or medium business, see top free network monitoring tools
- Enterprise or large data center, you may be interested in enterprise-focused network monitoring tools because free versions of proprietary tools have significant limitations.
We will explore the key benefits and functionalities of network mapping tools, comparing their efficacy across varied network setups.
Top 5 Network Mapping Tools
| Vendors | Ratings* | Price | Free Trial | # of employees** |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paessler PRTG | 4.6/5 based on 279 reviews | Starting €1,649 | ✅ for 30-days | 364 |
| Solarwinds NPM | 4.5/5 based on 218 reviews | Not shared publicly. | ✅ for 30-days | 2,500 |
| Auvik | 4.5/5 based on 311 reviews | Not shared publicly. | ✅ for 14-days | 336 |
| Datadog | 4.3/5 based on 466 reviews | Starting $15 /month per host | ✅ for 14-days | 6,100 |
| Intermapper by Fortra | 4.3/5 based on 82 reviews | Not shared publicly. | N/A | 3,200 |
* Reviews are based on Capterra and G2. Transparency statement: Vendors are ranked according to their average ratings.
** The number of workforce is gathered from the companies’ LinkedIn pages.
Shared Features of Network Mapping Tools
- Network discovery and documentation: Tools automatically find and log devices on a network, streamlining network management.
- SNMP scanning: For detailed topology mapping, SNMP scanning provides a comprehensive view of network structure.
- Device discovery: These tools support a wide range of technologies and protocols, ensuring compatibility across different devices.
- Customizable alert settings and filters: Users can set up tailored alerts for network events, ensuring timely notifications.
- Integration with IT platforms: Connection with platforms like Microsoft Teams, Opsgenie, PagerDuty, ServiceNow, Slack, and Splunk enhances collaborative efforts.
- Automated documentation and API support: Facilitates configuration backups and third-party application integration, streamlining network management processes.
- Real-time monitoring: Interactive maps, graphs, and reports offer a live view of network status and activity.
Top 5 Network Mapping Tools Analyzed
1. Paessler PRTG Network Monitor
Paessler PRTG offers an auto-discovery feature to scan specified areas within an enterprise network, compiling a list of devices from the scan results.
Source: Paessler PRTG 1
Figure 1: Paessler PRTG Network Monitor Network Map
Key features:
Freeware edition availability: PRTG offers a freeware version that includes up to 100 monitoring sensors to distribute across network devices as needed.
Granular alerting rules: Utilize escalation levels for repeated notifications via various channels, and schedule alerts to avoid low-priority notifications during off-hours.
Pros:
Versatility: Users benefit from PRTG’s monitoring capabilities, spanning applications, cloud infrastructure, and servers providing coverage for their monitoring needs.
Cons:
Tool enhancement: Lack of customizable sound notifications detracts from user satisfaction, impacting overall experience.
Source: G2 2
2. SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor
SolarWinds NPM is aimed at tracking web and SaaS application performance, ensuring website reliability for an uninterrupted user experience.
Source: SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor 3
Figure 2: SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor Mapping
Key features:
Packet analysis: Offers packet sniffing and provides dashboard based on packet-level data for precise traffic monitoring.
Device health overview: Provides device health management overviews for insights into device health.
Pros:
- Monitoring features: Users appreciate the tool for its alerts and detailed traffic graphs. The web-based interface is another highlight, facilitating easy device addition and straightforward network navigation.
Cons:
- Cost concerns: SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor extends to the hardware and time required for setup, representing a considerable commitment for organizations aiming to deploy this solution. 4
Source: Capterra 5
3. Auvik
Auvik offers a cloud-based SaaS platform that provides automated network monitoring and asset management, including network discovery, inventory logging, and mapping.
Source: Auvik.6
Figure 3: Auvik Cloud Network Mapping
Key features:
Vendor-agnostic discovery: Offers vendor-agnostic device discovery and integration with popular IT platforms.
Cloud-based monitoring: Provides a cloud-based SaaS platform for automated network monitoring and asset management.
Pros:
Ease of use: The platform offers a wide array of alerts that are invaluable for spotting issues across different devices, supporting a vast range of device makes and models.
Cons:
Complexity of managing credentials: The account credential storage aspect of the solution presents a significant challenge during setup. Managing and securing credentials for various accounts across different systems can be complex and time-consuming.
Source: G2 7
4. Datadog
Datadog Live Network Mapping is part of the Network Performance Monitoring package offered by Datadog, a cloud platform. It features auto-discovery and visualization, live mapping, and traffic pattern analysis.
Source: Datadog 8
Figure 4: Datadog Network Map
Key featues:
Cost optimization: Optimizes network traffic costs and performance with live network mapping.
Preemptive alerts: Catches bandwidth saturation with machine-learning powered forecasting alerts.
Pros:
Ease of integration: Reliable, easy integration, supports all monitor types. Fast UI setup for key metrics dashboards.
Cons:
Complexity: The tools is complex for newcomers and difficult in tool integration.
