What Is Network Traffic Monitoring? Explore It's Role in Security

Nothing frustrates network engineers quite like slow internet speed at work.
We know we're not alone in this struggle. Factors such as insufficient bandwidth, network congestion, and poorly configured devices can all contribute to sluggish network performance. 

So, how can we ensure our networks remain robust and high-performing? The answer lies in effective network traffic monitoring.

By implementing network monitoring software, businesses can gain real-time insights into their network health, track the flow of data, and identify potential issues before they escalate. 

What is network bandwidth?

Network bandwidth is the maximum data transfer rate (bit rate) across a network, often described in megabits per second (Mbps) when selecting an internet package. For example, a 200 megabit download speed translates to 200 Mbps, while faster providers may offer speeds of 1 gigabit (1000 Mb).

Bandwidth from an internet service provider (ISP) is shared among users on a network. If only one user is online, issues are rare, but when multiple users access the network simultaneously, problems can arise.

Bandwidth is typically divided equally, but activities like streaming or gaming consume more bandwidth than browsing. That's where quality of service (QoS) settings come in. QoS, usually set on the modem, allocates bandwidth based on demand, ensuring streaming and gaming users experience less disruption.

To monitor bandwidth, devices connect to a network either via cable or wirelessly through dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP). Each device receives a unique IP address, enabling the modem to route traffic correctly. Network monitoring programs use these IP addresses to identify devices and analyze the data being sent and received.

Various tools automatically monitor network traffic, generating reports and alerts. The primary value of network monitoring software lies in its ability to analyze and optimize usage. These tools help create a better experience for all network users. While home users mainly monitor personal devices like laptops and smart TVs, enterprise users must manage numerous network points, including local and cloud servers, which are often more critical.

Why is network traffic monitoring important?

Network traffic monitoring is important because it helps improve performance and keep data safe. By watching how data flows, businesses can spot slow areas and make sure important applications get the bandwidth they need. It also helps find any unauthorized access or strange activity that could signal a network security issue, allowing for quick action to fix problems.

In addition, monitoring allows for quick problem-solving. With real-time data, network managers can catch issues early, which reduces downtime and keeps things running smoothly. This practice also helps meet industry rules by providing reports on network activity, ensuring that services are fast and reliable for users.

Benefits of network traffic monitoring

By keeping a close eye on data flow and user activity, organizations can reap several benefits that enhance both efficiency and network security. Here are five key advantages of implementing network traffic monitoring:

• Performance optimization: By analyzing traffic patterns, network monitoring helps identify bandwidth bottlenecks, allowing for adjustments that enhance overall network performance.
• Security enhancement: Continuous monitoring detects unusual activity or potential security threats, enabling prompt responses to mitigate risks and protect sensitive data.
• Resource allocation: Traffic monitoring provides insights into how bandwidth is utilized, allowing organizations to allocate resources more effectively based on user demand and application needs.
• Troubleshooting assistance: Monitoring tools simplify the identification of issues by providing real-time data on network performance, making it easier to troubleshoot and resolve connectivity problems.
• Compliance and reporting: Many industries require adherence to regulatory standards. Network monitoring tools help ensure compliance by maintaining logs and generating reports that document network activity and performance.

How to monitor network traffic

Gaining a clear understanding of how to effectively monitor your network traffic according to your unique needs and scale empowers you to take proactive measures that ensure your network operates seamlessly. Here are the steps:

• Assess your monitoring needs: How heavily you monitor your network traffic depends mainly on your needs. Home users and small businesses generally don’t need to monitor their network traffic much unless they’re looking for potential unauthorized users.
• Check your modem's admin page: Even then, your modem’s admin page should have a list of connected devices that you can manage.
• Use network monitoring tools: Network monitoring tools can be useful for finding out what takes up the majority of your bandwidth and potentially help you improve how your bandwidth gets distributed. For example, if you notice that your smart TV needs more bandwidth than the rest of your devices, you can follow up that network analysis on your modem and set priority to your smart TV by using that router QoS setting we talked about earlier.

