8 BEST Network Diagnostic Tools (2025)

Network Diagnostics Tools are software applications and utilities that enable you to identify network issues and their probable causes. It helps you to perform multiple network operations such as network performance monitoring, server monitoring, switch monitoring, etc. These software tools give you details about the network like latency values and the hostname of the device. Many such applications can also help to identify routing issues when you have more than one WiFi network connection.

With over 80+ hours spent researching, I have explored 30+ Best Network Diagnostic Tools to bring you a curated list of top choices, including free and paid options. My comprehensive and unbiased guide covers each tool’s features, pros and cons. This must-see review may help you find the ideal tool. Read the full article for exclusive and trusted insights. Read more…

Best Free Network Diagnostic & Troubleshooting Tools & Software

Name	Supported Platforms	Free Trial	Link
ManageEngine OpManager	Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android.	30 Days Free Trial	Learn More
Auvik	Windows, Linux, RHEL, and Raspberry PI	14 Days Free Trial	Learn More
Site24x7’s Network Monitoring	Windows, macOS, Linux	30 Days Free Trial	Learn More
Paessler	Windows, macOS, Linux	30 Days Free Trial	Learn More
Teramind	Windows & MacOS	14 Days Free Trial	Learn More
Atera	Windows, macOS, Linux	30 Days Free Trial	Learn More

Boost network reliability with best diagnostic tools like ManageEngine OpManager, Auvik, and Site24x7’s Network Monitoring. These powerful tools allow quick detection and resolution of issues to optimize your network’s performance.

1) ManageEngine OpManager

ManageEngine OpManager is a comprehensive network monitoring solution designed to simplify and enhance the way organizations manage their network infrastructure. I particularly appreciate how it combines powerful diagnostics with ease of use, making it perfect for both IT pros and beginners. The existing support for over 10,000 devices and 450 vendors means you get an incredibly versatile system that helps you monitor servers, routers, switches, and wireless devices effortlessly.

Its dashboard offers deep visibility and real-time analytics, which is critical when diagnosing network issues. This tool does more than just detect problems — it allows you to fix them fast and with precision. With smart automation features and intuitive reporting, it is a top-notch solution for those who aim to optimize uptime and performance.

Features:

• Unified Device Monitoring: You can monitor routers, switches, servers, virtual machines, and storage devices from a single, unified console. This streamlines diagnostics across distributed environments and simplifies visibility. I’ve worked with OpManager in multi-site setups, and the centralized view noticeably cut down troubleshooting time. You will notice faster root cause identification when all asset metrics are in one place.
• Multi-Mode Ping Utility: This tool offers ICMP, SNMP, and proxy ping capabilities, making it versatile for identifying IP-level issues and network latency. It’s especially useful for devices behind proxies where standard ping fails. While testing this feature, I found SNMP ping excellent for uncovering intermittent device drops that are missed by traditional methods.
• Traceroute Visualization: OpManager visualizes hop-by-hop routes using TTL metrics, helping you diagnose latency bottlenecks and routing loops faster. The graphical path view is clear and interactive. I suggest correlating this output with historical latency data to pinpoint patterns in route degradation. It’s a time-saver when you’re tracking down elusive packet delays.
• Remote Desktop Integration: Troubleshoot Windows-based devices directly through OpManager’s UI without relying on third-party access tools. This tight integration eliminates the need for constant context switching. I once used this to resolve a service failure during an on-site outage, saving critical downtime. The tool lets you initiate multiple sessions without needing to leave the dashboard.
• Built-in Terminal Access: The tool allows you to execute native network commands like ping, tracert, and netstat. This feature is ideal for administrators who prefer hands-on troubleshooting. I recommend creating predefined command templates to speed up repeat diagnostics. This feature also enhances security, as access is audited.

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30-Days Free Trial

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2) Auvik

When managing a network, accuracy and visibility are everything. That is why Auvik stands out in our list of the best network diagnostic tools. It simplifies complex network monitoring tasks with its intuitive, cloud-based interface and delivers powerful diagnostics in real time. Whether you are a beginner or someone handling multiple network environments, Auvik helps you streamline your workflow without getting lost in complicated configurations. As per my research, Auvik is a fast, easy-to-use, and cloud-based network diagnostic tool. It provided me with instant insights into the networks I manage.

