The 5 best network mapping software for flawless IT security
Mapping your IT network is essential for the management and security of your IT system.
Doing it manually for a large and complex network is a mammoth task. That's why you absolutely need good network mapping software.
👉 We tell you how to choose it and present the 5 best network mapping software on the market.
What is network mapping?
Network mapping provides a snapshot at a given moment in time of all the interconnections in your network (peripherals, servers, ports, racks, cables, mobile elements, virtual domains, etc.).
There are 3 types of network card:
- Physical maps : these show all the network components right down to the ports and sockets.
- Logical maps: these show the type of network (bus, ring, tree, etc.) and the data flows between the physical elements.
- Functional maps: these reproduce application traffic.
In addition to monitoring your network, network mapping enables you to troubleshoot the network by identifying bottlenecks and unauthorised access, as well as obtaining network performance indicators .
Our comparison of the 5 best network mapping software packages
Comparison table of the 5 best network mapping software packages
1 of 2
 PRTG |  ManageEngine OpManager |
|---|---|
| For all companies | For all companies |
| See software | See software |
| Learn more about PRTG | Learn more about ManageEngine OpManager |
Whatsup Gold
Whatsup Gold is a comprehensive, modular and highly intuitive network monitoring and mapping tool for SMBs and SMEs that helps you simply identify and resolve problems on your IT network.
Recognised as an industry leader in the recent G2 Grid Report with 8 awards, Whatsup Gold is the benchmark solution for monitoring your network. It guarantees 360° visibility of your applications, peripherals and cloud or on-premise servers, enabling you to identify and fix potential network faults in just a few clicks!
🛠Main features:
- an automatic alert system based on processor, memory, disk and interface usage thresholds,
- monitoring of all your network resources,
- a real-time dashboard showing all your interconnections,
- automatic generation of dynamic maps, etc.
💰 Price: from €1025.74 per year for 50 devices.
✅ Free trial available.
Paessler PRTG Network Monitor
Paessler PRTG Network Monitor monitors IT networks and infrastructures for small and medium-sized IT systems. Thanks to its highly modular and customisable features, the solution monitors all the systems, devices and applications in your IT infrastructure.
PRTG guarantees your network monitoring via innovative technologies such as SNMP for smooth operation, WMI and Windows Performance Counters, SSH for Linux/Unix and MacOS systems...
🛠Main features :
- Central management console;
- Monitoring tool ;
- Flexible and customisable;
- High availability.
💰 Price: From €137 per month for 50 devices.
❌ No free trial.
PRTG
Device42
Device42 offers a hybrid solution for mapping and detecting connections to your IT infrastructure. Present in over 60 countries, the tool is one of the most widely used on the market.
Flexible and intuitive, the solution groups discovered workloads by application affinity which significantly reduces the effort required to create transfer groups, capturing all communications.
🛠Main features:
- Intelligent Mapping;
- Advanced analysis ;
- Intuitive configuration creation;
- Visualisation of impact diagrams for risk reduction.
💰 Price : Price on request.
✅ Free trial available.
Intermapper
Intermapper is the mapping software from Frotra. It features a user-friendly interface for automatic network mapping. The tool includes a real-time supervision functionality with a complete view of your infrastructure.
It is aimed at IT and network professionals from organisations of all sizes who use the tool with the aim of keeping their physical and virtual devices in operation.
🛠Main features:
- Automatic discovery of all IP addresses;
- Creation of custom maps ;
- Network probes;
- Real-time alerts.
💰 Price : From €1269.60 per year for 25 supervised IP elements.
❌ No free trial.
ManageEngine OpManager
Manage Engine's OpManager software monitors routers, firewalls, virtual machines and servers. Use it to avoid breakdowns and boost performance.
A recognised tool in the market, it provides you with a global view of your IT infrastructure, as well as e-mail/text alerts, workflow automation systems , customised reports and screenshots.
🛠Main features:
- Monitoring of physical and virtual servers and WAN links;
- Easy to configure;
- Customisable dashboards;
- Network analysis and alerts.
💰 Price: from €214.98 per month for 25 devices.
✅ No free trial, but a free demo.
