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List of the Best Network Testing Tools: Network performance, Diagnostic, Speed, and Stress Test Tools
Think of all the problems you face when you try to connect to a network. You may have seen instances where you may be doing everything right but still unable to connect.
Let’s take another case where you want to launch a website and want to be sure the server responds, how do you really validate and test before launching.
To help us find out & troubleshoot network issues, monitor network speeds, and other network management, we find 100’s of tools available these days.
In this article, I have tried to cover some of the top network testing tools which can help us identify and resolve our day to day network related issues.
Best Network Testing Tools
Enlisted below are the most popular Network Testing Tools that are used worldwide.
Let’s begin!
#1) WAN Killer By SolarWinds
SolarWinds offers several types of network-related tools. It’s Engineer’s Toolset includes almost all tools required for network testing and comes as one complete package which allows network monitoring, diagnostics, network discovery tools.
It is a network traffic generator tool and lets user test network performance for a specific WAN in a controlled test environment. This tool allows testing network traffic threshold and load balancing.
2) Acunetix
Acunetix Online includes a fully automated network vulnerability scanner that detects and reports on over 50,000 known network vulnerabilities and misconfigurations.
It discovers open ports and running services; assesses the security of routers, firewalls, switches, and load balancers; tests for weak passwords, DNS zone transfer, badly configured Proxy Servers, weak SNMP community strings and TLS/SSL ciphers, among others.
It integrates with Acunetix Online to provide a comprehensive perimeter network security audit on top of the Acunetix web application audit.
=> Try it free from this Acunetix page
#3) ManageEngine OpUtils
ManageEngine OpUtils has extensive functionality for very specific, critical networking operations such as:
- Managing critical devices, IP addresses, and switch ports.
- Detecting an intrusion of rogue devices.
- Keeping a check on bandwidth usage.
- Backing up configuration files.
=> Visit ManageEngine OpUtils Website
#4) Intruder
Intruder is a powerful cloud-based network vulnerability scanner that helps you to find the cybersecurity weaknesses in your most exposed systems to avoid costly data breaches. It is the perfect Network Testing Tool.
There are more than 9,000 security checks available and a few among them include identifying Application Bugs, CMS issues, Missing patches, Configuration weaknesses, etc.
Intruder is a perfect security solution for companies of all sizes. It helps to save your time and reduce friction with the development process. It also integrates with AWS, GCP, and Azure.
A free trial is available for 30 days. There are also several pricing plans available to cater to the needs of businesses of all sizes.
#5) Visual TruView By Fluke Networks
Fluke Networks like Solar Winds provides several tools for performing all kinds of Network checks/Testing. They offer solutions for portable devices as well. TruView is an application, network performance monitoring, and troubleshooting tool and lets the user identify if the problem exists in the application, server, client or network.
For more details check here
#6) PRTG Network Monitor (network Performance)
Paessler’s PRTG is a network monitoring tool that comes with easy installation and comes with a mechanism to the auto-detect network.
Lets you find out who is using the tool and for what purpose. Raises alert if something is found wrong, so helps in fixing before actual users get to face the problem. Overall it’s a good tool if you are looking for monitoring and managing your network traffic.
For more details check here
#7) Dynatrace Data Center Real User Monitoring (DCRUM)
This tool passively monitors 100% of the network traffic across all physical and virtual devices. Besides, letting the user know about network performance, this tool also tells about the impact on enterprise application performance and end-user experience, hence improving the user experience.
This allows monitoring for multiple technologies including SAP, Citrix, Oracle, VOIP, SOAP, HTML/XML web services.
For more details check here
#8) Ixia Network Emulators
This emulator lets the user test real-time network issues in a test lab environment. This tool helps in finding the performance of new hardware, protocols, and application and prevents issues occurring in a production environment.
For more details check here
#9) NDT (Network Diagnostic Tool)
NDT is a client-server program that is mainly used to test network performance. This web 100 based tool can be used to perform testing for several different network configurations on a desktop or a laptop. This uses an enhanced server for diagnostics and also generates detailed test results which always prove helpful to the tester.
Also, supports feature where results can be directly emailed to the concerned teams for faster resolution.
For more details check here
10) Ixchariot By Ixia
This is one of the leading tools when it comes to troubleshooting networks and assessing applications. This tool can be used before and after deployment. This allows capturing networking diagnostics virtually anywhere. This tool has been designed to help IT, teams. This lets users measure device performance over Wi-Fi.
