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  1. Home>
  2. IT Topics>
  3. Performance>
  4. Network Utilization Monitoring
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Network Utilization Monitoring with PRTG

Stop network congestion in its tracks and reduce potential downtime

  • Quickly locate, troubleshoot, and fix the root causes of pop-up network issues
  • Use in depth historical data for more cost efficient capacity planning
  • Boost user experience for critical applications with targeted bandwidth optimization
Free download
product overview

Our users give top ratings for monitoring with Paessler PRTG

Gartner peer insights
spiceworks
Capterra
G2
Trustpilot

PRTG network utilization monitoring: What you will find on this page

Table of content
  • Take a break from network utilization issues and headaches with PRTG
  • What network utilization monitoring looks like in PRTG
  • 4 more reasons to choose PRTG as your network utilization monitoring tool
  • Explore our preconfigured PRTG sensors for network utilization monitoring
  • Network utilization monitoring: FAQ

PRTG makes network utilization monitoring as easy as it gets

Custom alerts and data visualization let you quickly identify and prevent network performance bottlenecks.

Free download
PRODUCT OVERVIEW

Take a break from network utilization issues and headaches with PRTG

Network management is full of constant, often unpredictable network problems that pop up randomly, as any system admin knows. They all need immediate attention, whether it’s a network security issue, bad actors in the system, or a downed network device. Paessler PRTG takes the “frantic” out of network administration with comprehensive, customizable network monitoring.

Get the needed network utilization data

Network performance monitoring doesn’t have to be a dreaded, time-consuming task. PRTG makes the entire monitoring process easy for you, from setup to the time-saving automatic network discovery. This identifies all network devices and configures the necessary sensors.

You see the network usage data you need to optimize your infrastructure without the hours of manually monitoring each single device.

Keep your network fast for every action

If your network has a high load, access to centrally stored data can be significantly slower. Add in a WAN with multiple endpoints or large files and it can be impossible to maintain efficient data transfers.

PRTG’s network utilization monitoring gives you the network traffic analysis and bandwidth allocation data you need to locate bottlenecks and squash them.

Gain an advantage on bandwidth hogs

Troubleshooting bandwidth bottlenecks and locating traffic hogs gets easier with PRTG’s network utilization monitoring software. Track traffic data and usage patterns based on IP address, port number, or protocol – using SNMP, packet sniffing, and flow (NetFlow, jFlow, sFlow, IPFIX).

With a clear picture of your bandwidth utilization, you can quickly optimize your network traffic, reducing jitter, packet loss, latency, and more.

Relax and talk longer via Voice over IP

Especially for IP telephony, it’s essential to have a high enough amount of network bandwidth. Too much network load can cause lagging, interruptions of service, or no connection at all. PRTG solves this problem with real-time traffic analysis and bandwidth management.

Make sure your VoIP calls have the necessary resources to maintain a high quality audio and video connection. You can enjoy longer, stress-free calls without worrying about network issues.

Make sure your backups really back up

When your network is running backups, it always generates a high network load. Generally, this isn’t a problem, but if your network is already very busy, the backups may be delayed or even aborted.

Use PRTG to reduce unnecessary drag on your network, preventing these problems and laying the foundation for a stronger network infrastructure. Your backups are able to complete, ensuring business continuity in the event of a disaster.

What network utilization monitoring looks like in PRTG

Diagnose network issues by continuously tracking network activity and traffic. Show bandwidth usage, uptime, response time, latency, packet loss, and other key metrics in real time. Visualize monitoring data in clear graphs and dashboards to identify problems more easily. Gain the overview you need to troubleshoot network inefficiencies.

PRTG Screenshot device tree view

Device tree view of the complete monitoring setup

PRTG screenshot map entire it infrastructure

Custom PRTG dashboard for keeping an eye on the entire IT infrastructure

PRTG screenshot graph live data traffic

Live traffic data graph in PRTG

Start monitoring your network utilization with PRTG and see how it can make your network more reliable and your job easier.

Free download
PRODUCT OVERVIEW

IT experts agree: Paessler PRTG is a great solution for IT infrastructure monitoring

PCMag

“All-around winning
 network monitor”

IT Brief

“The real beauty of PRTG is the endless possibilities it offers”

ITPro

“PRTG Network Monitor 
is very hard to beat”

4 more reasons to choose PRTG as your network utilization monitoring tool

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You want to be proactive instead of reactive

We hear you, which is why PRTG doesn’t just monitor your network; it helps you optimize it. PRTG provides detailed insights in a single, customizable dashboard.

This information, coupled with real-time alerts (also customizable), helps you make proactive, informed decisions about network upgrades and resource allocation, as well as other actions.

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You want to meet quality-of-service demands

Quality of Service (QoS) is critical if you want to make sure you maintain high performance and reliability for your sensitive applications.

PRTG helps you monitor and measure your QoS metrics, so important applications get the bandwidth and resources they need.

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You want a monitoring tool that scales with you

You don’t have to switch out your monitoring tool every time your organization grows. Thankfully, PRTG is designed to growth with your network, so it’s suitable for networks of any size.

