Monitoring of all our disparate sites through a central console is our primary use case.
Systems Specialist at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
We have complete warning thresholds so we can fix issues before they become issues
Pros and Cons
- "Speed of deployment is one of the most valuable features."
- "The Desktop app is good but it can be really sluggish at times, especially when you're editing different elements."
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
The historical data provided by the solution helps to optimize network performance because it gives us trends. We can look at what we're using, what our peaks are, what our lows are, to know if we can downsize our links or if we need to scale-up in the future. It gives us really good forecasting.
In addition, with the solution we're proactive now, we're not reactive. We used to wait for the users to call us with an issue. Now we have complete warning thresholds so we can fix issues before they become issues. Our users perceive it as our being able to provide a very high level of service because we're avoiding situations where they suffer downtime. It's definitely made our infrastructure more reliable from a user's perspective.
It also enables our IT department to be more cost-effective because we're not doing as much hands-on monitoring. We're able to let the system monitor things for us so we can focus on other things. We're getting more value out of our techies.
Finally, it provides us with needed feedback on our IT infrastructure. We can look at individual devices or solutions and see if we're getting throughput, and how to utilize the hours. And that informs our buying decisions. It gives us a perspective from every angle.
What is most valuable?
Speed of deployment is one of the most valuable features. It's really quick to install. You can also scan whole subnets or different networks and it comes back with a full scan of what you've got on your network.
It allows you to do different verticals. There are different ways you can monitor things with custom sensor probes. It's really adaptable to your environment.
The solutions sensors and remote probes are very good, quite thorough.
My overall impression of the solution's feature set is that it's a great product, especially the mobile app. I'm on call and I get push notifications, so it gives me a heads-up before there are any issues that get reported to me by users. It's all good.
What needs improvement?
The Desktop app is good but it can be really sluggish at times, especially when you're editing different elements. If they could speed up the way you maneuver around different OUs that would be really good. The map creator is quick blocky. It's not very user-friendly.
Also, when doing an auto-discovery, I wish that there were an approval stage. If you pick "full detail scan", it comes back with everything, and then you have to go back and delete them bit by bit. If there were an approval saying, "These are ones that are available," you just go click, click, click and be done. That would be great.
Buyer's Guide
PRTG Network Monitor
November 2024
Learn what your peers think about PRTG Network Monitor. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's rock solid. We've had zero downtime with PRTG.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's hard for me to talk about its scalability. We've got the basics, the 2,500 sensors, and that's what we use. It's fine. It has grown with our business but we've only grown marginally.
How are customer service and support?
We haven't had to use technical support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We previously used various open-source options like Nagios. They were quite limited and required specific agents being installed on all the hosts. They were slow to roll out. PRTG was a completely different ballgame. It was click and go. It was great.
How was the initial setup?
The setup was super-easy. It was a simple click-and-go install, give it your basic SNMP strings and your subnet ranges, and away it goes. It took less than an hour from the time I set up the solution until it provided feedback on the IT infrastructure. It's really quick.
What about the implementation team?
I did the deployment myself.
What was our ROI?
It's hard to answer definitively, but I would say it has saved money because it has avoided system downtime by enabling us to be proactive.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We had previous experience with things like HP OpenView, but it's been many years now. Our experience with it was that it was quite sluggish, very expensive. PRTG seemed to be at a very attractive price point, and its speed and the reviews we'd seen about it were really compelling.
What other advice do I have?
Give the demo a go. You'll find it super-quick and you'll love the benefits of it.
I would rate the solution a ten out of ten. It's super-easy and cost-effective.
Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
The visualization is good, but it could use some more advanced mobile reporting features
Pros and Cons
- "The network visualization helps us to drill down deeper."
- "PRTG could use reporting tools and mobile alert tools. It should be easier to diagnose and respond to problems from a mobile device on the go."
What is our primary use case?
We use PRTG as part of a general support platform we offer to our clients. It provides a single pane of glass to monitor network hardware and software and head off critical incidents.
What is most valuable?
The network visualization helps us to drill down deeper.
What needs improvement?
PRTG could use reporting tools and mobile alert tools. It should be easier to diagnose and respond to problems from a mobile device on the go.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used PRTG Network Monitor for about three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate PRTG seven out of 10 for stability. It's stable, fast, and accurate.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
PRTG has above-average scalability.
What other advice do I have?
