Network utilization monitoring with PRTG
Stop network congestion in its tracks and reduce potential downtime
- Quickly locate, troubleshoot, and fix the root causes of pop-up network issues
- Use in depth historical data for more cost efficient capacity planning
- Boost user experience for critical applications with targeted bandwidth optimization
Our users give top ratings for monitoring with Paessler PRTG
PRTG network utilization monitoring: What you’ll find on this page
- Take a break from network utilization issues and headaches with PRTG
- What network utilization monitoring looks like in PRTG
- 4 more reasons to choose PRTG as your network utilization monitoring tool
- Explore our preconfigured PRTG sensors for network utilization monitoring
- Network utilization monitoring: FAQ
PRTG makes network utilization monitoring as easy as it gets
Custom alerts and data visualization let you quickly identify and prevent network performance bottlenecks.
Take a break from network utilization issues and headaches with PRTG
Network management is full of constant, often unpredictable network problems that pop up randomly, as any system admin knows. They all need immediate attention, whether it’s a network security issue, bad actors in the system, or a downed network device. Paessler PRTG takes the “frantic” out of network administration with comprehensive, customizable network monitoring.
Get the needed network utilization data
Network performance monitoring doesn’t have to be a dreaded, time-consuming task. PRTG makes the entire monitoring process easy for you, from setup to the time-saving automatic network discovery. This identifies all network devices and configures the necessary sensors.
You see the network usage data you need to optimize your infrastructure without the hours of manually monitoring each single device.
Keep your network fast for every action
If your network has a high load, access to centrally stored data can be significantly slower. Add in a WAN with multiple endpoints or large files and it can be impossible to maintain efficient data transfers.
PRTG’s network utilization monitoring gives you the network traffic analysis and bandwidth allocation data you need to locate bottlenecks and squash them.
Gain an advantage on bandwidth hogs
Troubleshooting bandwidth bottlenecks and locating traffic hogs gets easier with PRTG’s network utilization monitoring software. Track traffic data and usage patterns based on IP address, port number, or protocol – using SNMP, packet sniffing, and flow (NetFlow, jFlow, sFlow, IPFIX).
With a clear picture of your bandwidth utilization, you can quickly optimize your network traffic, reducing jitter, packet loss, latency, and more.
Relax and talk longer via Voice over IP
Especially for IP telephony, it’s essential to have a high enough amount of network bandwidth. Too much network load can cause lagging, interruptions of service, or no connection at all. PRTG solves this problem with real-time traffic analysis and bandwidth management.
Make sure your VoIP calls have the necessary resources to maintain a high quality audio and video connection. You can enjoy longer, stress-free calls without worrying about network issues.
Make sure your backups really back up
When your network is running backups, it always generates a high network load. Generally, this isn’t a problem, but if your network is already very busy, the backups may be delayed or even aborted.
Use PRTG to reduce unnecessary drag on your network, preventing these problems and laying the foundation for a stronger network infrastructure. Your backups are able to complete, ensuring business continuity in the event of a disaster.
What network utilization monitoring looks like in PRTG
Diagnose network issues by continuously tracking network activity and traffic. Show bandwidth usage, uptime, response time, latency, packet loss, and other key metrics in real time. Visualize monitoring data in clear graphs and dashboards to identify problems more easily. Gain the overview you need to troubleshoot network inefficiencies.
Device tree view of the complete monitoring setup
Custom PRTG dashboard for keeping an eye on the entire IT infrastructure
Live traffic data graph in PRTG
Start monitoring your network utilization with PRTG and see how it can make your network more reliable and your job easier.
“All-around winning “The real beauty of PRTG is the endless possibilities it offers” “PRTG Network MonitorIT experts agree: Paessler PRTG is a great solution for IT infrastructure monitoring
network monitor”
is very hard to beat”
4 more reasons to choose PRTG as your network utilization monitoring tool
You want to be proactive instead of reactive
We hear you, which is why PRTG doesn’t just monitor your network; it helps you optimize it. PRTG provides detailed insights in a single, customizable dashboard.
