A network is an organization’s critical resource as it plays an important role in enhancing productivity and profitability for the organization.
As an IT administrator, your job is to keep the organization’s network up and running at all times and secure it in the best way possible.
But it is not easy, especially if you have to maintain a large network with thousands of devices connected to it and this is why you need good network diagnostic tools and software.
One such important tool is a network diagram. As the name suggests, this diagram is a blueprint of the network and gives you a complete picture of how the network is built, how many devices connect to it. The different interconnections that exist between different networks, IP addresses, configuration parameters, and so much more.
Such detailed information will make it easy for you to identify problems and troubleshoot them at the earliest.
Here’s the Best Network Topology Maps & Diagram Software::
- SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper – FREE TRIAL A network scanner that produces a topology map in a variety of formats. Installs on Windows Server. Download a 14-day free trial.
- ManageEngine OpManager – FREE TRIAL A network and server monitoring package that includes a network discovery function and an automatic topology mapper. Available for Windows Server and Linux. Get a 30-day free trial.
- Fortra’s Intermapper A network monitoring tool that uses an automatically generated topology map as its interface layout. Available for Windows, Linux, and macOS.
- Microsoft Visio A highly respected diagram editor that includes a library of network icons to enable you to create your own network maps. This is a cloud-based service.
- Dia A free diagram editor that includes a library of network icons. Available for windows, Linux, Unix, and macOS.
- LucidChart An online diagram editor that is available in free and paid versions.
Methodology for selecting the Best Network Maps & Diagram Software
Organizations with complex, large networks often find it difficult to keep the network up and running at all times. Hence, they rely on network maps and drawing tools to get a clear picture of how the network is built. You may find various options online, but we have listed a few methodologies that will help you choose the best tool.
- Check if your selected tool offers an automated device discovery feature
- Can you create real-time map redrawing to reflect the most recent layout adjustments?
- Does it offer the choice of views, i.e., all devices or a specific Layer?
- Does it support integration with real-time device status information?
- Can you map WANs, LANs, and other wireless networks?
Network Topology & Diagrams
There are many tools available to create and update network diagrams, so can stay on top of your network’s availability and functioning at all times, as well as knowing where each individual network device is physically located in your building/s.
Broadly speaking, there are two kinds of tools – ones that create the a network topology or diagrams for you and the other that gives you a digital canvas so you can create your own network diagram.
You can choose either of the two kinds of tools, depending on your requirements.
Some IT administrators prefer an automated tool as it takes a lot of work off their hands while others prefer to draw the diagram by themselves, so they can better understand its connections and functioning.
The first three tools mentioned below are automated ones while the next three provide a digital canvas and many convenient features to make it easy for you to create your own network diagram.
The Best Network Topology Maps & Diagram Tools
Let’s take a detailed look at each of these tools, along with some screenshots and where to download them.
1. SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper – FREE TRIAL
SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper is a tool that automatically discovers new devices and connections in your network and maps the same to give you a comprehensive view of your network.
Features: The salient features of this tool are:
- Automatically discovers new connections in your network and adds them to the network diagram. Performs multi-level network discovery as well.
- Supports many delivery methods including SNMP v1 to v3, ICMP, WMI, Hyper-V, VMware, and more.
- Exports network maps to Microsoft Visio, PDF, and PNG formats. You can also schedule exports to Orion Network Atlas.
- Provides comprehensive reports on switch ports, VLANs, and subnets
- Helps with the regulatory compliance requirements of many standards such as PCI, FIPS 140-2, and more.
- Gives the flexibility to resize and move icons and the text around them.
- Does a thorough network inventory management of all hardware assets.
- Saves times, increases productivity and provides reliable data.
Pros:
- Discovers new devices automatically and maps them for a comprehensive view of your network
- Uses SNMP v1 to v3, VMware, WMI, ICMP, and many other delivery techniques
- You can run scheduled network scans to detect new devices and changes to the network
- Allows exporting network maps in different formats, such as PNG, PDF, and Visio format
- Helps comply with PCI, SOX, HIPAA, and FIPS 140-2 regulations
Cons:
- It would be nice if the trial period could be extended
Pricing: SolarWinds Network Topology Manager is priced at $1,495.
Download: Click here for a fully functional 14-day free trial.
2. ManageEngine OpManager – FREE TRIAL
ManageEngine OpManager is a network and server monitoring system that has a built-in automated network topology mapper. The maps are created in real-time, so they are based on live network status information reaped from the system by a recursive discovery process.
Features: The features of OpManager are:
- Searches a network for all connected devices.
- Reruns network discovery repeatedly to catch any changes to infrastructure.
- Compiles a network inventory that provides a menu for live monitoring statistics in the dashboard.
- Automatically generates topology maps based on the latest network layout.
- Offers a choice of layer 2, full network, a world map view, rack layout, and office building layouts.
- Checks network performance against performance thresholds.
- Issues system alerts if performance drops.
- Includes virtualization mapping.
Pros:
- Uses live network status information to create maps in real-time
- Constantly performs network discovery to identify infrastructure changes
- Great for cluttered switches and complex networks as it helps simulate and monitor physical connections
- If notices that the performance is dropping, it immediately sends an alert to administrators
- Compare network efficiency to predetermined performance thresholds
Cons:
- Learning all features of OpManager can take time as it is a feature-rich tool
Pricing: There are three versions in OpManager.
- The Free edition will monitor up to three devices.
- The Standard version can monitor up to 1,000 devices.
- The Enterprise version adds on distributed monitoring for multiple sites.
Contact ManageEngine to get a quote on either of the paid versions.