Its flexible licensing options and ability to monitor thousands of devices means it can scale for both small and large businesses.

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You like words like “user-friendly” & “customizable”

We worked hard to make sure you don’t have to. PRTG has an intuitive interface that makes it easy for both novice and experienced IT professionals to use. (This is what our clients say...)

You can tailor the dashboard to show you the views you need, so you’re more productive and less frustrated while you keep your network running smoothly.

Explore our preconfigured PRTG sensors for network utilization monitoring

PRTG comes with more than 250 native sensor types for monitoring your entire on-premises, cloud, and hybrid cloud environment out of the box. Check out some examples below!

SNMP Traffic v2

The SNMP Traffic v2 sensor monitors bandwidth and traffic on a device. It can show the following:

  • Number of incoming and outgoing broadcast, multicast, unicast, and non-unicast packets
  • Number of incoming and outgoing discards and errors
  • Total, incoming, and outgoing traffic
  • Number of incoming, unknown protocols
SNMP Traffic v2
SNMP Traffic v2

sFlow

The sFlow sensor receives traffic data from an sFlow v5-compatible device and shows the traffic by type. This sensor has several filter options to divide traffic into different channels. It can show the following and more:

  • Traffic from Citrix applications
  • Traffic from file transfer (FTP/P2P) and various other protocols (UDP, TCP)
  • Traffic from network services (DHCP, DNS, Ident, ICMP, SNMP)
  • Internet mail traffic (IMAP, POP3, SMTP)
  • Traffic from remote control applications (RDP, SSH, Telnet, Virtual Network Computing (VNC))
sFlow
sFlow

jFlow v5

The jFlow v5 sensor receives traffic data from a jFlow v5-compatible device and shows the traffic by type. It can show the following and more:

  • Traffic from Citrix applications
  • Traffic from file transfer (FTP/P2P) and various other protocols (UDP, TCP)
  • Traffic from network services (DHCP, DNS, Ident, ICMP, SNMP)
  • Internet mail traffic (IMAP, POP3, SMTP)
  • Traffic from remote control applications (RDP, SSH, Telnet, Virtual Network Computing (VNC))
jFlow v5
jFlow v5

Packet Sniffer

The Packet Sniffer sensor monitors the headers of data packets that pass a local network card using a built-in packet sniffer. You can choose from predefined channels. It can show the following and more:

  • Traffic from Citrix applications
  • Traffic from file transfer (FTP/P2P) and various other protocols (UDP, TCP)
  • Traffic from network services (DHCP, DNS, Ident, ICMP, SNMP)
  • Internet mail traffic (IMAP, POP3, SMTP)
  • Traffic from remote control applications (RDP, SSH, Telnet, Virtual Network Computing (VNC))
Packet Sniffer
Packet Sniffer

See the PRTG Manual for a list of all available sensor types.

PRTG is compatible with all major vendors, products, and systems

compatible with all major vendors, products, and systems

Find the root cause of the problem with our PRTG network utilization monitoring solution

Real-time notifications mean faster troubleshooting so that you can act before more serious issues occur.

Free download
PRODUCT OVERVIEW

“PRTG helps us to keep control of our IT by making issues visible immediately – and everywhere. We always have an eye on the performance and availability of our IT and can react in time if any failures occur. On a long-term perspective, the monitoring data helps us with capacity planning so that we can deliver the required resources for our own systems as well as for our customers, without wasting money on unwarranted redundancies.”

Stein Erik Høybakk, Senior Network Engineer
TAFJORD

“All our production and business processes depend on SAP. But, of course, IT and production systems also play a crucial role in securing these processes. By incorporating SAP, production, and IT into one centralized monitoring system, we can quickly detect critical drops in performance and identify the causes of these issues. In fact, thanks to PRTG and itesys, this couldn’t be any easier.”

Andreas Schmidt, Senior Systems Engineer
Truma

“Any downtime could be detrimental to our customers. We also strive to provide the best possible service to our customers. PRTG allows us to see the health and performance of the network. Using these measurements we can make decisions on how to repair a piece of equipment before it fails and causes a service interruption.”

James Ott Jr., Communications System Technician and IT Administrator
Federal Radio

Your network utilization monitor at a glance – even on the go

Set up PRTG in minutes and use it on almost any mobile device.

device overview
Gartner peer insights

“Excellent tool for detailed monitoring. Alarms and notifications work greatly. Equipment addition is straight forward and server initial setup is very easy. ...feel safe to purchase it if you intend to monitor a large networking landscape.”

Read the complete review at Gartner Peer Insights

Create innovative solutions with Paessler’s IT partners

Partnering with innovative IT vendors, Paessler unleashes synergies to create
new and additional benefits for joined customers.

IP Fabric

IP Fabric

Combining PRTG’s broad monitoring feature set with IP Fabric’s automated network assurance creates a new level of network visibility and reliability.

Read more
Plixer

Plixer

Paessler and Plixer provide a complete solution adding flow and metadata analysis to a powerful network monitoring tool.

