A network monitor is software that analyzes network activity, often managed by the network or system administrator. It helps prevent unauthorized access to data, locates network problems, and improves bandwidth. It can also analyze internet traffic but may be frowned upon. As technology advances, monitoring software evolves, and the role of the human administrator changes.
A network monitor is computer software that analyzes activity on a specific network. It often consists of several utilities, all within the same software package. It is usually managed by the network administrator, or possibly by the system administrator. The size of the company and the technology budget determine who it is.
There are several reasons to use a network monitor; safety and maintenance are the most common. In today’s world, a company’s data is often its greatest asset. A network monitor helps the network administrator prevent unauthorized access to this data. It will locate and identify all computers accessing the network and notify the network administrator if unknown connections are detected. These notifications are usually in the form of an email, phone call or alphanumeric page.
Microsoft® has a software program that is actually called Network Monitor and is mainly used for network security. It can do all sorts of things, including pinpointing the source of any data being sent over the network, interpreting the protocol used to send that data, even fetching the data itself for inspection.
Network monitors play a vital role in maintaining a network. They allow technicians to pinpoint the exact source of many network problems. The monitor keeps track of all network hardware and related cabling involved; a faulty network cable can then be located and replaced immediately, saving valuable time and resources. A monitor tracks the overall quality of the network connection, which helps technicians decide what adjustments need to be made to improve bandwidth and transfer speeds.
Another use of a network monitor, which sometimes gets the frowned upon, is analyzing the Internet traffic of a network’s users. This is why network monitors are often called “sniffers,” implying that the business is using the monitor to secretly observe what network users are doing. At any time, the network administrator can retrieve the complete web browsing history of any user on the network. There are several stories circulating the web about employees being caught visiting websites they shouldn’t be looking at.
Overall, a network monitor takes many forms; in both cases, it plays an essential role in the health of the network infrastructure. As technology progresses, the ability to monitor software grows along with it. Network administrators are detecting network configuration errors and faulty network hardware faster than ever before. The role of the human network administrator is evolving with the advent or more automated monitoring software. Eventually, all network monitoring will be completely self-contained, which will leave network administrators more time to do other necessary tasks.
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