Denise Dubie
Senior Editor

SolarWinds offers free Cisco IP SLA monitoring tool

Opinion
Feb 18, 20092 mins

* Free download helps network managers better understand device-to-device and remote site performance

Lacking budget dollars for new network management tools? SolarWinds says its technology can help.

The network monitoring company added to its freeware arsenal with a tool that helps network managers troubleshoot performance problems via a user interface that configures to Cisco routers, switches and other IP devices.

See a slideshow of 20 free software favorites

SolarWinds Cisco IP SLA (service-level agreement) Monitor measures network performance and allows network managers to analyze specific transport metrics from a Cisco IP SLA-capable device to another Cisco router or other IP device, SolarWinds says. Historically such monitoring would require administrators to use a command line interface (CLI) to configure and read results, the company says, but this free download enables engineers to tap a graphical user interface for the task.

According to SolarWinds, the tool allows IP SLA on a Cisco router or switch, configures path-specific details and displays the performance data in a dashboard. The free application also monitors common IP SLA operations, exports data to SolarWinds’ Orion Network Performance Monitor and allows network managers to view details such as frequency, source, target, operation type and Type of Service (ToS) settings.

To further explain Cisco IP SLA and SolarWinds’ free tool to monitor it, the company’s “resident Head Geek” Josh Stephens will host a Webcast on Thursday, Feb. 26 in which he’ll provide an in-depth look at IP SLA for network performance management. More information about the online event is available here.

“The biggest complaint that network engineers hear on a daily basis is ‘the network is too slow’ and yet very few deploy IP SLA technology, which is already built into their Cisco devices, to streamline troubleshooting those performance issues,” Stephens said in a company statement.

SolarWinds Cisco IP SLA Monitor is available free for download here

Do you tweet? Follow me on Twitter here

Denise Dubie

Denise Dubie is a senior editor at Network World with nearly 30 years of experience writing about the tech industry. Her coverage areas include AIOps, cybersecurity, networking careers, network management, observability, SASE, SD-WAN, and how AI transforms enterprise IT. A seasoned journalist and content creator, Denise writes breaking news and in-depth features, and she delivers practical advice for IT professionals while making complex technology accessible to all. Before returning to journalism, she held senior content marketing roles at CA Technologies, Berkshire Grey, and Cisco. Denise is a trusted voice in the world of enterprise IT and networking.

More from this author