Network monitoring is the process of monitoring the performance, availability, and security of all devices and components in a network. It is used by network administrators to ensure that the network operates smoothly and performs at the desired level.

Network monitoring includes:

Device status monitoring: Monitor the status of routers, switches, servers, workstations and other network devices.
Network traffic monitoring: Monitoring the volume, type, and source of traffic on the network.
Application performance monitoring: Monitoring the performance of websites, email servers, and other applications.
Security monitoring: Detecting security breaches and unauthorized access attempts.
Why is network monitoring important?

Preventing problems: Network monitoring allows you to identify potential problems and take action to resolve them. This can prevent network outages and performance issues.
Optimizing network performance: Network monitoring allows you to identify bottlenecks in your network and make changes to optimize performance.
Improving security: Network monitoring allows you to detect and respond to security breaches and unauthorized access attempts.
Ensure compliance: Network monitoring can help you comply with legal and regulatory requirements.

Network monitoring types:

Agent-based monitoring: Monitoring software collects data through agents installed on devices on the network.
Agentless monitoring: Monitoring software collects data on devices on the network without installing any software.
Active monitoring: Monitoring software collects data by sending commands such as ping or traceroute to devices on the network.
Passive monitoring: Monitoring software collects data by collecting data from traffic on the network.
Network monitoring tools:

There are many different network monitoring tools available on the market. When choosing, it's important to consider your network needs and your budget.