BlogInfrastructure & networking
Network monitoring tools: what to watch
By Vicky Ogola, Senior ICT Consultant 1 min read
Monitor availability, utilisation, errors and environment — and route alerts to someone who will act.
Monitoring turns network problems from surprises into planned work.
What to monitor
- **Availability:** are devices and links up?
- **Utilisation:** how busy are internet links and core switches?
- **Errors:** interface errors often indicate failing cables or ports.
- **Wi-Fi:** client counts and interference.
- **Environment:** temperature and power in network rooms.
Alert thoughtfully
Alert on conditions that need action, with clear thresholds. Too many alerts are ignored.
Keep history
Trends show growth and help plan upgrades.
Assign responsibility
Someone must receive alerts and act on them, including outside working hours for critical systems.
Start with the essentials
Begin with internet links, core switches, firewalls, servers and access points. Add detail later. A small, well-tuned set of checks that people trust is more valuable than thousands of graphs nobody reads.
See our network monitoring and managed IT services.
About the author
Vicky Ogola
Senior ICT Consultant
Vicky Ogola writes about network design, connectivity, data centres and the infrastructure that business systems depend on.