For more details check here
#11) Netstress
This is a free tool that helps a user in generating network traffic and analyzing networks throughput performance. This works well for both wired and wireless connections. Supports testing for multiple network adapters, allows testing both UDP and TCP data transfer, supports multiple streams.
For more details check here
12) Experitest
This tool lets the user test by emulating real-world network conditions. A user can test by defining conditions based on geographical location, server, network type, and operator. This also let’s emulate mobile networking issues like a weak signal, reception deterioration. A good tool to be used for testing as it helps in identifying issues before deployment.
For more details check here
#13) Flent (Flexible Network Tester)
This is a tool that allows experimental evaluations of the network instead of simulation. This is a python wrapper and allows running tests on multiple tools, maintains information on which tool to run in a configuration file. It’s built-in batch capabilities make it easy to specify a series of tests that need to be run in sequence.
For more details check here
#14) Netalyzr
If you’re looking for a network debugging tool, this is a good choice. This tool lets users test internet connections to identify problems and output in the form of a detailed report show security/performance issues.
For more details check here
#15) FortiTester
This is a very powerful tool that lets the user measure the performance of network devices. It supports TCP throughput testing, TCP Connection testing, HTTP/HTTPS CPS testing, HTTP/HTTPS RPS testing, UDP PPS testing and CAPWAP throughput testing.
For more details check here
#16) Tomahawk
This is a command-line tool which helps in testing throughput and blocking capabilities of NIPS (network-based intrusion prevention systems). This tool lets the user replay the same attack several times hence giving an option to test and recreate test conditions. Also, it allows generation 200-450 Mbps traffic.
For more details check here
#17) NetQuality By Softpedia
Softpedia has a lot of network tools for performing different types of checks. NetQuality is an excellent tool that analyses the network to assess suitability for VOIP. This allows a user to record VOIP properties and verify it without installing the actual device.
It comes with a comprehensive UI and easy to use tool since most of the tasks are automated.
For more details check here
#18) Traffic Emulator By Nsasoft
Traffic Emulator is another great tool by Softpedia which helps the network team in emulating traffic to ensure all network components work properly even under heavy traffic. Mainly it helps in identifying any existing vulnerability that might result in device failure under heavy traffic load.
For more details check here
#19) Simple Port Tester
This is a very handy and simple tool that lets the user find out if ports are open or not. This allows testing multiple ports through a specific IP address. This comes with a very simple UI and can be used by anyone.
For more details check here
#20) Netbrute Scanner
NetBrute Scanner consists of 3 open easy to use network tools. NetBrute, its first tool allows scanning a single computer or multiple IP addresses for windows file & print sharing resources.
PortScan, its second tool allows scanning for available internet services, and the third tool Web Brute allows scanning web directories that are protected with HTTP authentication.
For more details check here
#21) Xirrus Wifi Inspector
This free tool is designed to run on Windows OS and allows real-time network monitoring. This has a unique architecture that allows a flexi number of users without adding any wiring and access points that too without impacting performance.
For more details check here
#22) Network Monitor By Spiceworks
This tool from Spiceworks is a great tool for monitoring Networks, can be used to isolate and fix issues before they are seen by real users. It also has a feature that lets users customize alerts and notifications.
Provides dynamic dashboard making it easy to use, allows tracking bandwidth usage and saturation and supports troubleshooting and debugging if any process and service go down.
For more details check here
#23) NetCrunch
This tool supports the monitoring of Network Infrastructure, virtual machines, windows, VMware ESXI. Its flexible UI presents a user with an excellent visualization by displaying alerts, network traffic, and performance views, all being linked which helps to troubleshoot network problems easily.
Also, provides an excellent analytical feature where a user can analyze network trends and also compare historic network performance.
For more details check here
#24) Netflow Analyzer
This is a network traffic analytics tool that can provide information on real-time bandwidth performance. Besides network forensics and network analysis, it also helps the user to optimize the bandwidth usage. Overall, this is an excellent tool with various features and you can opt if you are looking for a good bandwidth monitoring tool
For more details check here
#25) Network Security Auditor
This is a suite of more than 45 network tools & utilities and allows activities like monitoring, network auditing, and vulnerability scanning. This is one of the best network security tools and lets users scan the network for vulnerabilities. This allows checking for all methods which hackers can use to attack.
It also comes with firewall systems, real-time monitoring, and packet filtering. Other important features that make this unique is, just with 1 license this allows unlimited scanning.