Download: You can download a 30-day free trial.
3. Fortra’s Intermapper
Intermapper is a cross-platform networking mapping tool developed by a company called Fortra. It doubles up as a monitoring tool as well.
Features: The features of Intermapper are:
- Discovers and maps all the devices and their connections of your physical and virtual networks.
- You can customize the maps to meet your preferences and this includes changing the layout, customizing the icons, and more.
- Comes with color coding and animation to show the real-time status of different devices.
- You can see your entire environment in real-time
- Easy to install, deploy, and use.
- Works well on Windows, Linux, and Mac systems.
Pros:
- Discovers and maps all physical and virtual network devices along with their connections
- Access to customizing maps and layouts as per your choices
- Color coding and animation features can help display the current status of each device
- Supports SLA compliance reporting and is compatible with multiple operating systems
- Uses an auto-discovery feature to detect new devices
Cons:
- Clunky and outdated user interface
- Maps lack visual appeal, as a result, not a great option for presentations
Pricing: Contact the sales team for a custom quote.
Download: Click here to download your free 30-day trial.
4. Microsoft Visio
Microsoft Visio is a diagram and graphics application that helps to create professional flowcharts, network diagrams, and business processes. It comes with a Detailed Network Diagram template to create a visual representation of how a device is connected logically and physically to a network.
Features: The top features of Microsoft Visio are:
- Comes with many pre-loaded templates, themes, and thousands of shapes that make it easy to draw your network diagram. You can even use different colors, icons, and text to present complex network connections.
- The existing shapes meet the industry standards such as Unified Modeling Language 2.4, Business Process Model and Notation 2.0, and IEEE compliance.
- You can connect data to the diagram to give you a quick glimpse into your network’s performance at any time. You can even transfer data from your Excel files with just a single click.
- Makes it easy to share your diagram with other stakeholders within the organization through Visio services in Office 365 or SharePoint.
- Allows you to secure your diagrams with data loss protection, Information Rights Management (IRM), and multi-factor authentication.
- Comes with intelligent rules, validation, and a complete breakdown of the diagram for easy understanding.
- Supports many different file formats.
Pros:
- Easier to draw your network diagrams with the supported pre-loaded templates and themes
- Hardly takes any time to transfer data from Excel files
- Uses Office 365 Visio services or SharePoint to share diagrams with other stakeholders
- Uses multi-factor authentication and IRM for your diagram security
- Supports several file formats and is great for network planning
Cons:
- Microsoft Visio supports only the Windows platform
- It has no built-in live network auto-discovery feature
Pricing: Microsoft Visio comes in two plans. The first plan is a basic one that’s ideal for users who want to create and share simple diagrams. Costs $5 a month (with an annual commitment) and comes with 2GB of OneDrive storage. The second plan is an advanced one ideal for businesses that want to create a network and other IT diagrams that can be connected to data in real-time and meets the compliance requirement of different standards. This plan costs $15 a month with an annual commitment.
Download: Click here to try the basic plan and here for the advanced plan.
5. Dia
Dia is a free and open-source diagram software that resembles the Visio in many ways. But its feature set is highly limited when compared to Visio.
Features: The features of Dia are:
- Comes with networking equipment templates to make it easy for you to draw your network diagrams.
- It can be saved in a custom XML format or can be exported to different formats such as SVG, PNG, and more.
- Runs on Windows, Linux, OS X, and Unix.
Pros:
- Easy to draw network layouts with supported networking equipment templates
- You can save your drawings in custom XML format
- Allows exporting network layouts in SVG, PNG, and other formats
- Easy to use and offers very basic components
- Works great with Linux, Windows as well as Mac OSX operating systems
Cons:
- Unlike other tools, Dia lacks the ability to automatically scan networks.
- Dia offers simple components
Pricing: 100% FREE to use
Download: Click here to download Dia.
6. LucidChart
LucidChart is a web-based platform that allows users to draw, share, and collaborate charts and diagrams.
It allows you to create many types of charts and diagrams such as flowcharts, UML, process maps, network diagrams, and organizational charts.
Features: The features of LucidChart are:
- Runs on browsers that support HTML5 and doesn’t require third-party software like Flash.
- You can connect live data to your diagrams. Alternately, you can import data to automatically build network diagrams.
- Integrates well with G Suite, Microsoft Office, Atlassian, and more.
- Gives the option to edit any pre-existing templates or diagrams and customize it to suit your needs.
- Supports collaboration and sharing in real-time.
- All data is encrypted and is backed up automatically
- Has thousands of shapes and templates to choose from.
Pros:
- You can create different charts such as flowcharts, network diagrams, UML, etc. with LucidChart
- Allows importing and exporting maps in different formats
- Makes maps look better using a color scheme and simple user interface
- Supports collaboration with the team-edition
- Supports integration with G Suite, Microsoft Office, and other tools
Cons:
- Does not offer an autodiscovery feature
- It is only a charting program that in no way supports live devices.
Pricing: It comes in two versions – Free and Pro. The Free version is for a single user and costs nothing while the Pro version comes with many advanced features such as Visio import and export and any number of shapes and documents. It costs $9.95 a month when paid quarterly and $11.95 when paid monthly.
Download: You can download the free version here and a trial version of the Pro option here.
Conclusion
To conclude, network diagram tools are necessary to give you an idea of your network’s layout and the devices that are connected to it.
While some tools automatically check your network and create a map for you, others give you a digital canvas on which you can draw your network diagram for better understanding and readability.
We hope the above-mentioned detailed information about the tools that belong to both categories help you to make informed decisions.
