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This article shares the best free tools for network monitoring so that you can identify and fix network issues before they become serious trouble.

Network monitoring is one of the toughest challenges for network or IT administrators. It is a crucial IT process where the administrators continuously monitor various networking components, such as firewalls, servers, routers, VMs, and switches, for faults to ensure their optimal performance and availability. This task of monitoring helps enterprises of all domains and sizes improve their online presence. And the best free network monitoring software goes a long way in helping you perform this function more efficiently and effectively.

With the help of the best network monitoring tools, you can proactively identify and solve network problems. It helps you prevent downtime and failures in the future.

However, the top network monitoring tools in the marketplace often cost a bomb. Therefore, we dived deep into the world of network monitors and found some cost-effective yet feature-rich free and open-source programs to monitor the network.

Before going through this monitoring tool’s list, let us look at some essential features you should consider when selecting a tool. Knowing what to look for in network monitoring software helps you choose the best one for your requirements.

Essential Features of the Best Free Network Monitoring Software

Below are some core features that the top free open-source network monitoring tools should possess.

• Ability to perform network monitoring automatically
• Device discovery routine to automatically create an asset inventory
• Alerts when any problem occurs
• Displays the live status of every device with a network mapping service
• Communicates with the network devices via SNMP

Let us now have a rundown of the best and free network monitoring tools having all or most of the above features.

9 Best Free Network Monitoring Software in 2024

The following are our top picks when it comes to selecting the best free software for network monitoring.

1. SolarWinds ipMonitor

Let us kickstart our list of the best free network monitoring software with SolarWinds ipMonitor. It is a highly attractive choice if you wish to monitor not more than 50 interfaces.

Ideal for small businesses, SolarWinds ipMonitor boasts top-notch visualizations to give you a high-quality user experience. Moreover, the following features contribute to making it one of the best network monitoring tools.

Key Features of SolarWinds ipMonitor

• Lightweight, fast, and easy-to-use
• Network devices and server monitoring from a centralized location
• System problem alerts
• Network device status tracking
• Discovery of devices connected to your network
• Automatically creates a network topology map according to collected devices

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Also Read: Best Application Performance Monitoring Tools

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2. Network Bandwidth Analyzer

Next on our list is the Network Bandwidth Analyzer, one of the top network monitoring tools. It helps you reduce network outages by quickly detecting, diagnosing, and resolving problems with network performance.

Additionally, features like easy viewing of IPv6 and IPv4 flow records are also a reason for including this software on our list. Furthermore, the following are some other noteworthy features of this software.

Key Features of Network Bandwidth Analyzer

• Easy monitoring of Juniper J-Flow, IPFIX flow data, Huawei NetStream, and Cisco NetFlow to identify the bandwidth-hungry apps and protocols
• Alerts you about application traffic activity changes
• Sends an alert if the network monitoring software is not sharing the network performance data
• Collects and converts the traffic data into a useable format
• Supports VMware vSphere switch
• Boasts support for Cisco NBAR2
• Easy creation of a schedule, in-depth delivery of bandwidth reports, and network traffic analysis
• Support for monitoring and management of wireless networks
• CBQoS policy optimization to measure how effective the pre and post-policy traffic levels are

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3. Paessler PRTG Network Monitor

We have Paessler PRTG Network Monitor in the third position on our list of the best free network monitoring software. It is a user-friendly, feature-rich, and fast software you can use to scan connected devices by IP range (it saves you time from manually configuring everything).

Talking about the features, below is what makes Paessler PRTG Network Monitor one of the best network monitoring tools.

Key Features of Paessler PRTG Network Monitor

• Network autodiscovery
• Status error alerts
• Capable of monitoring wireless networks
• Network, application, traffic, and cloud monitoring
• Color-coded and user-friendly interface
• Monitoring of internet connections between locations and remote sites
• Drag and drop editor to effortlessly create custom reports and views
• Integration with third-party applications like Slack

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Also Read: Best Server Monitoring Software

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4. Zabbix

We cannot skip Zabbix when discussing the best free open-source network monitoring software. It uses historical data to predict future behavior. Moreover, this software provides crucial information, such as network utilization, disk space consumption, and CPU load.

Furthermore, automatic detection of device configuration changes and the below features make Zabbix one of the top free network monitoring tools.

Key Features of Zabbix

• Expandable and flexible Windows data collection
• Multiple metric gathering protocols and methods
• Easy monitoring of network bandwidth usage
• Automatic discovery of networks coming under the purview of Zabbix agents
• Support for both SNMP protocol and protocol agents
• Availability of a mobile application and many templates
• Automatic detection of device configuration changes
• Predicts bandwidth usage trends, network downtimes, and more
• Active detection of network connection anomalies
• Generation of custom report remediation scripts
• Event correlation feature to reduce the notification noise
• Customized escalation scenarios

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5. Nagios Core

Next, we would like to name Nagios Core as one of the best free network monitoring software with open-source availability. The most attractive thing about this software is its user interface. It sticks to a basic design and web-based GUI to help you analyze the condition of your key services and network infrastructure effortlessly.

