WhatsUp Gold versus Paessler PRTG

Paessler PRTG or WhatsUpGold, which one is the better IT Monitoring solution?

The administration of computer networks is a very complex task. A computer network may include dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of devices. The load is constantly growing. Administrators must consider a lot of different factors to ensure network health. Coping with all these tasks is impossible without special software.

In order to monitor the performance of computer networks and identify and eliminate problem areas in time, special monitoring systems have been developed. The two most popular systems are WhatsUp Gold and Paessler PRTG. In this article, we aim to help you choose the right monitoring system for your computer network by comparing these systems and considering their main functional advantages and capabilities.

• Functionality
• User Interface
• Customer support
• Price

Functionality

One of the more popular monitoring systems is WhatsUp Gold. With WhatsUp Gold, you can monitor all computer network parameters that are accessible via standard monitoring protocols such as ping, SNMP, WMI for Windows, and SSH for Unix and Linux. WhatsUp Gold supports VBScript and PowerShell scripting languages ​​and users can also use SQL queries to create database monitors.

WhatsUp Gold network monitoring tools are capable of analyzing wired, wireless, and virtual environments. You can optimize network bandwidth for mission-critical applications and services, automate configuration, logging, and asset management, and maintain, validate, and restore device configurations.

The main functions that WhatsUp Gold performs:

• Automatic discovery of all resources (network devices, systems, and their interconnections) and construction of a topographical map of connections using network technologies such as ARP, SNMP, ICMP, SSH, LLDP, WMI, Telnet, etc.
• Complete network display and automatic topological map generation with visibility into physical and IP connections.
• Network, system, and application health and availability monitoring with active and passive monitoring technologies.
• Timely notifications with SNMP traps and Syslog messages from network devices.
• Standard and custom report building to provide a complete overview of the health of your network infrastructure.

Paessler PRTG is another popular computer network monitoring solution. By monitoring all aspects of a computer network in real time, PRTG enables system administrators to quickly understand the status of their computer network and perform any necessary actions to ensure its productive operation.

PRTG uses a combination of SNMP, NetFlow, and WMI to query the health of your infrastructure and monitor the network throughput. It helps solve the problem of packet loss (when data is lost in transit due to a service interruption or failure) by giving you all the tools you need to fix the problem.

PRTG has a Packet Sniffer sensor, a Cisco IP SLA sensor, and a one-way QoS sensor that all let you see how your network is performing. For example, the Packet Sniffer sensor displays current and historical network data with dials and pie charts, so you can easily see if there are any problems.

Monitoring your local network is easy with PRTG. It monitors the entire local network, including workstations, routers, switches, servers, network applications, and printers, and sends notifications about connection problems, limited availability, or server overload.

With PRTG, you can also monitor WAN traffic and devices. It monitors systems, devices, bandwidth, and applications. All information is collected on an easy-to-read dashboard, allowing you to keep an eye on your network at all times.

By monitoring the response time of your servers and websites, it is possible to identify and fix problems in time. This is just a short list of the main features of PRTG. In fact, PRTG can do a lot more.

User interface

WhatsUp Gold provides a desktop app for Windows. It has a simple and clear user interface that is not overloaded with a lot of features. At the top of the screen is a navigation menu, through which you can access the various functions that the system provides. The rest of the screen is occupied by dashboards, grids, maps, information panels, etc.

PRTG provides three user interfaces: web interface, desktop app, and mobile apps for Android and iOS. The PRTG web interface runs as a Single Page Application (SPA) and provides a single, easy-to-use interface. You can access it by connecting to the PRTG core server using a browser. The PRTG web interface allows full configuration of devices and sensors, system administration, and user management.

PRTG Desktop is a cross-platform application that you can use to connect to a local PRTG server or a PRTG Hosted Monitor instance. It allows you to access your data quickly, configure settings, and view the results of monitoring your infrastructure. You can also view the status of all connected PRTG servers in a central dashboard.

The free PRTG mobile apps for iOS or Android let you view monitoring data and offer various configuration options even when you are away from your desk. With the help of the push notifications feature in the mobile application, you will always be aware of problems in your infrastructure.

Customer support

WhatsUp Gold provides a resource center that contains a list of useful user support materials. This includes network monitoring articles, best practices, case studies, analytical reports, and ebooks. Video recordings are also available with detailed instructions on performing certain actions or solving a specific problem using WhatsUp Gold software.

The disadvantage of the WhatsUp Gold resource center is that registration is required to gain access to some materials. In addition, there is no detailed user manual or a list of the most common questions and answers.

Paessler provides detailed tutorials and how-to guides for working with PRTG. The training materials are divided into topics such as installation and configuration, architecture, working with various technologies, dashboards, etc. There is also a detailed user manual for working with PRTG and a huge database of videos that explain all aspects of working with the software in detail. All materials are free and available without registration. In addition, there is a technical support service available for any questions you might have.

Price

The price for using WhatsUp Gold products depends on the number of servers and devices you want to monitor, as well as the number of applications, network traffic sources, and virtual servers. The starting price is $2,740 for 25 devices, which is quite a price to pay in this category. Pricing plans also change depending on the options you need. However, a detailed description of prices based on the selected options is not described on the website. In order to receive an official offer with a list of all services and their prices, a corresponding request is required.

You can buy a permanent license of WhatsUp Gold or sign up for an annual subscription. There is also a free trial version of WhatsUp Gold with which you can monitor up to 20 devices for free for a year. You can use the trial version to familiarize yourself with the functionality of the software and decide if it is right for you or not.

Paessler also offers different pricing plans depending on the number of devices you want to monitor. However, prices start much lower – from 1,349€ for 50 devices. Permanent licenses with which you can monitor up to 1,000 devices are also available. Paessler PRTG allows users to monitor up to 100 services entirely for free with their trial version for unlimited time.

If you want to monitor more than 1,000 devices, you can choose a subscription plan. When you subscribe, you get access to the latest updates for free, as well as ongoing technical support. It is very convenient that a detailed description of pricing plans is available on the website. Also, Paessler provides a fully functional 30-day free trial to try out the full functionality of PRTG.

Wrapping up

In this article, we compared the main characteristics of the two most popular systems for monitoring computer networks: WhatsUp Gold and Paessler PRTG. You learned about the key features, customer support, and pricing that each system offers. We also highlighted some of the advantages and disadvantages that may affect your choice.

Choose the most appropriate network monitoring solution for your computer network and enjoy a simple and straightforward network administration process.