The tool includes automated network discovery, monitoring, and documentation, making it perfect for keeping network operations organized. I noticed its real-time network mapping and inventory were remarkable because they ensure continuous updates. Its intelligent automation and real-time alerts help reduce downtime and increase network visibility, making it a top-rated solution for small businesses and large enterprises. The tool allows you to detect issues before they impact users, which is one of the most effective strategies for ensuring smooth IT operations.

Features:

• Real-Time Network Mapping: Auvik’s real-time network mapping is incredibly useful for gaining instant visibility across your infrastructure. It automatically discovers all devices and displays them in a live topology, helping you quickly identify misconfigured devices or connectivity gaps. While using this feature, one thing I noticed is that mapping accuracy improves when you categorize devices correctly at setup.
• Traffic Analysis: The tool gives you granular insights into traffic flow so you can track bandwidth-intensive applications and isolate bottlenecks. You can easily compare peak vs. non-peak usage and understand traffic anomalies by segment. I suggest creating traffic filters by device groups to quickly identify performance-impacting patterns during diagnostics.
• Alert History API: This feature allows you to pull historical alert data over custom timeframes. It’s incredibly helpful for identifying recurring issues or conducting root cause analysis. You will notice better trend visibility if you integrate this API data into a visualization tool like Grafana. It makes spotting seasonal or load-based issues more intuitive.
• Multi-Tenant Support: The platform enables tenant-level separation, which is excellent for MSPs or organizations managing multiple locations. It keeps diagnostics streamlined without cross-contaminating data. I suggest configuring naming conventions per tenant—it simplifies reporting and reduces misinterpretation during incident reviews.
• NetFlow Support: Auvik’s NetFlow integration provides deep visibility into traffic patterns and application usage. It’s great for optimizing bandwidth and spotting unauthorized usage. I recommend correlating NetFlow data with user activity logs—it helps reveal hidden performance-impacting behaviors.
• Device Inventory Management: Auvik delivers structured, detailed inventory reports—everything from IP addresses to firmware versions and interface data. This not only supports lifecycle management but also improves planning for upgrades or replacements. I’ve exported these reports for audits, which saved tons of manual spreadsheet work.

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14-Days Free Trial

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3) Site24x7’s Network Monitoring

Site24x7 provides a network monitoring solution that is great for diagnosing critical issues, detecting faults, and keeping your network health in check. I particularly liked how it gave me clear visibility into my network’s key parameters, enabling me to catch and fix issues before they became serious. The unified dashboard made it simple for me to manage all these features, making network monitoring and troubleshooting straightforward.

Additionally, Site24x7 helped me monitor network availability, resolve performance problems, and detect traffic issues using NetFlow. I also found it effective in spotting issues in cloud-managed devices like Cisco Meraki and managing unauthorized configuration changes through NCM.

Features:

• SNMP-based Device Monitoring: Site24x7’s SNMP-based device monitoring offers enhanced visibility into your network infrastructure by securely monitoring SNMP-enabled devices. This makes it easy to identify issues with device performance and manage faults in real time. While testing this feature, I noticed that configuring SNMP traps in advance ensures you receive instant alerts for any device performance issues.
• Bandwidth Utilization Analytics: This feature provides detailed insights into device-level and interface-level bandwidth usage. It helps prevent network congestion and identify performance bottlenecks, ensuring efficient throughput, especially in high-demand environments. I recommend analyzing usage patterns over time to forecast potential traffic spikes, which helps in planning for network upgrades.
• Device Discovery via CIDR/IP Range: Automatically discover devices across networks using CIDR or IP-range-based scanning, which helps eliminate manual tracking. This process is secure and efficient and provides comprehensive network visibility. You will notice that automating the discovery process saves a significant amount of time, especially for networks with large numbers of devices.
• WAN Accelerator Monitoring: Site24x7 helps optimize WAN performance by tracking key metrics like packet loss, latency, and throughput. This ensures that data transfers over long distances are optimized and fast. I recommend configuring the system to monitor peak usage times so that performance issues can be identified during high-traffic periods.
• Switch Port-Level Analysis: This feature provides granular insights into switch port activity, offering data on port status and traffic performance. It’s vital for managing traffic loads and preventing congestion. While testing this, I found it helpful to monitor port status regularly, especially when troubleshooting slow network issues related to individual ports.

