Wiresharkįeatures: Wireshark is an open-source, professional grade protocol analyzer used by networking specialists and security experts. It monitors and tracks network data in a feature rich browser-based UI. PRTG Includes packet sniffing, supports simple network management protocol (SNMP),Windows management instrumentation (WMI), and vendor-specific networking languages NetFlow, jFlow, and sFlow. Tiered pricing ranging from $1,600 for 500 sensors up to $13,500 for unlimited.įeatures: PRTG is built to monitor a medium-sized office network. PRTG Network MonitorĬost: Free up to 100 sensors-defined as one aspect that you monitor on a device. While Ipef is controlled via command line, it is also accessible with a GUI frontend called JPerf.

It is a cross-platform tool that is ideal for mixed OS environments. Iperfįeatures: The open source freeware Iperf measures transmission control protocol (TCP) and user datagram protocol (UDP) data streams while measuring overall network throughput. Upgrading to the full version opens more features, like simultaneous packet streams and alert functions. The free lite version allows a packet size up to 9 GB. It works by creating and sending a test packet across a network. It uses a portable executable format and does not need to be installed onto a computer to operate. LAN Speed Testįeatures: This simple but powerful tool measures LAN speed, file transfer, hard drive, and USB drive speeds. The program installs on a single machine so it best suited for very small environments. It displays historical data on a chart and can export the numbers to a spreadsheet file. BitMeter IIįeatures: This simple bandwidth meter monitors Internet connection speeds. Here are five reputable and (mostly) free pieces of software that will gauge network speed for organizations that range from a handful of seats to a medium size business. As a business grows, these features become quite valuable. The more complex programs bundle in security features and add more robust data analysis along with tools for running a network speed test. Generally speaking, the simpler tools tend to be adequate for analyzing traffic for many SMB networks. Others may require an academic technical background to take advantage of their full range of features. Some tools require little more than a basic understanding of network administration to use. There are dozens of tools you can use that vary in price, feature sets, and necessary technical aptitude for proper usage. Conducting a network speed test helps ensure that computers and devices on your network are getting the data flow and performance your users need.

Windows ethernet testing tools