Network Software

[billyfinlay]

Is there any software that allows you to view every machine that is connected to the LAN including printers in a spider graph style?

Even just text based info would do fine.

And also any software that measures bandwidth on a network as at the moment the company network (which has over 400 machines connected) is running slow at certain times and is causing all the machines at freeze for a few seconds.

 

[jimbopalmer]

I got a demo of this:

http://www.networkinstruments.com/html/link_analyst.html

It is the complete package, when you buy it they just tell you to download the demo and then register it.

All this does is ping every machine and remember the time it took and trace route every path and find the bottlenecks, but that may be what you wish to know!

It does draw a network map for each subnet. I found the two week demo nice enough I bought it, it NEEDS a 500 mhz or better PC. I tried to remain child-like, all I acheived was childish.

 

[wybnormal]

Software? there are many tools built into NT that you can use to get a good idea of what is happening.. use the logs, use perfmon.. Get a copy of Ethereal (sniffer) and take a look at a packet/frame level.. as a matter of course, audit all boxes and kill off all the Netbuei that you can find.. On printservers like HPs, IPX is enabled by default so unless it's needed, turn it off.. Look at the port statistics to see what ports are pushing heavy loads of traffic and/or showing large amounts of errors. Many times bad cabling will appear under loads but not in lite conditions. There are free tools to look for once you decide what you need to look at.

MikeS
Find me at

http://www.packetattack.com

"The trouble with giving up civil rights is that you never get them back"

 

[jimbopalmer]

Sadly, HP's Jet Admin allows you to turn ON protocols to all printers, but does not appear to allow you to turn OFF a protocol to all printers. something it badly needs.


If you have brand name managed switches then there is free vendor software out there, Nortel, 3com, etc. I tried to remain child-like, all I acheived was childish.

 

[wybnormal]

I'm not sure I understand your comment about not turning off a protocol.. do you mean that JetAdmin will not let you change all printers at once? I've used both Telnet and JetAdmin to kill off IPX and NB just fine.. had to do each printer one at a time which was a pain in the butt :-(

MikeS Find me at

http://www.packetattack.com

"The trouble with giving up civil rights is that you never get them back"