I rate PRTG Network Monitor seven out of 10.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Buyer's Guide
PRTG Network Monitor
November 2024
Learn what your peers think about PRTG Network Monitor. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
815,854 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Information Technology Technical Manager at Laser Infrastructure and Technology Solutions
Useful dashboards, stable, and easy implementation
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of PRTG Network Monitor is the dashboards. We can check to see the resources and the uptime."
- "PRTG Network Monitor can improve by adding prevention and detection features."
What is our primary use case?
We are mostly using PRTG Network Monitor for monitoring servers, and switches. For example, we monitor uptime on critical resources.
How has it helped my organization?
The solution has benefited our organization by showing us when devices are up and when you are down, and we can do an analysis on the availability of the resources.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of PRTG Network Monitor is the dashboards. We can check to see the resources and the uptime.
What needs improvement?
PRTG Network Monitor can improve by adding prevention and detection features.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using PRTG Network Monitor for approximately two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability of the PRTG Network Monitor is good.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
PRTG Network Monitor is scalable. You can also deploy it on Linux and Windows. We have approximately 350 people using this solution in my company.
We are an IT company that deploys this solution on more than one site.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We have been using OP Network Manager in parallel with PRTG Network Monitor.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of PRTG Network Monitor was easy. The implementation took approximately a couple of hours.
What about the implementation team?
The implementation of PRTG Network Monitor was done in-house. The deployment can be done by one person.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price of PRTG Network Monitor is more expensive than other solutions, such as OP Network Manager.
What other advice do I have?
We are not using all the features available in the solution.
We have three technical support people who manage the solution.
I would recommend this solution to others.
I rate PRTG Network Monitor an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Network Administrator at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Long term stability, with easy in-house deployment, for optimal results
Pros and Cons
- "PRTG Network Monitor is a very stable product."
- "I would like the ability to monitor Cisco IRS devices."
What is our primary use case?
We use it to monitor our network because we have a central site that connects to many remote sites, and we have primary and alternative links. We need to monitor both links for each site to be able to react when it is necessary in case of failure. It is beneficial for us to check the connectivity and bandwidth used in a particular channel.
What is most valuable?
There are good tools for monitoring purposes.
What needs improvement?
There are some restrictions for usage and sales that need to be ironed out for the country of Congo. I would like the ability to monitor Cisco IRS devices.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using PRTG Network Monitor for the past twenty-two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
PRTG Network Monitor is a very stable product.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
PRTG Network Monitor is a scalable product even though there are currently restrictions in our country.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward and easy to deploy.
What about the implementation team?
We deployed PRTG Network Monitor through our own in-house team.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate PRTG Network Monitor a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Managing Director at TopSOC
Network monitoring tool that's stable and scalable; installation was simple and straightforward
Pros and Cons
- "Stable and scalable network monitoring tool. Installation is simple and straightforward."
- "PRTG Network Monitor is okay to use, but you'll need some time to analyze the data. If it can automatically locate or identify the problem area, it would be more helpful to users."
What is our primary use case?
We are using PRTG Network Monitor for performance monitoring. We use it to
monitor traffic and to identify network issues. In our school, the network is slow, so we use PRTG Network Monitor to capture the network and traffic status, and through it we found out that one of the servers is sending out messages.
What needs improvement?
PRTG Network Monitor is okay to use, but you need some time to analyze the data, so this could be an area for improvement.
If this solution has the feature of automatically locating or identifying the problematic area, it would be helpful to customers. This is a feature I'd like to see in the next release.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've been using PRTG Network Monitor for many, many years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This solution is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
PRTG Network Monitor is scalable.
How was the initial setup?
The installation of PRTG Network Monitor was simple and straightforward. It took us two hours to complete, because we needed to locate and identify the rejected data.
What about the implementation team?
We implemented this solution in-house, for a school.
What other advice do I have?
We've used PRTG Network Monitor in-house before, but now we're using it for our consultation service.
The performance of this solution is okay.
We currently have 10 customers we provided PRTG Network Monitor to. We have three engineers in the network team who handle the deployment and maintenance of this solution.
I'm recommending this solution to people who want to start using it.
From what I know, people just need to go to the website and get the license for this solution.
My rating for PRTG Network Monitor is an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Senior Business Project Manager at Bonsai System Ltda
Reasonable priced and easy to use
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of PRTG Network Monitor is its ease of use."
- "PRTG Network Monitor can improve by having better integration with devices."
What is our primary use case?
PRTG Network Monitor is used to monitor our client's network.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of PRTG Network Monitor is its ease of use.
What needs improvement?
PRTG Network Monitor can improve by having better integration with devices.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used PRTG Network Monitor within the past 12 months.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price of PRTG Network Monitor is reasonable.
What other advice do I have?
I rate PRTG Network Monitor a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Coordinator, Network Architecture & Cybersecurity at San Mateo County Office of Education
Easy to set up and see things graphically, but they should have more updates
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of this solution is being able to see things graphically."
- "I would like to see more updates available in this solution."
What is our primary use case?
We use PRTG Network Monitor for connectivity and communication between devices.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of this solution is being able to see things graphically.
What needs improvement?
I would like to see more updates available in this solution.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with PRTG Network Monitor for five months.
We are using the latest version. We just run the updates.
It's updated often.
How are customer service and technical support?
I have not had the need to contact technical support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We are also using Zabbix.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is pretty straightforward. It requires you to enter the IP addresses of what you want to monitor.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price is pretty comparable.
What other advice do I have?
To others who are interested in using this solution, I would recommend it, it's a decent product.
I would rate PRTG Network Monitor a seven out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Network Engineer at a tech vendor with 51-200 employees
The product makes it easier for us to find and identify problems
Pros and Cons
- "The technical support seems to be quick, clever, and has a comprehensive knowledge base online, which is fantastic."
- "The product is easy to use and the web interface is fantastic."
- "It is nice to have one place where all the information is right there in front of us."
- "The thing that we do struggle with a bit is in the historic data. If I want look over 30 days, because it averages out onto one graph, you can't zoom in and drill down information."
- "We run it in a cluster, so we have two that run together. The cluster behind it is sketchy at times."
What is our primary use case?
- We run two data centers and are a hosted voice provider.
- We have an Azure presence.
- We use PRTG as a monitoring solution to effectively monitor all of our servers, routing infrastructure, and switches.
- We have some Session Border Controllers, which are effectively Voice Firewalls. We monitor the uptime and availability of those via things like Ping. However, we are also using SNMP sensors.
- We've written some SQL queries that PRTG is utilizing.
- We check things, like error logs, through PRTG.
- We are feeding things, like system log messages.
- We use SNMP Traps.
How has it helped my organization?
The scheduling has improved organization, effectively the ability to set maintenance windows where alerts won't go off on an evening. We have an on call router, as many businesses do. In our previous on call solution, we would be inundated with information that would come through outside of working, core business hours, which meant that the on call staff, like myself, were woken up when we didn't need to be. Whereas, with PRTG, it has been great. We can go in, and say "We only care about these core set of criteria outside of this time period."
If there are upgrades, or things where we know alerts will be generated, we can go in and suppress those. While quite a simple feature, it is comprehensive, and it has a lot of capability to it.
What is most valuable?
The product is easy to use. The web interface is fantastic. It is very easy to create a user, giving it to someone with little explanation of how to use it. That is its biggest strength.
It is very colorful. We have used it in quite an open office environment. We have screens on maps that we've made, which is great when customers come in. It gives them a clean visual.
There is a great variety or sensors. We use the custom SNMP sensors quite a lot, where you can import MIB files. The sensors has some cool little tools, as well, which you can use for modifying MIB files and importing them to PRTG.
It is nice to have one place where all the information is right there in front of us.
The capacity planning is quite good, as you can monitor the CPU increase over time. While it is a manual process, we can go in and correlate it against an increase in user count, etc.
The feature set is very strong compared to other products that I have used. It's great, because it does everything that we need it to do. It's easy to use. It looks great when you present it in an open office environment. If you have it onscreen, it displays the information nicely. The ability to set thresholds against sensors are great.
What needs improvement?
The desktop app is terrible. If I had to pick any flaw with the product, that is it. It seems like they haven't updated it. It has been six months since I last used it, and while they may have done something since, it was somewhat clunky. We use 4K resolutions on our laptops, and it didn't work properly. So, we had a few problems with the desktop app.
I would like to see improvements on the desktop app and mobile app. We use the mobile app a bit. However, since we try to keep our data centers really fenced and secure, we don't use it extensively, just in our offices. Some improvements to the desktop application would be great.
The thing that we do struggle with a bit is in the historic data. If I want look over 30 days, because it averages out onto one graph, you can't zoom in and drill down information. E.g., if we had a problem with something a week ago, I can't really go back in and drill into what that might be, because it has already averaged it out over that time. While I get that this might be for technical reasons, it is still a bit of a limitation.
For how long have I used the solution?
More than five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We run it in a cluster, so we have two that run together. The cluster behind it is sketchy at times. Maybe that might be due to a configuration on our side.
From the stability point of view, it's 90 percent there.
Now that we have the distributor remote probes, it is pretty strong. The product used to be affected by load. This was because we were exceeding their recommendations. If you follow the recommended hardware guidelines and keep the sensor count to what they recommend, then it is pretty stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The remote probe thing is great. We have multiple data centers with multiple regions that we have to monitor. It's nice to know that all we have to do is throw up a remote probe into one of these areas, then have it talk back to the master cluster. We don't have to worry about anything outside of that. We don't have to worry about deploying brand new PRTG servers, as it's a lightweight installer. From there, we can even do an auto scan.
If we do build an entire new data center, we can just install a probe, get it to scan its local subnet, then feed that information back, which is really good.
The solution can 100 percent grow with our business.
How are customer service and technical support?
The technical support seems to be quick, clever, and has a comprehensive knowledge base online, which is fantastic.
We have never really had a point where we were like, "We want to do this," but PRTG was the limiting factor. If we do ever hit that point, which we do on occasion, the technical support is brilliant.
You can go to the technical support, and say, "We want to achieve this." For example, we wanted to compare two links in completely different data centers. We wanted a way where could present a graph on the screen that would compare the two and see how they were doing against each other. We didn't know how to do it. We couldn't figure out how to do it, so we approached PRTG. They said, "It's fine. You just want to do a custom sensor and follow these steps."
If we do ever hit walls, we go to the technical support. To be fair, we rarely seem to hit any walls.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Before PRTG, we used something called MRTG, which was an open source alternative. Previously, it was very clustered, small monitoring systems which were just syslog-based with big text files. It was alerts generated for just about everything. We had no central way of doing anything, and it got to the point where it was unmanageable. It became a case of needing one solution which could come in and just do everything.
The remote probes are great. We had some base core probes starting up, where they would collapse under the stress and the load. Setting up the remote probes has been great, especially the remote administration aspects of them.
How was the initial setup?
In the early days, we overloaded it a bit too much. We didn't distribute it out enough and had quite a lot of issues with it clustering, which I don't thing that we have entirely remedied now. However, its installers are quick and the web interface is exceptional. Once you get to that point, there are no problems at all.
What about the implementation team?
We went direct to PRTG to buy it and implemented it ourselves.
It doesn't take long, maybe an hour, to do the setup and start receiving basic feedback on the functionality. Though, trying to get useful information, that can take a lot longer. Sometimes, there is a bit of information overload, which is not PRTG's fault. As users, you are quite eager to go scan everything and see what comes back. To really understand the information, sometimes it can takes months. However, that is not on the software.
What was our ROI?
It has saved time, because it makes it easier for us to find and identify problems. In the past, we might have gone to four or five different monitoring systems. Whereas, we now just go to one. It is one interface (webpage). We go there and find out everything that we want to know.
We paid quite a good chunk of money for it, but we don't have to pay for anything else (in terms of monitoring).
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We bought a license for 4000 sensors.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We looked at the market, and it wasn't PRTG at first, which was just something we found from recommendations from other people along with a carrier that we worked with, a partner of ours, they actually used it. That was what sort of led us to it. They were using it for their end users, showing customers PRTG data files, stating, "We can give you all this information." We were like, "We want to do that as well!" So, we sort of stole it from them.
We are extensively using its feature set, and there are a load of features in the product that which other solutions don't have.
It is abundantly helpful in bringing all our stuff in-house. Another platfrom that we use is SolarWinds Orion, which is a pure network monitoring tool. PRTG is much more reliable, easier to use, and the information is more clear and concise.
What other advice do I have?
PRTG is great for everyone. It is really broad, and you can use it as intrinsically and technically as you want. At the same time, you can get some nice, clean, concise front-ends. We use it every day. We rely on it heavily and trust it. We have so many people that use it, and I receive very little complaints about it. The only problems we have: The desktop app is not great, and every now and then, we have issues with the clustering.
PRTG has everything pretty much hammered down. They should keep releasing sensors. They also seem to be producing stuff at quite a good rate.
The product has been great, as it has really brought together all our monitoring.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Updated: November 2024
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It is simple and easy to use.