Network monitoring is just one piece of the management model, and different capabilities are used for different levels.

Before you pick a tool, you need to understand what you’re measuring and what ‘normal’ is in your environment so you can identify problems as they happen. Here’s a few network monitoring tools to consider when selecting the one that’s right for you.

1. HP OpenView

HP OpenView is customizable to meet any service level. It improves service levels by allowing you to monitor all incidents and changes. HP allows you to implement a comprehensive management solution that will prevent downtime, allow you to resolve problems faster, and keep your systems running.

2. Tivoli

Tivoli manages your IT infrastructure, including operating systems, databases and servers with a single work portal.

Tivoli allows you to retrieve data quickly, and detects potential issues and automatically recovers from situations to keep your key applications running with minimal risk of loss due to unforeseen circumstances.

3. OpenNMS

Open NMS is an open source network monitoring platform. OpenNMS provides commercial-level support and services and because its open source, it’s fully customizable.

4. WhatsUp

WhatsUp monitors the availability of your network devices, such as the router, network switch, at a glance using a graphical display.

It provides a variety of views of your network status in real-time and alerts you when a device goes down.

5. CA Unicenter

CA Unicenter NSM supports your critical business processes, identifies and predicts problems, and prioritizes issues based on how they impact your business.

With advanced capabilities in visualization, you’re alerted as issues arise, streamlining your IT management functions.

6. Big Brother

Big Brother, a web-based network monitoring solution, is customizable and easy to maintain system. It monitors the availability of your network devices and servers. Administrators can monitor hundreds of servers and network devices simultaneously.

It notifies you of immediate problems via email, text message, or pager.

7. Look@LAN

Look@LAN network monitor allows you to monitor networks of any size and configuration. It autos-detect network configuration, monitoring, reporting, network log…etc.

This application tells you which PC’s are online/offline, which services are running on the network, ping times for each workstation and much more.

8. Peribit Networks

Peribit streamlines network processes by resolving the technical limitations of WANs. It accelerates application performance, simplifies application rollouts, improves disaster recovery, and backup. With Peribit, you have sharper visibility of the WAN performance resulting in more efficient use of WAN resources and higher productivity levels.

9. GFILanguard

GFI Languard solution helps you to address issues quickly and effectively. It allows you to scan, detect, assess and repair security issues on your network. Administrators often use more than one tool to deal with and solve network problems, but with GFI, all areas of vulnerability are addressed in one package.

10. CHEOPS

Cheops is a network management tool that allows you to map and monitor your network. It has host/network discovery functionality as well as OS detection of hosts. It has the ability to probe hosts to see what services are running.

So whether you are running a small or large business you first need to identify what environment you are working with and what problems may arise before deciding on the right Network Monitoring Tool for you.