<%NUMBERING1%>.<%NUMBERING2%>.<%NUMBERING3%> PRTG Manual: Bandwidth Monitoring Comparison
The following table shows the differences between PRTG's four methods available for bandwidth monitoring:
|
WMI |
SNMP |
Packet Sniffer |
xFlow (IPFIX, Netflow, sFlow, jFlow) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Setup |
Medium |
Easy |
Easy to Complex (depending on filter rules used) |
Can be complex (e.g. the switch must be configured) |
Traffic can be filtered |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Differentiate bandwidth usage by protocol or IPs |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
PRTG can show Toplists (Top Talker, Top Connections, Top Protocols etc.) |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Filter bandwidth usage by IP |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Filter bandwidth usage by MAC address |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
Filter bandwidth usage by physical network port |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
Monitor network parameters other than bandwidth usage |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
CPU load on the machine running PRTG |
Low |
Low |
Higher, depends on the amount of traffic |
Higher, depends on the amount of traffic |
Excess bandwidth usage of monitoring |
Small |
Small |
None (except when monitoring switch ports are used) |
Depends on the traffic |
Knowledge Base: Should I use SNMP, xFlow (IPFIX/NetFlow/sFlow) or Packet Sniffing for my monitoring?
Knowledge Base: How do I discern excessive bandwidth usage with PRTG?
Keywords: Bandwidth Monitoring Overview