Moreover, you should go through the following features of this software before making up your mind about downloading it.

Key Features of Nagios Core

• Power-packed Nagios Core 4 monitoring engine to ensure top-notch monitoring server performance
• Powerful dashboards to monitor third-party data and information
• Its GUI enables layout, design, and preference customization
• Multi-tenant abilities
• Lets you easily view and resolve network issues
• The dashboard provides a customizable overview of network devices, hosts, and services
• Automated and integrated capacity planning graphs
• Many infrastructure management tools, such as mass acknowledgment, auto decommissioning, etc.
• Configuration snapshots feature to save, archive, and revert your configuration

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6. ManageEngine OpManager

Let us now take a look at ManageEngine OpManager. It is among the best network monitoring tools for its real-time monitoring of multi-vendor network device performance.

Moreover, it boasts many outstanding features, such as active management of physical servers, such as storage arrays, RAID, VMs, etc. Furthermore, the following highlights of this software justify its position on our list.

Key Features of ManageEngine OpManager

• Over 9500 templates for monitoring network devices
• Sends advanced notifications and alerts through SMS and emails
• Custom dashboard through more than 100 performance widgets
• Easy network management through a mobile application
• Contextual integrations for complete monitoring of network infrastructure
• Effective monitoring of latency, packet loss, and WAN/VoIP
• Availability of automatic troubleshooting
• Multi-user collaboration and SSL offload

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7. Icinga

Let us introduce you to Icinga. It is among the best open-source network monitoring software because of its SNMP monitoring, tracking tools for your complete IT infrastructure, auto-discovery, and the following remarkable features.

Key Features of Icinga

• Availability of pre-configured plugins or templates for easy monitoring
• Easy monitoring of public, private, and hybrid cloud
• Metrics collection and direct pattern search in the user’s log management tools and log files
• Business process modeling, custom dashboards, and reports help gain a fast overview and deep insights
• Notifies you whenever any important condition is identified

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8. DataDog

If you are still looking for Network Monitoring Software in 2024, then we recommend DataDog. This is a private and secure alternative that you can try to monitor the network of your enterprise.

Key Features of DataDog

• Multiple templates to monitor network devices.
• Downloadable on Android and iOS.
• Feasible interface
• Automated and integrated capacity planning graphs
• Multiple metric gathering protocols and methods

Download Now

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9. WhatsUp Gold

You can try WhatsUp Gold as a networking monitoring software in 2024. The tool is highly-inclusive and offers extensive services and features of network monitoring and storage for personal and professional requirements.

Key Features of WhatsUp Gold

• Offers Azure, AWS, DevOps, and other platform monitoring
• Caters to different kind of industries
• Monitors network performance, usage, and more.
• Offers real-time monitoring and alerts.

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Also Read: Best Data Monitoring Apps For Android

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Summing Up the Best Free Network Monitoring Software

In this article, we did a rundown of the best network monitoring tools. You can go through the above software and compare their features with your requirements to select the best one.

If you think our list of the best free network monitoring tools misses out on any deserving software, you can mention its name in the comments section. Also, share your views about this article through comments.

Have you ever downloaded a file, link, or URL from the internet, and it turns out to be a scam that harmed your system? We often face such issues with fraudulent links and files. But not anymore. 

There are a number of antivirus tools available in the market that help to check whether the downloaded file is safe or not for your computer. One such famous tool is VirusTotal. You have all heard about it. If not, VirusTotal is a free antivirus tool. It is an online virus scanner tool developed to be utilized across devices. This tool helps to check downloaded files to make sure that no virus or threat is there with the files. 

This VirusTotal app has 3 ways of using it. The 1st one is uploading the file. Once you submit the file, wait for the results. If the same file is uploaded more than 1 time, the application provides an option to view results instead of scanning the file again. The 2nd method is the Search Scan. In this, you can inquire about any domain. The 3rd method is a URL scan. This will let you scan the threats connected with the URL.

The free version of VirusTotal allows you to make 500 requests per day at the rate of 4 requests per minute. A subscription will bypass these limits to unlimited requests. 

Pros 

• An easy-to-use app. 
• Straightforward application 
• Provide multiple offers to perform different scanning methods. 
• Give detailed reports of the file, URL, or search scans. 
• Offer results and information close to accurate. 

Cons 

• The free version has limits of 500 requests per day. 

Best VirusTotal Alternatives 

1. BitDefender QuickScan 

It is a handy online tool. A VirusTotal alternative that scans your computer quickly for viruses, keyloggers, and rootkits. The bitdefender quickscan state that it does not need any software to run, but that is not true at all. To run bitdefender quickscan, you need an extension or installed add-on.

