The Best Network Discovery Tools (2024) free and paid

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The best network discovery tools is a useful process that lets IT pros find and look at all the devices on the network at their workplace. They can use tools to do network discovery to make sure their network is safe and reduce the chance of a hack or data breach. Network discovery finds out which ports are open on each device and which ones are being used.

If a device has ports that are open but aren’t needed for it to work, this could be a security risk. By using best network discovery tools to map the ports on your network, you can make sure that any ports that aren’t needed are closed so that an intruder can’t get in. Network device discovery tools let you find out automatically what devices are on your network at any given time.

What is Network Discovery?

Network Discovery is the process of finding new devices and their interfaces. This can be done either automatically or by hand. A Network discovery tool can help find everything that is connected to a network, make topology maps, and make reports. This kind of software scans the whole network, figures out what its parts are, and makes an inventory of them. Using this information, the software can make pictures of how the physical and virtual networks connect to each other.

Importance of Network Discovery in IT Management

Network discovery is an important component of IT management for several reasons:

Device Identification: Network Discovery lets IT managers find and list all of a network’s connected devices instantly. This includes printers, computers, servers, routers, switches, and other devices that are connected to a network.

Inventory management: It keeps track of all the things that are connected to a network, like the gear specs, software versions, and set-ups. This information is very important for repairs, improvements, and finding and fixing problems.

Security and Compliance: Network Discovery helps find things on the network that aren’t supposed to be there. This is very important for keeping the network safe and making sure that it follows all the rules and regulations that apply to its business.

Resource Optimisation: When IT teams have a clear and up-to-date picture of the network, they can make the best use of resources, predict future capacity needs, and find devices that aren’t being used enough or too much.

Structure Understanding: Network Discovery lets you see the structure of a network, which shows how devices are linked to each other. This helps with fixing problems, improving speed, and making plans for network redesigns or additions.

Best Network Discovery Tools Comparison Table

Network discovery tools are necessary for controlling and fixing problems with networks quickly and easily. They give you a lot of information about the devices that are linked, how they are set up, and how the network is structured. The following comparison table shows important features, like the ability to scan, the protocols that are supported, and the reporting choices, to help you choose the best tool for your network management needs.

Tool Name	Key Features	Supported Platforms	Pricing Model	Integration Capabilities
ManageEngine OpManager	Real-time Monitoring, Fault Management, Performance Analytics	Windows, Linux	Perpetual License, Subscription	SNMP, REST APIs, Webhooks
Auvik	Network Mapping, Automated Device Discovery, Traffic Insights	Windows, Mac, Linux	Subscription	SNMP, Syslog, API Integrations
SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper	Auto-Discovery, Layer 2 Mapping, Custom Reports	Windows	Perpetual License, Subscription	SNMP, ICMP
Nagios XI	Comprehensive Monitoring, Alerting Engine, Capacity Planning	Linux	Perpetual License, Subscription	SNMP, NRPE, Plugins
Paessler PRTG Network Monitor	Sensor-based Monitoring, Custom Dashboards, Reporting	Windows	Perpetual License, Subscription	SNMP, WMI, REST APIs

ManageEngine OpManager

Feature	OpManager
Network Discovery	Yes (Automatic discovery of network devices)
Network Mapping	Yes (Visualize network topology and connections)
Real-time Monitoring	Yes (Real-time monitoring of network performance)
Automated Network Inventory	Yes
Customizable Dashboards	Yes
Alerts and Notifications	Yes (Customizable alerts for network issues)
Pricing	One-time purchase
Integrations	Integrates with other IT Management tools
Pricing Model	Subscription-based; pricing based on number of network devices

Managing Engine OpManager is a useful tool for discovering networks. It’s made to help IT managers find and keep an eye on the important settings of the network devices in their surroundings. This approach speeds up the process by letting both automated bulk discovery and manual discovery of each device be done at the same time. IP Range, subnets, and importing devices from Active Directory or CSV files are some of the ways that bulk finding can be started.

