10 network tools every IT admin needs

OpUtils | October 22, 2020 | 3 min read

Advanced Network Tools

Remember when native commands like ping and ipconfig were adequate for network inspection? With networks becoming more dynamic, these generic tools don’t seem to make the cut anymore. IT admins are in a constant quest for ad hoc network tools and utilities that could aid specific network management needs.

Using individual network diagnostic tools, on the other hand, requires constant tab switching, and comparing data pulled by independent network tools to pinpoint your network issue. To avoid this hassle, we bring to you ManageEngine OpUtils’ arsenal of more than 30 network tools each accessible from a single console, and which provide all the network monitoring, diagnostic, and addressing tools you need.

Network Tools - ManageEngine OpUtils

Here is our list of the top 10 network tools you need to add to your network toolkit to enable proactive monitoring, and control over your IT infrastructure. This list has been curated to include advanced network tools such as the TCP/IP tools that many network admins rely on for everyday network maintenance and debugging.

So, here’s our pick for 10 must-have network tools:

  1. Network Scanner
  2. Rogue Detection
  3. MIB Browser
  4. Wake on LAN
  5. System Details Update
  6. Community Checker
  7. Trap Receiver
  8. MAC IP List
  9. Trace Route
  10. System Explorer

1. Network Scanner

Network Scanner is part of OpUtils’ Network Monitoring tools, and enables you to identify a range of active hosts in the network, and ascertain the network device connectivity and topology.

This network utility tool allows you to pull network details such as Ping Status, SNMP Status, OS Type, and network interface card (NIC) Type of your network devices by specifying their IPs.

Network Tools and Utilities - ManagEngine OpUtils

2. Rogue Detection

OpUtils’ Rogue Detection utility facilitates continuous network scanning to pinpoint unauthorized rogue devices entering your network. This networking tool lists all the newly identified devices, and you can categorize the authorized devices as Trusted or Guests. Unauthorized or suspicious devices are marked as Rogue. These devices are denied access to network resources, thereby securing your network from malicious agents.

Network IP Tools - ManagEngine OpUtils

3 .  MIB Browser

MIB Browser is one of the OpUtils’ SNMP Tools, which supports all SNMP operations such as Get, Get- Next, and Clear. You can browse, inspect, and carry out several operations on your network management information bases (MIBs), such as load/unload, view listed OIDs, and more.

Network Tools Download - ManagEngine OpUtils

4 . Wake on LAN

Wake on LAN utility is a part of OpUtils’ Network Tools that can carry out remote booting of network devices. Supporting a manual and scheduled wake-up, Wake on LAN enables you to create booting schedules, and automate remote wake-up for a individual device or a group of devices in your network.

Network Tools Software - ManagEngine OpUtils

5 . System Details Update

System Details Update tool, included under OpUtils’ Network Monitoring tools, allows you to gain visibility into the details of your networked SNMP-enabled devices, and update or edit them using IP Tools network utilities. By specifying the SNMP write community, this IT network tool enables you can update the system details of a device by scanning its IP, or a group of devices by scanning a range of IPs. This tool updates the device details, including Sys Name and Sys Location, and also displays its status. You can remotely update the system details of your network devices, right from your OpUtils console.

6 . Community Checker

Community Checker is one of OpUtils’ SNMP Tools, that enables you to obtain the SNMP community strings of a range of IP addresses based on the predefined set of default and standard community strings for switches, routers, etc.

You can view details such as DNS Name, Read Community, and Write Community.

IT Network Tools - ManagEngine OpUtils

7 . Trap Receiver

Trap Receiver network tool is part of OpUtils’ SNMP tools that can collect, log, view, and analyze all the traps triggered by network devices. These collected traps are collected, logged, and sent to you in the form of SNMP trap notifications.

8 . MAC IP List

OpUtils’ Address Monitoring tool MAC IP List, performs IP lookup to access details about the MAC Address, DNS Name, NIC Type, IP Location, and more. This IP network tool enables you to view and manage network inventory information with the MAC IP List tool, which regularly scans and updates this information. The data pulled by this network tool can also be used to work with several other network tools.

Network Utility Tool - ManagEngine OpUtils

9 . Trace Route

Trace Route is a OpUtils Diagnostic Tool that gives you visibility into the path taken by a packet in a network. This network tool displays the number of hops a IP packet has to take to reach a target device, and sequentially displays the IP address of each hop.

Networking Tools - ManagEngine OpUtils

10 . System Explorer

System Explorer of OpUtils’ Network Monitoring tools offers complete visibility into the SNMP-enabled device details, such as System Snapshot, Process Scan, Software Scan, and more. This network tool allows you to view and explore devices and hosts in your network.

Network Utility Tool - ManagEngine OpUtils

Along with these network tools, OpUtils offers advanced IP Address Management, and switch port mapping. Automate scanning network address space, map end-to-end port device connectivity, pull IP address space utilization, performance, and availability metrics, track a device down to its physical location, view device OS types, and NIC card data with ease. OpUtils seamlessly integrates with your existing network infrastructure within minutes.

New to ManageEngine OpUtils? Discover all the available features, or schedule a free live demo with a product expert who can guide through our product, and see how OpUtils could work in your network environment!

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