When a company has thousands of network devices, the system administrators have to use network management tools to monitor and control the entire network. A good way to visualize that is network topology, which maps all network elements and how they're connected. But how does network topology work and how can companies use this feature to benefit network management?

A map is worth a thousand words

If you've ever looked at a raw data table, you’ve realized it'd be much easier to understand the data with a graph. Network topology provides an intuitive understanding of the network at a glance. A well-designed network diagram can offer data flow between elements (i.e., routers, firewalls, servers, and so on) and identify trends to plan for capacity and bandwidth. It also lists out dependencies to help troubleshoot outages and bottlenecks.

Example of network mapping (Source: G2 product page)

With more and more network devices being added to a company’s assets, it is becoming increasingly crucial to invest in network management products that offer network visualization features. 

G2 reviewers rate network management products with network visualization

G2 has 140 network management products listed on the site, as of the day of writing. With numerous such products in the market, it can be challenging to find the software that is easier to use, based on particular business needs. 

For software buyers looking for network management software with the best network visualization, G2 reviewers rate the SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper and Entuity as the easiest network management software to use. They're followed by Ubiquiti Network Management System, Auvik, and Spiceworks Inventory Online. 

When it comes to system administration, G2 reviewers rate SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper as the easiest network management software to administer. They're followed by Ubiquiti Network Management System, Spiceworks IP Scanner, Auvik, and Nmap. 

G2 reviewers mention that network mapping makes their jobs easier

Administrator from a mid-market company review:

"The best thing I like in Network Topology Mapper is that it gives a great view of the network devices and location map. Easy for me to see which device or which location is down and easy to troubleshoot the right things.."

Network architect systems administrator from a mid-market company review:

"I have been able to catch misconfigurations in the network infrastructure that lead to improper routing. The network mapping also allows me to see other connections being made by nodes so that we can identify connections that should not be open."

Senior consultant from an enterprise company review:

"I love that Auvik gives you a map of the network configuration which is very helpful in seeing where devices are located within the environment. This allows us to pinpoint hardware such as WAPs and switches when they report issues or go offline."

Software buyers should consider network mapping as a core feature

When purchasing new network management software or renewing software contracts, it is highly advisable for software buyers to look for network management products that offer network visualization functionality. Buyers should also think about specific software features that fit their particular business needs, such as if the map is customizable or not. Network visualization may not seem important initially when a company doesn’t have a lot of network elements, but it becomes incredibly beneficial for daily use.