Once the devices have been found, OpManager carefully watches performance measures like CPU, memory, and disc usage. This lets IT managers get a full picture of how these devices are doing and what their state is. By looking at these numbers, you can find any problems with the system’s infrastructure and make it easier to use fault management techniques to avoid needless downtime. You can try OpManager for free for 30 days and get a personalised demo to see how it will work for your business.

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Auvik

Feature	Description
Network Mapping	Maps network topology and device relationships.
Network Monitoring	Monitors network performance and devices in real-time.
Automated Documentation	Generates network documentation and inventory reports.
Troubleshooting Tools	Offers diagnostic tools for issue resolution.
Scalable and Cloud-Friendly	Suitable for networks of varying sizes and cloud-based infrastructures.
Integration and API Support	Integrates with other network management tools.

Auvik is a way to manage networks that is based in the cloud. It has the ability to automatically find the IT assets that are spread out. You can find out more about how each device connects. You should also know how the network is set up and when it changes. Auvik is best network discovery tools that is easy to use and can be used to automate tasks that take a lot of time, streamline operations, and reduce business risks.

Auvik lets you try it out for free for 14 days. Auvik is a way to manage networks that is built in the cloud. It has the ability to instantly find IT assets that are spread out. It’s possible to learn more about how each gadget connects. You should also know how the network is set up and when it changes.

SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper

Feature	Description
Automated Mapping	Automatically discovers and maps network topology.
Visual Representation	Provides visual representations of network elements.
Historical Tracking	Tracks network changes and updates maps accordingly.
Custom Mapping and Reports	Allows customization of network maps and reports.
Integration with SolarWinds	Integrates with other SolarWinds network management tools.
Scalability	Suitable for networks of various sizes.

SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper (NTM) is designed to map networks and can create multiple types of network maps from a single discovery scan. SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor (NPM) has tools to measure network performance. NTM’s scanning features can also use SNMP, ICMP, WMI, CDP, and other discovery methods to instantly find and update maps that show how the network topology has changed.

You can also change the features of map objects’ nodes and connect to network devices by hand using the built-in auto-discovery. You can also share maps as PDF, Microsoft Visio, or PNG files, which makes it easier to show important people what’s going on. The tool also meets FIPS 140-2 standards and can help you meet legal requirements like PCI by making sure your network is ready for compliance auditing. You can try NTM for free for 14 days.

Nagios XI

Feature	Description
Network Discovery	Discovers devices and services on the network.
Network Monitoring	Monitors network performance and sends alerts.
Customization and Extensibility	Highly customizable and supports third-party plugins.
Scalability	Suitable for networks of different sizes.
Reporting and Visualization	Generates reports and provides visualization tools.
Integration and API Support	Integrates with various third-party systems.

This software can keep an eye on your network data and help you make sure everything is going as smoothly as possible. It’s called Nagios XI. It has an easy-to-use and nice-looking interface, as well as a central console and screen that show network activity, problems, and alerts. You can also see useful graphs that show network events, bandwidth use, and the health of the network as a whole.

o make good use of your resources, make sure you use the automatic trending and capacity planning graphs. This will help you avoid overloaded networks during infrastructure changes or reroute traffic before they happen. You can fully customise Nagios XI, which means you can change the GUI to show the style, design, or colour themes that you like. Before you buy, make sure you try out the online sample and free trial.

Paessler PRTG Network Monitor

Feature	Description
Auto-Discovery	Automatically discovers and maps network devices.
Real-Time Monitoring	Monitors devices and network performance in real-time.
Alerts and Notifications	Sends alerts for network issues via various methods.
Custom Dashboards	Creates custom dashboards for network visibility.
Scalability	Suitable for networks of different sizes.
Integration and API Support	Integrates with various third-party systems and services.

Paessler’s PRTG Network Monitor is a centralised tool for managing network speed that keeps an eye on the whole network. With this tool, you can keep an eye on things like network traffic, database capacity, cloud service performance, network security, and application performance.

PRTG Network Monitor can be used to find networks and map them, but only with PRTG Map Designer. You’ll need to learn how to do something by hand in order to use this great network planning tool. But once you’ve made the maps, they’ll show you the most up-to-date network information for each device in real time. This includes connection data, performance, and important state updates. This software is good, but I think it costs too much for what it gives you.

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