Suggest a simple free / open source Network Monitoring software.
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Hi there,
I'm looking for a simple free or open-source network monitoring software.
Currently, I'm using free version PRTG, to do basic (mostly ping) monitoring of network devices, servers and network printers. The good part is, I create Maps with and run on Browser on the second screen to keep an eye.
I'm looking for something similar with a little bit more insights on Windows Servers and few Windows clients, preferably with Agents.
I'm aware of many open source monitoring tools such as Nagios, Zabbix etc. but I realized those may overkill my requirement or require a huge learning curve and takes time to settle down. I have devices to monitor cisco switches, IP telephony, Windows Servers and clients, HP and Toshiba Printers, biometric devices etc.
Note: I'm just wondering if we can monitor Fax or Telephone line is up etc.
? Recently I got a complaint that Fax was not receiving/ sending, I got go physically and check multiples randomly to check if it's UP and working fine and I got in my mind, if we can really add the FAX number to some monitoring software to make sure it is working etc. since the FAX line is directly connected to Printer, and not going through IP Telephony server if it would be your question. -
@openit So for your POTS fax line, I don't think you're going to be able to monitor that unless it's actually a VoIP ATA or something that you can monitor.
We've recently moved from NagiosXI to Zabbix and I'd strongly suggest looking into it. Might seem daunting at first, but it's only as complex as you want it to be. Lots of great templates out of the box, tons more available online / in the community and overall just a really great tool. If you're only using ping to check for up/down at the moment the visibility you can gain with SNMP as well as the windows server agents will blow your mind. You can go from reactive to pro-active, as well as using it to validate what users are telling you (for example, zabbix snmp on our xerox MFCs will flag if a door or cover isn't properly closed)
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PRTG is great and support 100 items for Free.
Using Smnp you can access to all resources of the servers, Switch...
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I agree with @notverypunny. Zabbix is very easy to setup and use. It has a very small learning curve and has templates for almost everything you listed.
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I need a new solution as well and am going to go with Zabbix. What is the recommended OS these days for a Zabbix install? Are the guides on here still valid?
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@openit said in Suggest a simple free / open source Network Monitoring software.:
Note: I'm just wondering if we can monitor Fax or Telephone line is up etc.
Only by monitoring test calls. Nothing else can tell you if it is working.
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@coliver said in Suggest a simple free / open source Network Monitoring software.:
I agree with @notverypunny. Zabbix is very easy to setup and use. It has a very small learning curve and has templates for almost everything you listed.
We use Zabbix. But it's not all that easy.
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@AdamF said in Suggest a simple free / open source Network Monitoring software.:
I need a new solution as well and am going to go with Zabbix. What is the recommended OS these days for a Zabbix install? Are the guides on here still valid?
We run on Ubuntu LTS.
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@AdamF said in Suggest a simple free / open source Network Monitoring software.:
I need a new solution as well and am going to go with Zabbix. What is the recommended OS these days for a Zabbix install? Are the guides on here still valid?
I run on CentOS but at this point I'd probably move it to Ubuntu.
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@scottalanmiller said in Suggest a simple free / open source Network Monitoring software.:
@coliver said in Suggest a simple free / open source Network Monitoring software.:
I agree with @notverypunny. Zabbix is very easy to setup and use. It has a very small learning curve and has templates for almost everything you listed.
We use Zabbix. But it's not all that easy.
For all the basic stuff, hardware and OS monitoring, it is really easy. For some advanced things (and software) you write a lot of your own scripts to accommodate those. I've written quite a few small scripts to monitor some of our software applications.
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I set up Zabbix on CentOS many months ago, felt difficult while doing it, and left it without completing further. Below is the one. Since all pointing on it, I may have look on it once again. @notverypunny as you said, see info of " Toner magenta low on printer 2nd A3 Printer"
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Prometheus works well. It has a lot of exporters for different types of data. Grafana has a lot of prebuilt dashboards for common metrics also.
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Getting up and running is fine if you follow a guide.
Think this is the one i followed.
https://computingforgeeks.com/how-to-install-latest-zabbix-server-on-ubuntu-linux/Getting basics up and running like simple ping tests to devices is ok once you get the steps right. But it can get complex with different templates, SNMP, agents etc. (Just make sure you backup regularly
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For switch, the following is the configuration, I mean it is on SNMP.
Following is info that I can see for it:
Is it possible to pull info every port of switch, just like Spiceworks Networ Monitor used to do? If yes, what template I would need to use or any config? Most switches we have are Cisco SG300.
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@openit said in Suggest a simple free / open source Network Monitoring software.:
For switch, the following is the configuration, I mean it is on SNMP.
Following is info that I can see for it:
Is it possible to pull info every port of switch, just like Spiceworks Networ Monitor used to do? If yes, what template I would need to use or any config? Most switches we have are Cisco SG300.
Yes, Cisco and general SNMP templates can be applied to the host and it will start to pull in information if you configured SNMP correctly.