A major point is that it does not interfere with your ongoing work while working in the background. That is the plus point for bitdefender quickscan, and most importantly, it does not make your computer slow. Other qualities are performing a quick scan and preparing reports, whether it found any virus or malware issues or not, making it one of the best VirusTotal alternatives for Windows 10 and 11. 

Pros: 

• Very light on computer system while working 
• Does not put any load in background 
• Do not interrupt between your work 
• Have option of automatic scanning and scheduled scanning 

Cons: 

• Only address the problem; do not resolve it. 
• Only basic features are free.
• Configuration options are not available. 
• Cannot scan all the drives. 

Visit Website  

Also know: Top Image Resizing software for Windows PC 

2. SafetySync 

This VirusTotal alternative is an automatic health and safety provider. SafetySync provides safety services for workplaces. It assigns safety tasks to workers and tracks down the progress along with regular updates. As one of the best VirusTotal alternatives, it is designed to provide a safety service; additionally, it replaces meetings and hard copies that can be accessed by any employee at any time.

It can be used by creating a free account and uploading the necessary items to it. SafetySync is the best VirusTotal alternative that is simple to use and effectively handles large amounts of material. The interface is simple, clear, concise, and time-saving. 

Pros: 

• Easy to use. 
• Clear and easy interface. 
• Can handle large files. 

Cons: 

• It may lack in engagement. 
• More inclined towards big businesses. 

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3. Re:Scam 

The re:scam, a VirusTotal alternative for windows 11, is an online service. It helps users in dealing with email scammers. Re:scam connects with email scammers and prevents them from scamming others, just like AI (Artificial intelligence). Just simply forward the scam or spam emails to re:scam address book and leave everything on re:scam. When you forward emails to re:scam, it simply connects them with AI and wastes their time through non-sense communication. 

Pros: 

• Easy to operate. 
• Protects you and others from scammers and from being scammed. 

Cons: 

• It does not remove you from the mailing list of scammers or spammers. 
• Sometimes fails to fool some scammers. 

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4. Malware Bazaar 

Malware Bazaar is a VirusTotal alternative and a community-driven platform. It is very useful as you can share and access malware samples to improve intelligence. Malware Bazaar helps in solving common problems and issues faced by users. This VirusTotal alternative offers seamless integration for automatic detection and integration with SIEM systems. 

Pros: 

• Focuses on tracking viruses and malware samples. 
• Provide unlimited files uploads. 
• Completely free for all. 

Cons: 

• It is not a multi-anti-virus scanning engine. 

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5. Hunt.io 

Hunt.io is a threat-hunting tool as it is a VirusTotal alternative. It provides IP, domain, and much more to stay one step ahead of threats and scammers. As the name suggests, it hunts the threat and clears it before it can be used heavily to scam. Hunt.io provides real-time monitoring, which is a big advantage in detecting threats.

Pros: 

• Simple and very easy to use. 
• Invite friends or team members to collaborate. 
• Consist of a free plan which is enough for a small scale. 

Cons: 

• Only connects with Outlook and Google accounts. 
• Paid plans have more features, and they are quite expensive. 
• An AI assistant is not available. 

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6. AlienVault 

AlienVault is an all-in-one safety tool and a good VirusTotal alternative for Windows 10. It has combined threat detection, which allows analysis of malware, and after analysis, it combines all the security features for better threat protection. A good point is that it can be used in all sizes of organizations.

Pros: 

• Provide robust threat intelligence. 
• Offer important threat alerts with suitable security measures. 
• It can handle network traffic analysis effectively. 

Cons: 

• Responding is slow, especially when in heavy traffic. 
• Paid plans are high in cost, and free plans limit accessibility. 

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7. CAPE Sandbox 

CAPE (Malware Configuration And Payload Extraction) Sandbox is published by Github. It is one of the best VirusTotal alternatives that can extract payloads automatically and configure information from malware.

Pros: 

• It is open source for all and free to use. 
• Detect malware effectively. 

Cons: 

• Works slow most of the time. 
• Works better if you have a subscription for any plan or membership. 

Visit website 

Also know: Best Ways to Fix Facebook Session Expired Loop Error 

Frequently asked questions 

Q1. Which is the best VirusTotal alternative for protection against malware? 

Given above are the best alternatives for use from a personal to a professional scale. Opt for any of these and start using them without any charge. 

Q2. Are these tools free? 

Yes. These tools are free to use, but basic plans have limited features. To explore more features, you must take a subscription or membership as per your suitability and need. 

Q3. What if I don’t use any of the tools? 

If you do not use any of the tools for malware protection, it is fine until you get caught by scammers or viruses. It is advised to use these tools to keep your files, data, and information safe from fraudsters. 

These websites and tools listed above are the VirusTotal alternatives and analysts at different levels and for different sizes of organizations. Each tool has its own advantages and disadvantages based on the services they provide. As cybercrime and threats are increasing day by day, it is better to download and use any of the VirusTotal alternatives to stay a step ahead of the scammers.