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30-Days Free Trial

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4) Paessler

If you are looking for one of the best tools to diagnose network faults, Paessler stands out as a reliable solution. With over three decades of evaluating SaaS tools, I have seen many diagnostic platforms, but Paessler truly impressed me with its comprehensive monitoring approach. Paessler is a diagnostics tool that scans network segments by pinging specific IP ranges. I reviewed how this tool monitors IT infrastructure using SNMP, WMI, Sniffing, REST APIs, and SQL. According to my review, it helps you create web pages with up-to-date monitoring data in your preferred format.

I noticed that it alerts you to any warnings or unusual metrics in your network infrastructure. Its web interface is designed for real-time network troubleshooting. In fact, what makes Paessler a top-rated choice is how effortlessly it allows you to monitor and visualize your entire IT infrastructure. The intuitive dashboard makes sure you do not miss any performance dips or network anomalies. You can consider it one of the easiest ways to get real-time alerts and health metrics from your systems.

Features:

• Auto-Discovery Engine: The tool automatically scans your network to detect devices and services, eliminating the need for tedious manual setups. It ensures immediate visibility into your entire network topology. I’ve used this feature to onboard large environments quickly, and it significantly accelerated initial diagnostics. You will notice this engine saves hours during deployment, especially in environments with high device churn.
• Protocol Diversity Support: The tool supports a wide range of protocols, including SNMP, WMI, SSH, and Flow protocols, allowing flexible integration into virtually any network setup. This ensures that diagnostics can be performed across heterogeneous systems. I recommend leveraging SSH for deep diagnostics on Unix-based systems—it uncovers issues that are not visible through SNMP alone.
• Virtual Environment Monitoring: Paessler seamlessly monitors virtual infrastructures like VMware and Hyper-V. It tracks VM status, performance bottlenecks, and resource usage to ensure healthy virtual environments. While using this feature, one thing I noticed is that it effectively highlights VM sprawl, helping IT teams reclaim underutilized resources.
• Cloud Service Integration: Paessler integrates directly with cloud services like AWS and Azure, offering hybrid and multicloud diagnostics. This is ideal for businesses that rely on diverse cloud ecosystems. I recommend configuring sensor templates for each cloud provider to maintain consistency and reduce setup time.
• REST API Access: You can extend Paessler’s capabilities by integrating it with third-party tools and automation scripts via its REST API. This opens doors for customized diagnostics and workflow optimization. I created scripts to pull sensor data into custom dashboards for executive reporting—it reduced manual prep time by 60%.

Visit Paessler >>

30-Days Free Trial

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5) Nagios

Nagios stands out as one of the top network troubleshooting software solutions for any IT professional or business looking to gain complete control over infrastructure health. It is a comprehensive and powerful monitoring solution built on a solid open-source foundation. It provides deep visibility into systems and network performance, helping teams identify and solve problems before they escalate. From monitoring servers, routers, switches, and applications to offering detailed dashboards and advanced reporting, Nagios covers it all. The user-friendly interface and flexible plugin support make it ideal for both small setups and complex enterprise environments.

I reviewed Nagios and discovered it is great for monitoring, graphing, and reporting on systems such as servers and networks. It helps you get detailed insights into IT infrastructure performance, which is essential for maintaining system health. The platform includes helpful features like intuitive monitoring wizards, scalability for diverse platforms (Windows, Linux, Mac), and support for virtual environments, including VMware and Hyper-V. Whether you are an IT administrator or a network engineer, Nagios simplifies diagnostics and monitoring tasks, offering one of the easiest ways to stay ahead of system issues.

Features:

• Plugin-Based Architecture: Nagios thrives on its modular plugin system, enabling it to monitor a wide range of protocols like FTP, HTTP, SNMP, SSH, and DNS. You can easily extend its diagnostic capabilities using community-developed or custom plugins. The tool lets you script your checks, which I found incredibly useful for niche infrastructure components.
• Comprehensive Reporting Tools: Nagios produces in-depth performance, availability, and alert trend reports that help in root-cause analysis and preventive maintenance planning. These reports are beneficial during audits or SLA evaluations. I suggest scheduling periodic exports to CSV or PDF for long-term review and stakeholder reporting.
• Hybrid Monitoring Capabilities: It effectively supports diagnostics for on-prem, virtual, and cloud-based network elements, making it an ideal choice for hybrid architectures. There is also an option that lets you apply templates across environments, making multi-domain diagnostics far more efficient.
• Scalability With Mod Gearman: Nagios scales well with Mod Gearman, distributing monitoring workloads across multiple worker nodes. This improves both performance and diagnostic granularity. I deployed this in a large retail environment and saw improved processing efficiency and reduced latency in alert propagation.
• Event Correlation Engine: The built-in event correlation engine reduces alert noise by identifying patterns and linking related events. This enhances diagnostic clarity and accelerates root-cause resolution. You will notice that tuning correlation rules for specific network behaviors drastically improves the signal-to-noise ratio in complex environments.

