In addition to commercial, for-pay monitoring software, there are free open-source options. Here's a look at the ones from Icinga, Nagios, Observium and Zabbix.

From network and server monitoring to trending, graphing and even switch and router configuration backups, these utilities will see you through.

OpenNMS delivers robust network monitoring with comprehensive fault detection and performance analytics, but demands ...

Cacti is the current standard-bearer of open source network graphing, and takes the original goals of MRTG to whole new levels.

With each iteration, open-source network management tools get better. OpenNMS, Zenoss Core, NetXMS and Sensu Core deliver comprehensive monitoring, flexible reporting, cross-platform support and more.

In network monitoring, the whole goal is to be able to monitor the right things. You don’t want too much data, or you’ll be flooded. Too little, and you miss important info.

Over the last decade or so, open source development has skyrocketed, and network management software has ridden that wave. Many frustrated IT administrators have turned to free tools to monitor ...

Open source network analysis tools can help network monitoring. Try out the open source network protocol analyser Wireshark inside a VMware Player Guest OS.

One tool that’s instrumental in keeping you apprised of issues is the network monitor. These tools range from the simplistic to the overly complicated, from open-source and free to proprietary ...