Firewall monitoring with PRTG
Lock down the security of your network and data
- Get end-to-end visibility into your firewalls‘ availability and health
- Stay on top of vulnerabilities and network security events in real time
- Monitor network traffic flow and firewall performance effortlessly
Our users give top ratings for monitoring with Paessler PRTG
PRTG firewall monitoring: What you’ll find on this page
PRTG makes firewall traffic monitoring as easy as it gets
Custom alerts and data visualization let you quickly identify and prevent firewall downtime and other network security issues.
Enhance your network security with firewall monitoring and PRTG
Firewalls are critical for network security, but without monitoring, any weakness, performance issues, or potential intrusions might go unnoticed. Paessler PRTG firewall monitoring helps you maintain visibility and security, detecting unusual access patterns or attacks before they impact your network.
Capture and analyze flow data
Spotting intrusions and unauthorized access attempts without a dedicated firewall monitoring tool can be challenging – often nearly impossible in real-time. Our firewall monitoring software automates this process, reducing manual work and accelerating troubleshooting.
With NetFlow, sFlow, and jFlow sensors, PRTG captures, monitors, and analyzes irregular patterns or unexpected traffic destinations to keep your network secure.
Speed up your security response
Manually identifying and responding to security threats is time-consuming and can increase the risk of damage or data loss. PRTG speeds up your response time with custom alert thresholds. IT teams receive instant alerts when specified events occur, such as a firewall that is down.
With real-time notifications, PRTG enables faster action to prevent threats from escalating, providing proactive and efficient network protection.
Gain visibility into firewall health
Performance drops, hardware stress, and unauthorized access can weaken your firewall security, leading to potential vulnerabilities. PRTG leverages SNMP sensors specifically designed to track and analyze firewall health in real time.
With PRTG, you can continuously monitor essential metrics like CPU load, memory usage, and uptime, ensuring your network firewall is always optimized and secure.
Track and analyze firewall logs
Firewall logs provide necessary insights into network activity, capturing details on both allowed and blocked connections. PRTG’s log monitoring capabilities alert you if log entries spike or certain text strings appears in a log file, keeping your network more secure.
Customize alerts for specific log events – such as attempts from known malicious IP addresses – spot patterns, detect anomalies, and quickly identify signs of potential security breaches.
Manage VPN traffic effectively
VPNs extend network access to remote users, but they also introduce additional security risks if not properly monitored. PRTG’s firewall monitoring keeps a close eye on VPN traffic by tracking unusual traffic patterns, access attempts, bandwidth usage, and connection times.
Protect your network from hackers and malware by setting up specific checkpoints to quickly detect and respond to unexpected login locations. Stay secure while fully supporting remote work.
What firewall monitoring looks like in PRTG
Diagnose network issues by continuously tracking the availability, health, and performance of your firewalls. Show response time, data traffic, open ports, connected SSL clients, CPU and memory usage, 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 firewall downtime and other security issues.
Device tree view of the complete monitoring setup
Preconfigured SNMP SonicWall System Health sensor in PRTG
Custom PRTG dashboard for keeping an eye on the entire IT infrastructure
Start monitoring your firewalls 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 firewall monitoring tool
We do all the monitoring
PRTG goes beyond firewall monitoring to offer a comprehensive suite of tools for network observability. With PRTG, you get all-in-one network monitoring with 24/7/365 visibility, so you can optimize your network traffic, device performance, routers, servers, and more.
Keep your network devices running smoothly and your traffic secure with PRTG as your unified monitoring solution.
We play well with other vendors
PRTG works jointly with most routers and firewalls, making it a flexible solution for nearly any network setup. Supported systems – with preconfigured sensors – include Cisco ASA, Juniper, SonicWall, and Fortinet.
Additionally, PRTG supports any SNMP-compatible device for broad compatibility, for example Mikrotik, Sophos UTM, Palo Alto, Barracuda, Draytek, or Checkpoint.
One dashboard to rule them all
PRTG brings all your monitoring needs together in a single, highly customizable dashboard. Whether you’re tracking performance metrics, firewall health, or the status of an operating system, PRTG displays it all in one place.
