



Network traffic monitoring software will use a variety of protocols including SNMP, WMI, flow protocols, and ICMP (ping) to measure network metrics like latency and bandwidth utilization.Īdditionally, network monitoring software may use techniques like packet captures, active monitoring, and deep packet inspection (DPI) to gain granular insights about the traffic flows across a network. Internet traffic monitors and bandwidth monitors are other common names for network traffic monitoring software. The term network traffic monitoring software refers to software applications that enable administrators to capture data on network traffic in real-time and use that data for reporting, alerting, and analysis. What is network traffic monitoring software? *For the network trivia buffs: a standard ping packet has 64 bytes, 56 for the actual ping packet and 8 for the header. When multiple users stream high-definition video-say, for a videoconference-a lot more network traffic is created because that takes more data. In simple terms, network traffic is all the data flowing across a network at a given time.įor example, when you ping a server, that creates a small amount of network traffic because a few bytes* of data must be sent from your computer to the server and back. Here, we’ll explore the topic in-depth and take a look at the 6 best network traffic monitors available so you can make an informed decision. There are plenty of network traffic monitor software options available that can help you address these challenges, but how do you know which is best for you? But with network perimeters becoming more dynamic than ever before and nodes spread across the cloud, home offices, and corporate data centers, gaining the visibility you need is a challenge. Understanding how data flows across your network is a must for effective network management.