• Understand the impact for enterprise-level companies: At the midsize and enterprise levels, businesses can have hundreds or even thousands of devices joined on the same corporate network. At that level of traffic, it’s just too difficult to watch that many devices without help, and fortunately, that’s where network monitoring tools shine.
• Use bandwidth monitoring features: With bandwidth monitoring, automatic alerting, and report generation, network admins can easily monitor all the traffic on a company’s intranet.
• Use alerting features: Alerting features are particularly valuable for enterprise network monitoring software. Large companies often have local network-connected infrastructure, such as data servers, that need to stay at optimal functionality for day-to-day operations.
• Monitor performance thresholds: Network admins use alerting features to ensure that network-connected infrastructure components don’t drop below baseline performance thresholds and that they can be brought back online quickly if they do.
• Keep an eye on overall network health: This can also be done to monitor overall network health because if the network as a whole is struggling, then productivity will also suffer.
• Consider your scale: When considering network traffic monitoring tools, keep your needs in mind. While these tools are potentially overkill at a small scale, they can provide major productivity and uptime benefits at the midsize and enterprise levels.

Best network traffic monitoring tools

Using advanced network monitoring software equipped with cutting-edge features is essential for effectively managing and analyzing your network data.

The right choice will depend on your specific requirements and the objectives you aim to achieve with your network insights.

To qualify for inclusion in the network monitoring category, a product must:

• Constantly monitor the performance of an entire computer network
• Create a baseline for network performance metrics
• Alert administrators if the network crashes or varies from the baseline
• Suggest solutions to performance issues when they arise
• Provide visualizations for network performance data

*Below are the top 5 leading network monitoring software solutions from G2’s Fall 2024 Grid® Report. Some reviews may be edited for clarity.

1. NinjaOne

NinjaOne is a cloud-based IT management software designed for IT professionals to streamline operations through real-time monitoring of network devices and endpoints. It enhances network monitoring by ensuring optimal performance and quick issue resolution, with features such as remote monitoring and management for tracking device health, and automated alerts that notify users of outages or performance drops.

What users like best:

"NinjaOne helps our IT department automate many tasks. Its integrated ecosystem, which includes a ticketing system and remote control, allows us to deliver excellent support. We especially value its automation features, patch management, and responsive customer support, all of which have made our experience with NinjaOne successful. The application is very user-friendly, and the setup and integration were straightforward. We completed the startup and went live in no time. Great job!"

- NinjaOne Review, Giuseppe L.

What users dislike:

"I would like to see a dark mode option for the user interface, as well as the ability to exclude offline devices from the dashboard statistics, as they currently appear as unhealthy. Additionally, it would be helpful to have the option to run patches and scripts on a scheduled basis if they are missed."

- NinjaOne Review, Drew B.

2. Dynatrace

Dynatrace is a comprehensive observability platform that provides advanced monitoring for applications, infrastructure, and networks. It supports network monitoring by offering deep insights into network performance and dependencies, helping teams troubleshoot effectively. Key features include AI-powered monitoring that detects anomalies and provides root cause analysis, and full-stack observability that monitors everything from application performance to network traffic.

What users like best:

"What I appreciate most about Dynatrace is its ability to provide a clear, end-to-end view of our entire application environment. It feels like having an additional team member constantly monitoring every aspect of our systems, from infrastructure to user experience. The AI-driven problem detection and root-cause analysis are particularly impressive, enabling us to resolve issues before they escalate. The automation features also save us valuable time, allowing our team to focus on more strategic projects instead of constantly putting out fires."

- Dynatrace Review, Sushanth N.

What users dislike:

"The only downside to Dynatrace is that its pricing can be quite high, especially for smaller teams or businesses that are just starting out. Additionally, while the platform offers a wide range of features, it may take some time to fully utilize all its capabilities. A more user-friendly onboarding experience would greatly enhance its accessibility."