Link: https://www.nagios.org/

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6) Wireshark

Wireshark is a tool that efficiently analyzes Wi-Fi network protocols. Throughout my assessment, I noticed that Wireshark offers features to find live network performance issues and perform offline analysis. I particularly liked that Wireshark captures network data files even if they are compressed with gzip. Wireshark reads live data from Ethernet, Bluetooth, and USB connections. It exports its output to CSV, plain text, or XML formats. Wireshark runs on Windows, macOS, Solaris, Linux, and more.

Its deep packet inspection capability makes it one of the best network diagnostic tools for gaining in-depth visibility into your data traffic. In fact, it is best suited for identifying bottlenecks, troubleshooting dropped packets, and keeping your network stable and efficient. I have seen IT administrators relying on Wireshark’s live capture and filtering feature to quickly pinpoint faulty switches and connection errors. It plays a significant role in reducing downtime and ensuring seamless communication across large organizational networks.

Features:

• Packet Capture and Analysis: Wireshark’s packet capture capabilities are a gold standard in network diagnostics. It captures live network traffic and translates it into human-readable data formats. This helps identify latency issues, anomalies, or packet loss in real time. I suggest using capture filters early in the session to minimize noise and reduce post-capture sorting time.
• Protocol Inspection: Wireshark supports deep inspection of hundreds of network protocols across multiple layers. It shows you exactly how data flows between endpoints, down to the tiniest detail. I’ve used this to troubleshoot complex TLS handshakes during a client-side timeout issue. You will notice it’s especially effective when paired with its built-in protocol decoders for dissecting encrypted sessions.
• Display Filters: Wireshark’s display filter syntax is incredibly powerful. It lets you drill down into exact conversations, protocols, or error codes without digging in manually. There is also an option to save filter profiles, which is a time-saver for recurring diagnostics across different environments.
• VoIP Analysis: Wireshark can decode VoIP streams and provide detailed metrics like jitter, latency, call duration, and RTP stream mapping. It’s excellent for identifying poor audio quality issues. I recommend using the Telephony > VoIP Calls panel to visualize call flow and identify where packets are dropping or arriving out of sequence.
• IO Graphs: The dynamic I/O graphing feature is often overlooked but extremely insightful. It visualizes traffic volume trends over time and helps identify anomalies that may not appear in packet-level views. I’ve used this to uncover intermittent network saturation caused by backup jobs running outside scheduled windows.

Link: https://www.wireshark.org/

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7) perfSONAR

perfSONAR is a performance-focused, service-oriented network monitoring architecture built for federated coverage across global paths. Its interface makes scheduling tests straightforward, with results stored in uniform formats for consistent analysis. I reviewed this tool thoroughly and found that it allowed me to detect issues in real time and take timely action. It mainly helps engineers isolate problems quickly, reducing troubleshooting time and improving efficiency.

This tool provided scalable methods to retrieve data and create visualizations. It helped me identify and isolate issues, making the engineer’s role easier. This software includes tools for network analysis, allowing me to measure packet loss and delay. Consider perfSONAR if you want consistency and transparency across complex systems. 

Features:

• End-to-End Path Diagnostics: This feature enables thorough monitoring of network paths between source and destination points. It helps identify latency spikes, packet loss, and throughput fluctuations with precision. I’ve used it during cross-domain diagnostics, and it gave unmatched visibility into backbone performance. You will notice better issue traceability when used alongside traceroute visualizations.
• Federated Measurement Infrastructure: perfSONAR connects multiple measurement points globally, making it ideal for collaborative network analysis. I’ve relied on this in inter-university research projects, where it supported seamless performance benchmarking. The tool lets you centralize diagnostics across networks without compromising granularity, which is incredibly efficient for multi-institutional collaboration.
• Scheduled Measurement Automation: This functionality lets users set automatic bandwidth, latency, and traceroute tests. It’s a time-saver for ongoing monitoring without manual intervention. I suggest using it in high-traffic environments to track anomalies over time. There is also an option that lets you configure alerts based on predefined thresholds—helpful for proactive responses.
• Uniform Data Format: All performance data is stored in a standardized format, which simplifies parsing and integration with other monitoring platforms. This consistency is especially useful when comparing historical data or exporting for external audits. I recommend integrating it with data visualization dashboards for smoother correlation analysis.
• Multi-Metric Testing: The tool performs simultaneous tests like throughput, latency, jitter, and packet loss. This all-in-one diagnostic approach eliminates the need for switching between tools. While testing this, I noticed it helped uncover correlated performance issues faster than isolated metric tests ever could.

