Ask the Expert

Is there a cheap, fast and graphical program that can monitor the ports on my Baystack 450 switches

I am using Intermapper to map my network and watch my connections. It is CHEAP and FAST. Is there a cheap, fast and graphical program that can monitor the ports on my Baystack 450 switches so I can tell which port is broadcasting tons of traffic without having to use an expensive consultant or Sniffer? We have had a rash of bad jetdirect cards and we had to go to the wiring closets to trace. Even that is not an exact science. Any help would be great.

    Requires Free Membership to View

    Login

For cheap, there isn't much better than the open source approach of Nagios (www.nagios.org). I don't know how well it works with your Nortel Baystack switches but it offers a solid foundation for building your own NMS.

I would also suggest that you look at WhatsUp Gold – a popular lost-cost alternative to expensive NMS, it may have the necessary functionality to work with the devices you are interested in.

Also, consult the network monitor tools site http://www.monitortools.com/cat_networksystem/ for more information….

And if you need something Sniffer-like, I would suggest a portable loaded with Ethereal.

This was first published in March 2004

Join the conversationComment

Share
Comments

    Results

    Contribute to the conversation

    All fields are required. Comments will appear at the bottom of the article.
    Back to top