This information, coupled with real-time alerts (also customizable), helps you make proactive, informed decisions about network upgrades and resource allocation, as well as other actions.
You want to meet quality-of-service demands
Quality of Service (QoS) is critical if you want to make sure you maintain high performance and reliability for your sensitive applications.
PRTG helps you monitor and measure your QoS metrics, so important applications get the bandwidth and resources they need.
You want a monitoring tool that scales with you
You don’t have to switch out your monitoring tool every time your organization grows. Thankfully, PRTG is designed to growth with your network, so it’s suitable for networks of any size.
Its flexible licensing options and ability to monitor thousands of devices means it can scale for both small and large businesses.
You like words like “user-friendly” & “customizable”
We worked hard to make sure you don’t have to. PRTG has an intuitive interface that makes it easy for both novice and experienced IT professionals to use. (This is what our clients say...)
You can tailor the dashboard to show you the views you need, so you’re more productive and less frustrated while you keep your network running smoothly.
Your network utilization monitor at a glance – even on the go
Set up PRTG in minutes and use it on almost any mobile device.
Find the root cause of the problem with our PRTG network utilization monitoring solution
Real-time notifications mean faster troubleshooting so that you can act before more serious issues occur.
PRTG is compatible with all major vendors, products, and systems
Explore our preconfigured PRTG sensors for network utilization monitoring
PRTG comes with more than 250 native sensor types for monitoring your entire on-premises, cloud, and hybrid cloud environment out of the box. Check out some examples below!
SNMP Traffic v2
The SNMP Traffic v2 sensor monitors bandwidth and traffic on a device. It can show the following:
- Number of incoming and outgoing broadcast, multicast, unicast, and non-unicast packets
- Number of incoming and outgoing discards and errors
- Total, incoming, and outgoing traffic
- Number of incoming, unknown protocols
NetFlow v5
The NetFlow v5 sensor receives traffic data from a NetFlow v5-compatible device and shows the traffic by type. This sensor has several filter options to divide traffic into different channels. It can show the following and more:
- Traffic from Citrix applications
- Traffic from file transfer (FTP/P2P) and various other protocols (UDP, TCP)
- Traffic from network services (DHCP, DNS, Ident, ICMP, SNMP)
- Internet mail traffic (IMAP, POP3, SMTP)
- Traffic from remote control applications (RDP, SSH, Telnet, Virtual Network Computing (VNC))
sFlow
The sFlow sensor receives traffic data from an sFlow v5-compatible device and shows the traffic by type. This sensor has several filter options to divide traffic into different channels. It can show the following and more:
- Traffic from Citrix applications
- Traffic from file transfer (FTP/P2P) and various other protocols (UDP, TCP)
- Traffic from network services (DHCP, DNS, Ident, ICMP, SNMP)
- Internet mail traffic (IMAP, POP3, SMTP)
- Traffic from remote control applications (RDP, SSH, Telnet, Virtual Network Computing (VNC))
jFlow v5
The jFlow v5 sensor receives traffic data from a jFlow v5-compatible device and shows the traffic by type. It can show the following and more:
- Traffic from Citrix applications
- Traffic from file transfer (FTP/P2P) and various other protocols (UDP, TCP)
- Traffic from network services (DHCP, DNS, Ident, ICMP, SNMP)
- Internet mail traffic (IMAP, POP3, SMTP)
- Traffic from remote control applications (RDP, SSH, Telnet, Virtual Network Computing (VNC))
Packet Sniffer
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The Packet Sniffer sensor monitors the headers of data packets that pass a local network card using a built-in packet sniffer. You can choose from predefined channels. It can show the following and more:
- Traffic from Citrix applications
- Traffic from file transfer (FTP/P2P) and various other protocols (UDP, TCP)
- Traffic from network services (DHCP, DNS, Ident, ICMP, SNMP)
- Internet mail traffic (IMAP, POP3, SMTP)
- Traffic from remote control applications (RDP, SSH, Telnet, Virtual Network Computing (VNC))
Create innovative solutions with Paessler’s partners
Partnering with innovative vendors, Paessler unleashes synergies to create
new and additional benefits for joined customers.