Read more
UVnetworks

UVnetworks

UVexplorer integrates tightly with PRTG to bring fast and accurate network discovery, detailed device inventory, and automatic network mapping to the PRTG platform.

Read more

PRTG makes network utilization monitoring as easy as it gets

Custom alerts and data visualization let you quickly identify and prevent network performance bottlenecks.

Free download
PRODUCT OVERVIEW
Paessler PRTG

Paessler PRTG

Network Monitoring Software – Version 24.4.102.1351 (November 12th, 2024)

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Hosting

Download for Windows and cloud-based version PRTG Hosted Monitor available

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Languages

English, German, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Dutch, Russian, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese

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Monitor everything

Network devices, bandwidth, servers, applications, virtual environments, remote systems, IoT, and more

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Pricing

Choose the PRTG Network Monitor subscription that's best for you

Discover more monitoring insights and stories

Resources Solution

Solutions for all your monitoring needs

  • Bandwidth monitoring
  • Network usage monitoring
  • Network performance monitoring
Resources Content

Powerful stories from the monitoring world

  • Traffic monitoring on HP Aruba switches with sFlow and PRTG
  • No Budget? No Problem! The Poor Man’s Guide to Monitoring Network Traffic with SNMP and Packet Sniffing
  • The Top 5 Causes of Sudden Network Spikes
Resources Solutions

Resources to master your monitoring challenges

  • How to Monitor Only Workstation Network Usage
  • Total newbie: Bandwidth Usage Monitoring
  • Device Utilization counter

Network Utilization Monitoring: FAQ

 

What is network utilization?

Network utilization is the proportion of the current network traffic to the maximum amount of traffic that can be handled. It indicates the bandwidth consumption in the network. While high network traffic means that the network is overloaded, low network traffic means that the network is not busy. If the network load reaches or exceeds the threshold under normal conditions, this will result in low network speed, interruptions, timeouts, etc. The network load is an indicator of the network utilization.

What is network utilization rate?

Your network utilization rate is the percentage of total bandwidth being used at any given time. This metric indicates how efficient your network is. high usage rates can signal that the network is nearing capacity, while low rates might suggest your resources are underused.

Can network utilization monitoring help detect network security threats?

Yes, indeed! Network utilization monitoring gives you a baseline of what a normal traffic pattern looks like for your organization. Any deviation – a spike in bandwidth usage, unusual traffic patterns, unexpected data flows – can indicate a potential security threat. PRTG can also detect unauthorized access and port scanning, as well as monitor data transfer volumes.

What metrics are important for monitoring network utilization?

There are several key metrics. They include bandwidth usage, which measures how much data is being sent over the network. Metrics also include throughput, latency, packet loss, and error rates. By watching these metrics, you can correctly identify potential issues before they become major problems and affect user experience.

What parts of the network does bad network utilization affect?

When network use isn’t optimized, several areas can suffer. WAN links, for example, are a common place for bottlenecks. End-user devices, VoIP systems, and even routers and switches that handle high traffic volumes are all possible areas affected by poor bandwidth allocation.

What is a sensor in PRTG?

In PRTG, “sensors” are the basic monitoring elements. One sensor usually monitors one measured value in your network, for example the traffic of a switch port, the CPU load of a server, or the free space on a disk drive. On average, you need about 5-10 sensors per device or one sensor per switch port.

We asked: would you recommend PRTG? Over 95% of our customers say yes!

Paessler conducted trials in over 600 IT departments worldwide to tune its network monitoring software closer to the needs of sysadmins. The result of the survey: over 95% of the participants would recommend PRTG – or already have.

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Still not convinced?

Love

More than 500,000 sysadmins love PRTG

Paessler PRTG is used by companies of all sizes. Sysadmins love PRTG because it makes their job a whole lot easier.

PRTG

Monitor your entire IT infrastructure

Bandwidth, servers, virtual environments, websites, VoIP services – PRTG keeps an eye on your entire network.

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Try Paessler PRTG for free

Everyone has different monitoring needs. That’s why we let you try PRTG for free.

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Start monitoring your network utilization with PRTG and see how it can make your network more reliable and your job easier.

Free download
PRODUCT OVERVIEW

Products

  • Paessler PRTG
    Paessler PRTGMonitor your whole IT infrastructure
    • PRTG Network Monitor
    • PRTG Enterprise Monitor
    • PRTG Hosted Monitor
    • PRTG extensions
      Extensions for Paessler PRTGExtend your monitoring to a new level
  • Icon Features
    FeaturesExplore all monitoring features

Monitoring with PRTG

  • Network monitoring
  • Bandwidth monitoring
  • SNMP monitoring
  • Network mapping
  • Wi-Fi monitoring
  • Server monitoring
  • Network traffic analyzer
  • NetFlow monitoring
  • Syslog server

Useful Links

  • PRTG Manual
  • Knowledge Base
  • Customer Success Stories
  • About Paessler
  • Subscribe to newsletter
  • PRTG Support
  • PRTG Consulting

Contact

Paessler GmbH
Thurn-und-Taxis-Str. 14, 
90411 Nuremberg 
Germany

info@paessler.com

+49 911 93775-0

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