10 Network Monitoring Best Practices You Need to Know About

Network monitoring is the process of collecting and analyzing data from a variety of sources, including network devices, servers, applications, databases, logs and other IT infrastructure components. It’s important for monitoring to be done in real time so that you can respond quickly to any issues that arise.

The following best practices are based on my experience working with clients over the past decade. I've identified these as the top ten network monitoring best practices. These are the ones I’d recommend for every client.

1. Monitor your network traffic and performance metrics regularly

Monitoring is a critical part of any IT project, but it's especially important when you're building out new systems or migrating existing applications to cloud-based infrastructure. When you monitor your network traffic and performance data, you'll be able to identify potential issues before they become major problems.

2. Monitor your network infrastructure

Monitoring your network infrastructure is one of the most important things you can do to ensure that your network is operating at peak performance. In this day and age, when everyone is connected to the Internet, it’s critical that you monitor your network infrastructure to detect any potential issues before they impact your users.

3. Use a network management system

A network management system (NMS) is an application that monitors and manages devices on a local area network. It provides real-time visibility into what’s happening on your LAN and alerts you if there are problems. NMS solutions provide a single pane of glass for managing all aspects of your network infrastructure, including servers, switches, routers, firewalls, wireless access points and other networking equipment.

4. Keep up with new technologies

As new technologies emerge, it’s important to keep up with them. This includes keeping abreast of new protocols, standards and security measures. If you aren't aware of the latest trends, then you could be putting yourself at risk.

5. Maintain your firewall configuration

Your firewall configuration is one of the most crucial components of your network infrastructure. A properly configured firewall protects against unauthorized access to your network and helps prevent malicious attacks. Make sure that you regularly check your firewall settings and update them as needed.

6. Monitor your servers

It’s important to work with network monitoring services to monitor your server applications and databases to ensure that they are running smoothly. You want to know whether they are responding quickly and efficiently.

The most common cause of this error is a misconfigured firewall.

If you’ve got a firewall set up correctly, then it should only allow connections from trusted sources. Otherwise, you could end up allowing malicious traffic through which could compromise your system.

7. Check your router settings

Routers are often overlooked, but they play a vital role in ensuring that your network is secure and reliable. Routers are responsible for forwarding traffic between networks. They must be configured correctly to function effectively.

8. Perform regular backups

Backup procedures are essential to protecting your business. Ensure that you perform regular backups of your data. Backups help protect against downtime and data loss.

A backup plan should include testing of your systems regularly. This will ensure that they are working correctly and that any problems can be identified quickly. Regularly test your backups by restoring them onto another system. If this fails, then it means that something has gone wrong with your original system.

The best way to do this is to back up your files using a cloud storage service like Dropbox or Google Drive. These services allow you to access your files from anywhere at any time. They also offer automatic updates so if anything goes wrong, you won’t lose all your work.

9. Test your network infrastructure

Testing your network infrastructure ensures that everything is functioning properly. Testing allows you to catch potential problems early on.

The most common way to test your network is by using a tool called ping. This will tell you if any devices on your network are responding to pings from another device. If they aren’t, then it’s likely that something is wrong with your connection.

10. Update your software

Software updates are another key component of maintaining a healthy network infrastructure. Updates ensure that your software is always current and that you don’t have outdated or vulnerable systems.

In addition to keeping your network updated, it’s important to keep your operating system and applications patched. This ensures that any vulnerabilities in your computer aren’t exploited by hackers who may want to gain access to your information or steal your identity.