Recommend network/internet monitoring solutions

Hi Guys,

This is an area I have little experience in so I'm looking for some input.

A client I'm coming to know has a retail business sustaining a network of 30-40 desktops, 6 Windows-based servers, a couple of Linux servers and their backups, and it runs over several physical locations via VPN, not to mention an FTP link to a mother site that is very active in sending data backwards and forwards. A number of the sites have been upgraded to a dedicated fibre line internet connection but a couple still run on ADSL.

I'm coming to this in the middle of a progressive upgrade and one of the glaring needs is some way to monitor the network, particularly to identify internet or VPN drop outs, the causes of those drop outs and also bandwidth usage etc. Management tools for that would be a plus.

Basically, at present, it comes from a history of a rather patchwork build without a real plan in place, so the ideal is to move it gradually onto a planned setup. As part of that, can any of you recommend any tools - hardware or software - for better visibility and management of networks?

One option I've looked at is the Sophos UTM system - LINK - and there's a local company who are licensed and can provide support for it. So that's a plus.

Others on the team are actually responsible for this area of things but as someone who oversees the customer in general I'd like to do my own digging around.

Any input is greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Might be a little basic, but PRTG?

Yup PRTG lets you have 100 sensors for free IIRC.

Very nice product, ridiculously configurable.

Thanks guys!
I'll take a deeper look.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by shaithis

Yup PRTG lets you have 100 sensors for free IIRC.

Very nice product, ridiculously configurable.

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I found out about the free version recently. Looked at it a little earlier today - they do a month of unlimited as a trial, or 100 for free 'forever'.
I couldn't find anything about a non-windows install in my brief look though - is it win or nothing?

Regarding the original question - it sounds like you want monitoring rather than firewall/gateway stuff no? (PRTG would get my vote for that) But if they want to track internet users +sites, then sophos would be a good way to go

On Sophos = a (very good) network techie I know recommended the sophos home utm to me after he'd been asked to review the biz version. He said it was impressive.