- Dynatrace Review, Karan S.

3. Atera

Atera is an all-in-one remote monitoring and management (RMM) solution tailored for IT service providers. It supports network monitoring by enabling continuous tracking of network devices and performance metrics, ensuring systems run smoothly for clients. Two notable features are its integrated help desk, which offers built-in ticketing and client management for streamlined support, and real-time monitoring that provides alerts for potential issues.

What users like best:

"We've been using Atera since we implemented it about five years ago. What initially attracted us was its cost structure; it was refreshing to see that they charge per agent rather than per device. As a company with many endpoints but only a few technicians, this approach has been a significant advantage for us. As our team has expanded, our costs have naturally increased, but Atera's features have also improved, which has made it a valuable investment."

- Atera Review, Blaise V.

What users dislike:

"The new GUI isn't as clean as the previous version. When entering time, I find it tedious to click the dropdown button for each entry, especially when handling multiple tickets throughout the day. Additionally, the Atera Agent occasionally fails on devices, requiring a script for cleanup and reinstallation. Lastly, Atera really needs a dark mode option!"

- Atera Review, Craig P

4. LogicMonitor

LogicMonitor is a cloud-based monitoring platform designed to provide insights across IT infrastructures. It enhances network monitoring by automating performance tracking to ensure reliable connectivity and performance. Key features include auto-discovery, which automatically detects devices and services in the network, and custom dashboards that allow users to visualize critical network metrics in real time.

What users like best:

"The software is excellent and has been a valuable asset to our company, providing us with complete visibility into our environment. Before implementing LogicMonitor, we only had insight into a small fraction of our servers and network devices. Beyond the software itself, the employees and support services are fantastic. Everyone we've interacted with—from sales to account management to the engineering team—has provided exceptional customer service. Their dedication to our success is evident and greatly appreciated."

- LogicMonitor Review, Jeff P.

What users dislike:

"I've noticed that the monitors in LogicMonitor are primarily number-based, which makes it challenging to pull and display strings within the platform. This limitation made implementation a bit difficult. It would be helpful to have the ability to pull strings as variables. Additionally, there’s a relatively steep learning curve to fully utilize all the features. While SNMP monitoring works well, it would be great to have proper reporting for Aruba Central, although that might be more of a limitation of Aruba's API than LogicMonitor's capabilities."

-LogicMonitor Review, Nicholas H.

5. Entuity

Entuity is a network management solution that offers comprehensive monitoring and analytics for network devices. It supports network monitoring by delivering detailed insights into performance, helping IT teams proactively identify and resolve issues. Notable features include centralized switch management for automated configuration backups and monitoring, and intuitive reporting that provides customizable reports and visualizations of network health and performance trends.

What users like best:

" Entuity has been an excellent product for managing both SNMP and configuration management. What truly stands out to me is the support provided by Entuity. They have the best support team I’ve ever encountered, regardless of the product. Their responsiveness and expertise have made a significant difference in our experience."

- Entuity Review, Randy S.

What users dislike:

"The configuration process for implementing OKTA 2FA was challenging, particularly because the example configuration contained errors. Since the configuration is case-sensitive, the requirement for "administrator" to be in lowercase was a point of confusion, as the example incorrectly listed it in uppercase. This discrepancy caused me several hours of frustration before I could get it working properly."

 - Entuity Review, Jonathan K.

Keep an eye on the road ahead!

Network monitoring is essential for maintaining the health and performance of IT infrastructures. By continuously tracking network activity, organizations can quickly identify and resolve issues, optimize performance, and ensure security. 

In a rapidly evolving technological landscape, effective network monitoring is crucial for supporting business operations and achieving strategic goals. 

Looking to monitor individual applications rather than the entire network? Explore application performance monitoring (APM) tools.

This article was originally published in 2019. It has been updated with new information.