Start with a bird’s-eye view of your entire network and drill down into granular details like specific processes or devices with just a few clicks.
Monitor on-premises or off-site
With PRTG, your network is always within reach, whether you're in the office, on the go, or relaxing at the beach. PRTG delivers network details wherever you have an internet or phone connection.
Stay informed with customizable notifications and alerts that can be sent to designated team members based on issue type and priority level. Choose from SMS, push notifications, email, Slack, Microsoft Teams, and more to ensure you're always in the loop – no matter where you are.
Your firewall 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 firewall 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 firewall 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!
FortiGate VPN Overview
The FortiGate VPN Overview sensor monitors the virtual private network (VPN) connections of a Fortinet FortiGate system. It can show the following:
- Number of SSL clients that are connected
- Number of IPsec tunnels that are down
- Number of IPsec tunnels that are up
SNMP SonicWall System Health
The SNMP SonicWall System Health sensor monitors health values of a SonicWall Network Security Appliance (NSA) . It can show the following:
- Connection cache usage
- CPU usage
- Memory usage
SNMP Juniper NS System Health
The SNMP Juniper NS System Health sensor monitors the system health of a Juniper NetScreen device. It can show the following:
- CPU usage
- Memory usage
- Power supply status
- Session usage
- System temperature
SNMP Cisco ASA VPN Users
The SNMP Cisco ASA VPN Users sensor monitors account connections to a VPN on a Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance. It can show the following:
- Account status
- Number of connected accounts
Create innovative solutions with Paessler’s partners
Partnering with innovative vendors, Paessler unleashes synergies to create
new and additional benefits for joined customers.
With condition monitoring and retrofitting, PRTG and Schildknecht DATAEAGLE make even older production plants competitive.
Schildknecht
“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 firewall traffic monitoring as easy as it gets
Custom alerts and data visualization let you quickly identify and prevent firewall downtime and other network security issues.
Monitoring firewalls: FAQ
What is a firewall monitor?
A firewall monitor is a tool that provides IT teams with visibility into firewall performance, network security events, and traffic flow. It continuously monitors firewalls for key metrics such as traffic patterns, routing efficiency, and system health to make sure networks remain secure and high-performing.
What does firewall monitoring do?
Firewall monitoring in PRTG provides automation for traditionally manual IT tasks. In addition to analyzing security events, a firewall monitor tracks downtime, helping teams quickly identify and resolve availability issues. It also supports performance monitoring to optimize firewall functionality and manage bandwidth effectively.
Why is firewall monitoring essential?
Firewalls are a fundamental layer of network defense, serving as a gatekeeper to protect your systems from unauthorized access and potential threats. However, without continuous monitoring, your firewall could become a blind spot. Issues like misconfigurations, performance degradation, or even undetected intrusions can compromise your network security.
By maintaining constant visibility and control, PRTG helps you optimize firewall performance, enforce security policies, and protect critical network boundaries, making it an indispensable tool for proactive network management.
What data does PRTG gather?
PRTG collects a wide range of data to provide comprehensive insights into your network and firewall activity. Key metrics include:
- Traffic of inbound and outbound connections (LAN and WiFi): Monitor the flow of data entering and leaving your network, whether over wired or wireless connections, to understand usage patterns and detect anomalies.
- Firewall status: Keep track of your firewall’s health and performance, including metrics like uptime, CPU usage, memory load, and configuration changes.
- Most used connections (NetFlow-specific): Identify the top connections consuming network bandwidth, helping you pinpoint resource-heavy devices or activities.
- Most active senders (NetFlow-specific): Track which devices or users are sending the most data to ensure fair usage or detect potential security threats.
- Most used protocols (NetFlow-specific): Analyze the types of network traffic (e.g., HTTP, FTP, VoIP) passing through your firewall to optimize performance and manage bandwidth efficiently.
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?
More than 500,000
sysadmins love PRTG
Monitor your entire IT infrastructure
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Start monitoring your firewalls 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 25.1.102.1373 (January 9th, 2025) |
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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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Solutions for all your monitoring needs
Combining the broad monitoring feature set of PRTG with IP Fabric’s automated network assurance creates a new level of network visibility and reliability.