Network management tools are designed for LANs and WANs, with LAN tools helping locate devices and WAN tools tracking network activity and improving security. Some tools monitor incoming and outgoing data, find bottlenecks, and assist with system security. They can be expensive commercial programs or free open source software.
Different network management tools are typically designed to work primarily with a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet or with a local area network (LAN). Systems for LANs are often designed to help locate devices and computers connected to a network and find errors or other problems locally. Network management tools for WAN and Internet-connected systems can be used to track network activity and improve security. These tools are provided as commercial programs which are often quite expensive or as open source software which may be available for free or at much lower rates.
Some of the more popular network management tools are those designed to monitor and work on LANs and similar systems. A LAN typically consists of multiple computers and other devices that are physically close together and connected to each other and that share data and resources. Through local network management tools, an administrator is able to determine how devices are connected to each other and find where the problems have occurred. Port mapping can be used on a host device connected to other computers to determine how they are connected, allowing for easy replacement of cables without tracing them from a port to a machine.
There are a number of network management tools established for use with WAN and similar systems that include Internet connectivity. An administrator working with a host system, to which multiple users can connect, can monitor incoming and outgoing data to look for defects or bugs that could be causing problems in the system. These tools can also be used to find areas in a network where bottlenecks may occur, where data is slowed down.
Various network management tools are created to assist with the security of a system. These types of programs may include firewalls and similar software to help keep unauthorized users off your network. Several programs have been developed for use in penetration testing, where an administrator launches a virtual attack on a server to see how well its security holds up. These tools provide security professionals with the ability to emulate an attack from a malicious source, without actually harming a system.
Some network management tools are built like expensive commercial software. These programs are usually provided by a particular service, which offers support and maintenance of a system while using the software. Other network management tools are available as free and free open source programs. Some of these software may have a connected service, which is not free, while other programs are intended for an administrator interested in handling all user management.
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