For more details check here
#26) Paessler’s SNMP Tester
This tool helps users to monitor SNMP activities to identify issues if any in the SNMP monitoring configurations. This comes with a very user-friendly layout and also has a support team to assist if required in setting up parameters etc. Test runs become very easy to configure using this tool.
For more details check here
#27) ActiveSync Tester
This is a great diagnostics tool to identify connectivity issues and DNS related problems in the exchange servers. This supports both inside and outside firewall clients, also allows running tests to identify SSL support. Overall, this is very easy to use a tool because of its handy interface.
It’s diagnostics reports provide sufficient details for users to understand the issue and resolve without much problem.
For more details check here
#28) LAN Tornado
This is an easy to use and low-cost network Performance testing tool. This lets the user generate network traffic for TCP/IP and Ethernet-based networks. This supports network performance testing, network device testing, network stress testing and server applications robustness testing.
For more details check here
#29) AggreGate By Tibbo Solutions
This tool supports monitoring almost all types of IT needs like network monitoring, Server monitoring, router/switch monitoring, performance monitoring, traffic monitoring, SNMP management, network management framework and much more.
It also supports integration with other AggreGate products which provides this tool the benefit of additional features.
For more details check here
#30) Perfsonar
This tool also helps in monitoring network performance. This lets a user know details about bulk data transfer, how the network responds to video and audio streaming.
There are 1000’s of Perfsonar instances are deployed worldwide, some of them are available for open testing. Its global infrastructure makes this tool different from other tools and makes it easy to use for network users.
For more details check here
#31) WinMTR
This is a free network diagnostic tool, easy to run since this doesn’t require installation. This uses the Ping and traceroute commands to test traffic between a computer and host.
For more details check here
#32) LAN Speed Test (Lite)
It’s a free tool that lets user measure speeds for LAN (wired as well as wireless), file transfer, USB drive, and hard drive. It comes with an easy to use interface and requires no installation.
For more details check here
#33) TamoSoft
This free tool lets a user send data and keeps calculating upstream and downstream throughput values. It supports both IPv4 and IPv6 connections and works well on Windows and Mac OS X.
For more details check here
#34) Spyse
Spyse has broad functionality when it comes to testing your network. It collects and processes large amounts of data on a regular basis so that you could enjoy the below benefits.
- Explore Autonomous Systems and Subnets.
- Perform DNS lookup and find necessary DNS records.
- Explore SSL/TLS certificate expiration dates, issuers, and more.
- Find vulnerable domains and subdomains.
- Explore and monitor open ports, map and protect network perimeters.
- Parse any text or image for IP addresses.
- Find WHOIS records.
Other Network Test Tools
#35) Port Detective: This tool lets the user find out for open ports. This is designed to work well on Windows systems.
For more details check here
#36) LANBench: It’s a standalone application that allows testing network performance between two computers. It supports testing only TCP performance.
For more details check here
#37) PassMark Advanced Network Test: This tool helps in measuring the data transfer rate for systems running performance tests.
For more details check here
#38) Microsoft Network Speed Test: A free tool, liked by most users since this provides the most accurate speed. It lets you measure network delay, download, and upload speed.
For more details check here
#39) Nmap: NMAP is a free open source tool used for network discoveries and security auditing. It is flexible and supports multiple platforms.
For more details check here
#40) Tcpdump & Libpcap: Tcpdump is an open-source tool which lets user analyze packets and libpcap maintains the library for network traffic capture.
For more details check here
#41) Wireshark: Wireshark is an excellent tool to monitor network traffic.
For more details check here
#42) OpenNMS: It’s an open-source free Network Management tool.
For more details check here
#43) NPAD: It’s a diagnostic tool which lets user diagnose network performance issues.
For more details check here
#44) iperf3: It’s an open-source network bandwidth measurement tool.
For more details check here
#45) Paessler’s WMITester: This is a freeware tool from Paessler for testing the accessibility of Windows Management Instrumentation.
For more details check here
#46) Path Test: This is a free network capacity tool which lets a user know about the maximum capacity for their network.
For more details check here
#47) One Way Ping (OWAMP): This tool lets a user know about the exact behavior of their network and utilizes resources accordingly.
For more details check here
#48) Fiddler: Fiddler is a free web debugging tool which logs all traffic between computer and internet.
For more details check here
#49) Nuttcp: It’s a free network troubleshooting tool.
For more details check here
Conclusion
The above lists of network testing tools to monitor and manage the high-performance networks have been compiled after certain research.
enjoy!