Item: PRTG Network Monitor
Rating: 9
Author: Shawn Gifford

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We use PRTG Network Monitor in the Infrastructure Department to monitor our network gear, as well as view Netflow information from switches. It also is used for out-of-band monitoring of externally-available applications and websites.

Pros and Cons

Great for inexpensive monitoring of devices
There is a lot of customization options available
Integrates with Netflow information for detailed views
Dashboards integrate with other APM's and NOC views as well

Could use abilities for synthetic transactions
GUI is simplistic

Return on Investment

Tt has excellent ROI, since many uses of PRTG Network Monitor are free. But even the paid licenses in use by my company are much cheaper than competing products.

Alternatives Considered

SolarWinds Netflow Traffic Analyzer and WhatsUp Gold

This product was far cheaper than the SolarWinds packaged solutions I have used in the past, and provides nearly as much value, though you may have to put more work in initially to realize that value. I thought it was far more useful than WhatsUp, whose value went down markedly with subsequent versions.

Support Rating

Rare that I have needed support, which in itself is a great thing. When it is needed, the user community has ready answers to almost any question that can be asked. I have been able to answer 90-some percent of our questions and needs via this resource. The couple times support was needed, it was perfectly fine.

Key Insights

Do you think PRTG Network Monitor delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with PRTG Network Monitor's feature set?

Yes

Did PRTG Network Monitor live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of PRTG Network Monitor go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy PRTG Network Monitor again?

Yes

Other Software Used

System Center Operations Manager, Savision Live Maps, WhatsUp Gold

Likelihood to Recommend

Great for an NPM software to supplement your existing APM solutions. It is very easy to implement and control. PRTG Network Monitor integrates well with ticketing and APM systems for detailed monitors. It also works very well as a pipe for your Netflow data from your switches for a comprehensive view of network flows.

Great value for a very feature-rich product

Overall Satisfaction with PRTG Network Monitor