Source: Capterra 9
5. Intermapper by Fortra
Intermapper offers round-the-clock monitoring for all devices, servers, and applications using SNMP. The network map updates live, with color-coded icons for straightforward performance oversight, simplifying network management.
Key features:
- Visual monitoring: Provides color-coded icons for easy network performance monitoring.
- AWS integration: Integrates with AWS for extraction of performance monitoring data.
Pros:
Tailored alerting: Users happy with the feature of custom alert thresholds for different devices, facilitating the fine-tuning of critical infrastructure alerts at lower levels.
Cons:
Challenges in setup: The tool’s bulk setup of probes may pose difficulties, prolonging the initial setup process.
Source: TrustRadius 10
FAQ
Why is Network Mapping essential for IT infrastructure management?
Network mapping tools are crucial for IT infrastructure management because it provides a visual representation of the network’s layout, including all devices and connections. This visibility helps in identifying and troubleshooting issues, optimizing network performance, and planning for future expansions. Also, network observability is important in IT infrastructure management, with network mapping tools offering visual representations of device and connection layouts.
How Does Network Mapping Work?
Network mapping visualizes devices within a network and their connections, outlining the network’s structure. Mapping creates a diagram or map showing the network’s layout, offering insights into performance and potential device issues. Different network topologies, such as bus, ring, tree, star, mesh, and hybrid, can be represented in network mapping tools.
What is simple network management protocol?
Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is a widely used protocol for managing and monitoring in network mapping tools. It enables these devices to share their status and statistics with network administrators, network mapping, performance monitoring, and ensuring network health and security. SNMP works by exchanging management information between network devices and a central management station, allowing for efficient network operations and maintenance.
How do AI and machine learning enhance network mapping?
AI and machine learning significantly enhance network mapping by automating discovery processes, detecting anomalies, providing predictive insights, offering optimization recommendations, and enabling adaptive mapping. These technologies automate the discovery and classification of devices and connections, accelerating the mapping process while ensuring accuracy. AI algorithms can also suggest optimization recommendations based on performance metrics, improving routing efficiency and resource allocation in network mapping tools.
For more on network monitoring
- Top 8 Network Observability Tools in ’24: 2k+ Reviews Analyzed
- Top 7 Free Network Monitoring Tools based on 1,000+ Reviews in 2024
- Top 5 Network Performance Monitoring Tools
- Top 4 Solarwinds Network Performance Monitor Competitors in 2024
- In-Depth Look at AKIPS Network Monitoring Software in 2024
External Links
- 1. Network mapping. Accessed: April 03, 2024.
- 2. “A user review on Paessler PRTG Network Monitor”. G2, Accessed 3 April 2024.
- 3. “A Review of SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor by Waqas S.”. G2 Feb 20, 2023. Retrieved April 03, 2024
- 4. “A Review of SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor by Waqas S.”. G2 Feb 20, 2023. Retrieved April 03, 2024
- 5. “Pros and Cons of SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor”. Capterra, Accessed 3 April 2024.
- 6. Auvik Network Mapping Cloud. Accessed: April 03 2024.
- 7. “Pros and Cons of Auvik“. G2, Accessed 3 April 2024.
- 8. “Datadog website”. Accessed 3 April 2024.
- 9. “Pros and Cons of Daradog”. Capterra, Accessed 3 April 2024.
- 10. “A user review on Intermapper”. TrustRadius, Accessed 3 April 2024.
Cem is the principal analyst at AIMultiple since 2017. AIMultiple informs hundreds of thousands of businesses (as per Similarweb) including 60% of Fortune 500 every month.
Cem's work has been cited by leading global publications including Business Insider, Forbes, Washington Post, global firms like Deloitte, HPE, NGOs like World Economic Forum and supranational organizations like European Commission. You can see more reputable companies and media that referenced AIMultiple.
Throughout his career, Cem served as a tech consultant, tech buyer and tech entrepreneur. He advised enterprises on their technology decisions at McKinsey & Company and Altman Solon for more than a decade. He also published a McKinsey report on digitalization.
He led technology strategy and procurement of a telco while reporting to the CEO. He has also led commercial growth of deep tech company Hypatos that reached a 7 digit annual recurring revenue and a 9 digit valuation from 0 within 2 years. Cem's work in Hypatos was covered by leading technology publications like TechCrunch and Business Insider.
Cem regularly speaks at international technology conferences. He graduated from Bogazici University as a computer engineer and holds an MBA from Columbia Business School.
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AIMultiple.com Traffic Analytics, Ranking & Audience, Similarweb.
Why Microsoft, IBM, and Google Are Ramping up Efforts on AI Ethics, Business Insider.
Microsoft invests $1 billion in OpenAI to pursue artificial intelligence that’s smarter than we are, Washington Post.
Data management barriers to AI success, Deloitte.
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Science, Research and Innovation Performance of the EU, European Commission.
Public-sector digitization: The trillion-dollar challenge, McKinsey & Company.
Hypatos gets $11.8M for a deep learning approach to document processing, TechCrunch.
We got an exclusive look at the pitch deck AI startup Hypatos used to raise $11 million, Business Insider.
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