Flash Player end of life

terrydeen2 · 2021-05-23T09:29:26.000Z

Hi,

Flash Player is end of life. Can you help me to an alternative way to use the network map?

Thanks in advance. (y)

bryandoe · 2021-05-23T09:58:00.000Z

Spiceworks 7.5 is EOL too, it won’t be fixed.

ashir3 · 2021-05-23T10:01:53.000Z

Best Network Mappers

Of course, all these types of network maps are only as useful as they are accurate, which means you need an appropriate and high-quality tool. While mapping can be done manually using tools like ping and tracert, followed by a visual mapping or vector program, this process can be prohibitively time-consuming. Similarly, if you’re considering a free network mapping solution, you should check which kind of network map it offers and whether it will give you the full visibility you need to optimize network performance.

Below, I look at some of the best network mappers on the market and what makes them stand out from the pack.

Network Performance Monitor – Free Trial

My top pick is SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor (NPM). NPM is extremely useful for both mapping networks and determining how your network is performing. It includes a feature called NetPath, which maps your network and then provides you with information on network performance, traffic, and configuration along the entire service delivery path. You can also see performance metrics with hop-by-hop data between your central servers and your satellite offices.

NPM also features a number of network visualization graphs and charts. Insights from NPM network mapping features can easily be viewed alongside your other performance tools to provide troubleshooting assistance of your entire network. Try out a free trial of NPM for 30 days.

Network Topology Mapper – Free Trial

SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper (NTM) is focused on network mapping. Unlike NPM, the tool doesn’t include network performance measurement capabilities. However, NTM shines in its ability to automatically plot your network to build multiple different kinds of network maps from a single scan.

The automatic scanning function is useful if you have an already established network needing to be properly mapped. It automatically detects any changes in your network topology and updates the maps accordingly. You can choose whether you want it to determine your network using SNMP, ICMP, WMI, CDP, or another method of discovery. You can also try NTM free for up to 14 days.

Paessler PRTG Network Monitor is a well-known software with monitoring and performance tools as well as reporting features and dashboards. It lets you create maps to show you devices and connections, as well as live status information for your network, so you can detect problems in one glance and troubleshoot effectively using maps as a primary source of information. You can customize your map using HTML, and you can share the map with whoever you want (company-only or external). While the maps are extremely useful, you must create them manually using the drag-and-drop map editor, which can be time-consuming.

Device42 is a configuration management database with auto-discovery and application mapping tools. You can set up a schedule and Device42 will automatically scan your network and infrastructure and detect any changes as they’re made, so your network information is always up to date. It can track IP and non-IP based devices and assets, hardware, software, and interdependencies between devices, as well as resource utilization. You can also generate dependency and impact visuals using the Device42 NetFlow collector, which allows you to view topologies at different levels. Overall this is useful software, but the auto-discovery can be difficult to implement if the network is very complex, as it tends to pick up unnecessary information.

Intermapper allows you to create custom maps quickly and effectively, automatically mapping all the IP-enabled devices in your network. You can customize your maps with colors and different background options, as well as color-coded statuses to show you how the network is performing. It provides you with real-time text or email alerts if there are any issues, helping prevent your users from being affected. Intermapper works for Mac, Linux, and Windows, and offers a 30-day trial, a free version, and an enterprise version.

Nmap is a free and open-source network mapping tool that uses IP packets to determine what hosts are on the network, what services are offered by those hosts, and identify operating systems, firewalls, and other information. It runs on Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X, and can link in with other Nmap suite tools including Zenmap, Ncat, Ndiff, and Nping. Nmap comes with a learning curve, but it’s a great option if you’re working with a small business without the budget for a professional tool.

Spiceworks is a manual network mapping tool that allows you to view an interactive network diagram of how your devices work together and relate to each other. You can add, edit, move, and resize devices on the map to show how your network is structured, as well as using filters and views to show only the most important data. The network map displays lines between each node—the thicker the line, the more bandwidth is being used. However, the mapping is manual, which means you need to redo your network map every time your network changes. The Spiceworks network mapper is free, though, so it’s a good choice for someone who has the time to map a smaller, less complex network rather than a changing enterprise system.

Best Network Mapping Solution

There are a number of good network map tools on the market, but in my view, some are better equipped to handle the task than others. Some are tools you can use to help you map the network yourself. Others look at your network and map it automatically. Automatic network mappers result in fewer mistakes and missed devices, and are designed to adapt when a new server or node is added to the network. I recommend trying Network Performance Monitor as an all-in-one network map and performance tool for any size environment.

terrydeen2 · 2021-05-23T11:35:19.000Z

Thanks for the headsup … I’ll look into that.

terrydeen2 · 2021-05-23T11:38:17.000Z

Thanks! I’ve started to migrate some stuff to zabbix.Zabbix doesn’t create and collect software inventories for windows. But apart from that it looks prommising

scheff1 · 2021-05-23T18:32:28.000Z

T Deen:

Can you help me to an alternative way to use the network map?

You are using a definite article. So I don’t know to which network map of so many available network maps you refer.

I only know that you don’t refer to a component of the legacy Spiceworks Windows edition of that name as it became end of life (EOL) by end of 2020. And Spiceworks has announced back in 2018, that updates are no longer to be expected (end of active development). And you’re not referring to the Spiceworks network monitor as it reached EOL in Autumn 2020 as announced in its product roadmap and other places of its web site.

What are your requirements for a network map?

Bryan Doe:

Spiceworks 7.5 is EOL too, it won’t be fixed.

As far as I understood, the legacy Windows edition of Spiceworks reached end of active development in 2018. EOL will be reached by end of this year, as announced past week . In the mean time, more and more services of this solution will loose functionality as they won’t receive updates.

ashir3:

Best Network Mappers

Your post looks like an outdated extract of * top 7 network mapping tools * of 5 December 2020. It does not yet take into account EOL announcements like the one for that Spiceworks component to end of 2020, nor updates of listed solutions released in 2021. That list isn’t exhaustive. And of those tools listed, it selectively mentions free and trial editions while hiding the same available info for other listed tools. I can’t claim that * this list of 17 best network mapping & topology software * would be better. It gives a broader view of tools for a broader set of solutions. The Spiceworks product review section here on this platform doesn’t have such a category.

kelly-for-progress · 2021-05-24T19:17:16.000Z

Hey OP! If you’re after other suggestions, I’ll go ahead and mention WhatsUp Gold , our network monitoring solution.

In terms of its network mapping capabilities… WhatsUp Gold’s discovery and mapping tool combines Layer 2 and Layer 3 discovery methods to create comprehensive, interactive network maps that are easily customized. It discovers and collects information from every network asset using layer 2/3 discovery techniques, including SNMP, ARP, ICMP, Virtual Infrastructure Management, IP addressing, CDP, LLDP, etc. WhatsUp Gold then creates dynamic layer 2 maps giving administrators a comprehensive view of their entire infrastructure.

Hope that helps in your search! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions.