Networking Questions

[valleyforge]

I have about 40 cameras networked using a variety of methods, wireless, hard wired, multiple switches in series, subnets xmitted via Ubiquiti Nanostations, etc.

While BI seems to find all of the cameras most of the time, the tools I am using for network analysis (Windows 10 Explorer - Network and McAfee Network Tools) are not the greatest and often fail to locate cameras that are operational under BI.

The few other network analysis software packages I have investigated seem inadequate, but promise the features I want will be in the version I pay for. I am all for paying for software as long as I get what I am paying for, but those vendor promises do not give me the warm and fuzzy and I think I will be wasting my money.

Has anyone got any suggestions, recommendations or comments about networking software packages?

I will use it primarily for my BI system, but it would be nice to be able to analyze other network devices too.
A graphical display capability of the network layout would be nice as well as throughput rates, signal strength etc etc.
thanks

 

[droidvoider]

Just a cheap old computer with a nice Linux installation such as but certainly not limited to Ubuntu Linux is about the best network analyzer available. There are simple tools such as Wireshark, Tcpdump, Arpwatch and Nagios. Or for specific scanning nmap is a great tool. I just Google stuff as I need it so I am not a pro but if you don't understand how to get a free copy of Ubuntu installed with these tools I can give you the basics to get there.

 

[valleyforge]

Nagios

Thanks for the useful advice.

I tried googling for network tools before and did not find what I was looking for, your suggestions gave me more to google with and I will be investigating possibilities.

A good reviewer link is Five free network analyzers worth any IT admin's time - TechRepublic.

It looks like many of the tools will run on a Windows platform. It has been a while since I worked with a Unix system and I am hoping not to make too steep a learning curve, so I will see if your suggestions that can run under Windows will do the trick.