ManageEngine OpManager
How to choose your network mapping tool: selection criteria
Summary table of the 5 best network mapping tools
| Software | Type of user | Key features | 3 main functionalities | Entry price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WhatsUp Gold | SMEs & large companies | Intuitive graphical interface | - Dynamic mapping - Real-time monitoring - Personalised alerts |
From €1025.74 per year |
| Paessler PRTG | Companies of all sizes | Very generous freemium model | - Auto-discovery - Customised dashboards - Network, server and cloud monitoring |
From €137 per month |
| Device42 | Complex IT businesses | Very good for IT documentation | - Automatic mapping - Dependency management - ITSM/CMDB integration |
On quotation |
| Intermapper | SME & MSP | Highly detailed real-time visualisation | - Live network mapping - Threshold alert - SNMP support |
From €1269.60 per year |
| ManageEngine OpManager | Medium and large businesses | Complete monitoring solution | - Automatic discovery - Visual mapping - Network/server performance monitoring |
From €214.98 per month |
Our 7 tips to suit your needs
You've decided to make the switch from manual mapping to automatic mapping. But to be really useful, the tool you choose must have the following features:
Criteria 1: a network scanner
Managing IP addresses is clearly one of the most complex tasks for a network administrator. If your software has to offer just one feature, this is it.
👉 The automatic scanner will allow you to obtain a list of the devices connected to your computer network. The tool is also very useful when you've lost the IP address of a host or piece of equipment.
Criterion 2: An automation function for periodic scanning
The complexity of your network makes it harder for your teams to manage. Automating periodic mapping is therefore a guarantee of efficiency and reliability.
👉 What's more, manually programming a scanner is a low value-added process; you might as well delegate it to software. Your mapping software must therefore absolutely include an automation function.
Criterion 3: ease of use
This may seem secondary, but it is in fact essential. The mapping software must be easy to use. The application must be there to save you time and allow you to get on with more important tasks.
👉 There's no point spending hours deciphering a diagram or trying to figure out how to program a network scan. Let's face it, good mapping software is bound to be ergonomic.
Criterion 4: a network mapper
Mapping a network drive gives you access to files and applications on another computer on the network. By mapping it, you won't have to look for it later.
👉This function is useful if you have shared needs in your company. This allows all employees to have access to the same resources.
Criterion 5: intuitive customisation
To save time and resources, the software should be usable by all members of the IT department, regardless of when they joined the company. It must be usable without having received lengthy training from the software publisher.
Criterion 6: Responsive helpdesk support
This criterion complements the previous one. Again with the aim of optimisation, it is important to be able to contact the software publisher's helpdesk at any time .
👉 It's best to choose 24/7 technical support. Make sure you also have the publisher's commitments on response time. It would be a shame to pay for 24/7 support and have to wait several hours for a response.
Criterion 7: An effective monitoring and alert tool
Organisations can no longer afford to have their IT network blocked. Business interruption can be very costly.
👉Your network mapping software must include a monitoring and alert system. This will enable you to anticipate problems, make diagnoses quickly and take action in good time.
How does network mapping work?
Network mapping is based on a simple principle: visualise the invisible. It scans your infrastructure to detect all the equipment connected to it, such as servers, routers, switches, workstations, printers and so on. Then it displays them in the form of a dynamic diagram, like an interactive map.
Behind this apparent simplicity are several technical building blocks:
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automatic scanning (often via SNMP, ICMP, WMI or SSH) to identify active devices ;
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analysis of the relationships between these devices (who is talking to whom, via which ports, using which protocol);
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visual modelling: nodes and links are organised according to their role, location or level of criticality;
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real-time updating: some tools monitor changes (new devices, breakdowns, saturation, etc.) and update the map continuously.
This process not only helps gain visibility, but also prevents incidents,optimises network performance and strengthens security.
📌 Example of network mapping:
Network mapping software at a glance
- Network mapping software is essential for all businesses, whatever their size.
- The tool enables interconnections to be analysed, problems to be detected in good time and the computer system to be quickly repaired to avoid any loss of operations or important information.
- There is a wide range of mapping software on the market. To make a choice, it is necessary to use simple criteria. The software must include several functions, including a scanner, a mapper, an alert system and automated checks. The publisher must offer technical support. Finally, the software must be easy to use.
Article translated from French