UVexplorer integrates tightly with PRTG to bring fast and accurate network discovery, detailed device inventory, and automatic network mapping to the PRTG platform.
UVnetworks
“Excellent tool for detailed monitoring. Alarms and notifications work greatly. Equipment addition is straight forward and server initial setup is very easy. ...feel safe to purchase it if you intend to monitor a large networking landscape.”
Infrastructure and Operations Engineer in the Communications Industry, firm size 10B - 30B USD
PRTG makes network utilization monitoring as easy as it gets
Custom alerts and data visualization let you quickly identify and prevent network performance bottlenecks.
Network utilization monitoring: FAQ
What is network utilization?
Network utilization is the proportion of the current network traffic to the maximum amount of traffic that can be handled. It indicates the bandwidth consumption in the network. While high network traffic means that the network is overloaded, low network traffic means that the network is not busy. If the network load reaches or exceeds the threshold under normal conditions, this will result in low network speed, interruptions, timeouts, etc. The network load is an indicator of the network utilization.
What is network utilization rate?
Your network utilization rate is the percentage of total bandwidth being used at any given time. This metric indicates how efficient your network is. high usage rates can signal that the network is nearing capacity, while low rates might suggest your resources are underused.
Can network utilization monitoring help detect network security threats?
Yes, indeed! Network utilization monitoring gives you a baseline of what a normal traffic pattern looks like for your organization. Any deviation – a spike in bandwidth usage, unusual traffic patterns, unexpected data flows – can indicate a potential security threat. PRTG can also detect unauthorized access and port scanning, as well as monitor data transfer volumes.
What metrics are important for monitoring network utilization?
There are several key metrics. They include bandwidth usage, which measures how much data is being sent over the network. Metrics also include throughput, latency, packet loss, and error rates. By watching these metrics, you can correctly identify potential issues before they become major problems and affect user experience.
What parts of the network does bad network utilization affect?
When network use isn’t optimized, several areas can suffer. WAN links, for example, are a common place for bottlenecks. End-user devices, VoIP systems, and even routers and switches that handle high traffic volumes are all possible areas affected by poor bandwidth allocation.
What is a sensor in PRTG?
In PRTG, “sensors” are the basic monitoring elements. One sensor usually monitors one measured value in your network, for example the traffic of a switch port, the CPU load of a server, or the free space on a disk drive.
On average, you need about 5-10 sensors per device or one sensor per switch port.
PRTG: The multi-tool for sysadmins
Adapt PRTG individually and dynamically to your needs and rely on a strong API:- HTTP API: Access monitoring data and manipulate monitoring objects via HTTP requests
- Custom sensors: Create your own PRTG sensors for customized monitoring
- Custom notifications: Create your own notifications and send action triggers to external systems
- REST Custom sensor: Monitor almost everything that provides data in XML or JSON format
Paessler conducted trials in over 600 IT departments worldwide to tune its network monitoring software closer to the needs of sysadmins. We asked: would you recommend PRTG?
Over 95% of our customers say yes!
The result of the survey: over 95% of the participants would recommend PRTG – or already have.
Paessler PRTG is used by companies of all sizes. Sysadmins love PRTG because it makes their job a whole lot easier. Bandwidth, servers, virtual environments, websites, VoIP services – PRTG keeps an eye on your entire network. Everyone has different monitoring needs. That’s why we let you try PRTG for free.Still not convinced?
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Monitor your entire IT infrastructure
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Start monitoring your network utilization with PRTG and see how it can make your network more reliable and your job easier.
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PRTG |
Network Monitoring Software - Version 24.4.102.1351 (November 12th, 2024) |
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Hosting |
Download for Windows and cloud-based version PRTG Hosted Monitor available |
Languages |
English, German, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Dutch, Russian, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese |
Pricing |
Up to 100 sensors for free (Price List) |
Unified Monitoring |
Network devices, bandwidth, servers, applications, virtual environments, remote systems, IoT, and more |
Supported Vendors & Applications |
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