Network monitoring and troubleshooting devices are intelligent hardware and software tools that can help you manage your network.
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Contents 
Introduction
Exinda Optimizer 4700
eTrust Network Forensics
Observer 10.1
Fluke OptiView Series II
PacketShaper 6500
Specifications
How we tested
Editor's choice
About RMIT |
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These tools can help with analysis, migration, monitoring, security, testing, and administration of the network. What's most impressive, is network monitoring devices will help you see problems immediately. Hardware tools like the Fluke OptiView are great for frontline troubleshooting and taking the guesswork out of problem-solving network issues.
On the other hand, there are software solutions that include analysis systems which can help you monitor and solve network issues by identifying the problems and making recommendations -- like the Observer software, and more specialised, forensic applications like CA's eTrust Network Forensics.
Then there are packet shapers which are centred on providing visibility, control, and acceleration. Visibility, so that you are able to see everything on the network -- revealing the source of any network problems; control, to set policies that reflect priorities; and acceleration of the performance in which data is delivered -- done by compression.
Network monitoring and troubleshooting products discover devices by monitoring traffic and by actively querying hosts. Once discovered, they usually provide the most thorough information possible in terms of: DNS name, NetBIOS name, SNMP name, IPX name, and address.
Real-time remote monitoring and problem discovery makes it easy and economical to extend your knowledge and expertise across your network. Some software uses a Web browser interface to monitor distant sites directly from your desktop. With some products you can run multiple sessions at any one time.
Reporting Software
This is an important consideration. Reporter software will transform collected network performance data into usable documents. Some software packages can even draw you a map of your entire network. You can document collisions, utilisation, and errors, and publish them in a variety of formats -- including HTML and PDF.
In this review we look at hardware- and software-based solutions. The most difficult part was comparing these products as they are each very different, and have specialised functions ranging between network monitoring, capture, and troubleshooting.