Link: https://www.perfsonar.net/

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8) Windows Commands

Ping

Ping is a Windows operating system utility that helps you determine latency, round trip time, and network packet loss. It can also detect network problems that need to be addressed.

C:\>ping 8.8.8.8 This command can also be used to check the network connection speed. Ping is the basic utility you should use when troubleshooting.

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Traceroute

Traceroute is a network troubleshooting command that enables you to track network devices from one point to another. It gives you extra data like latency values and the gadgets’ hostnames. This network troubleshooting tool can also help identify routing issues when you have more than one network connectivity.

C:\>tracert www.google.com The Traceroute network troubleshooting command enables you to view the route and measure the delay of network packets. It will also give you the details of hops between the source and destination devices.

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Ipconfig

Ipconfig (Internet Protocol Configuration) is a utility that can report IPv4 and IPv6 addresses, default gateways, and subnets for all gateways on a computer.

C:\>ipconfig This functionality can also be used to manage IP addresses assigned to running PCs. You can write commands without additional parameters to identify your current Internet Protocol address.

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Nslookup

Nslookup is a good utility for locating the IP associated with a domain name and checking to see if the DNS resolution is working for a host.

When you enter www.google.com into the browser, your computer queries the DNS server to find the IP attached to that hostname, as shown in the following figure.

C:\>nslookup www.google.com Nslookup helps you to find these queries and other Domain Name System servers as per your desire. This network testing tool allows you to test the DNS server for the client or your own ISP (Internet Service Provider).

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Netstat

Netstat is a utility helpful on hosts or servers that run their own firewalls, like Apache or SQL servers. This network troubleshooting command is very helpful for identifying the people who are connected to your hosts with a port number.

C:\>netstat It shows the total number of active connections on your PC and delivers basic statistics on all network activities.

What are Network Diagnostics Tools?

Network diagnostics tools are software applications and utilities that enable you to identify network performance issues and their probable causes. They help you perform multiple network operations, such as network performance monitoring, server monitoring, switch monitoring, etc.

These software tools provide details about the network, such as latency values and the device’s hostname. Many such applications can also help identify routing issues when you have more than one network connection.

How Did We Choose the Best Network Diagnostics Tools?

At Guru99, we carefully chose the best network diagnostic tools by assessing their features, usability, reliability, and performance across various scenarios. We prioritized tools that offer comprehensive monitoring, efficient troubleshooting, and real-time insights. User reviews, industry standards, and compatibility with diverse systems also played a significant role in our selection process. Here are some additional factors that we focus on before selecting a network diagnostic tool:

• Reliability: We chose based on the track record of the tools that provide consistent and accurate network diagnostics.
• User-Friendliness: We made sure to shortlist tools that are intuitive and easy to navigate, even for beginners.
• Advanced Features: Our team selected tools based on their ability to handle complex network issues with precision and speed.
• Real-Time Monitoring: We ensured that the tools allow for real-time tracking, enabling immediate problem resolution.
• Support and Updates: Our team’s experts selected tools with a strong support system and frequent software updates to ensure ongoing reliability.

Verdict:

In this review, you got acquainted with some of the most powerful network diagnostic tools. Each tool has its own strengths and can meet specific needs. To help you make an informed decision, I have created this verdict.

• 👍 ManageEngine OpManager: It provides a comprehensive network monitoring experience, offering top-notch features that are remarkable for maintaining network health.
• Site24x7’s Network Monitoring: This tool stands out as an ideal choice for real-time monitoring, offering robust and cost-effective solutions for complex networks.
• Paessler: Paessler’s PRTG Network Monitor is a superior choice for those seeking a reliable and user-friendly tool with a customizable interface for in-depth diagnostics.

FAQs