Free network utilities from Nirsoft

    Brief description and links to download a set of utilities from the site nirsoft.net. All programs are distributed free of charge. For almost all utilities, it is possible to download an installation file or a portable version of the program, packaged in a zip archive. At the end of each page describing the program on the nirsoft.net website there is a link to download support packages for various languages, including Russian. The Russification process is very simple - unzip the language support archive and copy the resulting ini file to the directory with the program.

CurrPorts	CurrPorts(cports.exe) is a network connection monitoring program. Allows you to view a list of active connections and open TCP/IP and UDP ports on a given computer. For each port, information about the process that opened the port is displayed, including the name, path to executable file, version and additional information, process creation time and Account the user who created the process. Additionally, CurrPorts allows you to close an unwanted connection and forcefully kill the process that created it. It is also possible to save monitoring data in HTML format, XML, TXT.
SmartSniff	SmartSniff allows you to intercept TCP/IP packets traveling through the selected network adapter and view the intercepted data as a sequence of data exchange sessions between the client and the server. The data can be presented as ASCII text or as a hexadecimal dump.
NetworkTrafficView	NetworkTrafficView is a utility for collecting statistical data about network traffic for the selected adapter. Statistics are displayed on source and destination addresses, ports, protocols, maximum data transfer rates, connection durations, identifiers and names of programs that exchanged data via the TCP protocol.
HTTPNetworkSniffer v1.00	HTTPNetworkSniffer a packet sniffer that intercepts all data exchanged between the browser and the web server via the HTTP protocol. For each HTTP request displays information about the host name (Host Name), HTTP method (GET, POST, HEAD), URL path, User Agent field, Response Code, Response String, Content Type, Referer, Content Encoding fields, Transfer Encoding, Server Name, Content Length, Cookie String, etc. It is possible to export sessions to the clipboard or text/html/xml/csv file.
AdapterWatch	AdapterWatch displays general information about network adapter- IP address, MAC address (Hardware address), WINS server, DNS server, MTU value, number of received/transmitted bytes, current transmission speed, TCP/IP/UDP/ICMP statistics.
DownTester	DownTester- allows you to determine the download speed for web servers, the list of which is specified as a URL manually or in the contents of a text file. The results can be saved in html/xml/csv/text format
Wireless Network Watcher	Wireless Network Watcher- a small utility for scanning a wireless network and creating a list of computers and devices connected to it, displaying IP and MAC addresses, network adapter information and computer name. The list can be exported to an html/xml/csv/text file, or copied to the clipboard for further pasting into Excel pages or another application.
NetResView	NetResView- a small program for displaying a list of network resources on a local network, including computer names, versions operating systems, data about network printers and catalogues.
PingInfoView	PingInfoView a small utility for polling hosts by name or IP address with the ability to set the number and ping intervals. An analogue of the standard console program ping.exe. The results can be saved to html/xml/csv/text file.
FastResolver	FastResolver small utility for quick definition host names by IP addresses. For a local network, it allows you to quickly obtain a list of IP and MAC addresses of computers.
BluetoothView	BluetoothView- a small program that runs in background for activity monitoring Bluetooth devices. For each detected device, the Device Name, Bluetooth Address, device type, first and last detection time are displayed. BluetoothView can alert the user when a new Bluetooth device is detected with a short sound signal and a pop-up window.
WirelessNetView	WirelessNetView- a small program that runs in the background to detect wireless networks Wi-Fi within reach of this computer. For each node, the name, MAC address, signal strength, authentication algorithm, number of channels, etc. are displayed.
IPNetInfo	IPNetInfo- a program that allows you to quickly get detailed information about a specific IP address. Information about the owner, country, subnet address range, and contact information is displayed.
WhoisThisDomain	WhoisThisDomain allows you to quickly obtain information about a registered domain. Performs automatic connection to the WHOIS server, the corresponding domain and display the WHOIS record.
DNSDataView	DNSDataView- an alternative to the standard console utility nslookup.exe. Allows you to retrieve DNS records for a given domain name. The results can be saved to a text/xml/html/csv file
NetRouteView	NetRouteView- GUI analogue of the standard console program route.exe of the Windows OS family. Displays the current routing table and allows you to easily add new routes as well as modify and delete existing ones.

Free network programs Virtual Network Computing (VNC).

    Virtual Network Computing (VNC)- system remote access to the computer desktop using the RFB (Remote FrameBuffer) application layer protocol. Control of a remote computer is carried out by transmitting keystrokes on the keyboard and moving the mouse pointer from one computer to another through the network. The managed computer uses the VNC server part (VNC server), and the manager uses the client part (VNC viewer). VNC is independent of the systems on which it operates and, for example, a Linux client can connect to a VNC server running in Windows environment. There are also VNC implementations for Java, including for mobile phones.

The RFB protocol was developed relatively long ago and initially used a simple encoding method to transmit the screen buffer Raw Encoding- when the server transmitted screen points to the client in order from left to right and top to bottom. After transmitting the first buffer, in order to minimize traffic, only changed pixels were transmitted. With this encoding method and a small degree of image change, traffic is minimal, however, for example, when watching a video, the load on the transmission channel increases sharply, since almost all pixels in the screen buffer will change. To minimize exchange traffic, VNC systems began to use various methods of encoding and compressing transmitted data. Not all methods are standard for every VNC implementation. While the RAW Encoding method can be used in any VNC system, the specific methods (CopyRect, Zlib, CoRRE, etc.) depend on the software used and may differ for different versions VNC. The client and server agree on the possibilities for encoding transmitted data when establishing a connection.

By default, the range of TCP ports from 5900 to 5906 is used for data exchange via the RFB protocol. Each port corresponds to its own graphical server screen (in Linux - terminals 0 - 6 of the X server, in Windows - the desktop with display number 0 and TCP port 5900 ). In some VNC implementations, it is possible to connect back from the server to the client via TCP port 5500.

Many free VNC implementations have a commercial variant that differs additional features to ensure ease of use, increased security and productivity.

One of the simplest and most convenient representatives of the VNC family is RealVNC. The product is available in 3 versions:

- Free Edition- free version with support basic capabilities server and client parts.
- Personal Edition- paid version for use at home and in small businesses. Added data encryption capabilities, chat, remote printing.
- Enterprise Edition- commercial version with improved authentication, data encryption, remote printing, chat, file transfer.

The installer includes both server and client parts. The server can be configured to run in user mode (User-Mode) or as a system service (Service-Mode). In system service mode, the server starts automatically during Windows boot. In this mode, the VNC server is ready to accept incoming connections without the user logging in or taking any action. In user mode, the server is started manually or via autostart, like a regular application program.

The VNC server is configured either by calling the context menu by right-clicking on the icon in the panel Windows tasks(menu item "Options"), or by launching using shortcuts in the "Programs" menu - "RealVNC" - "VNC-Server:" - "Configure VNC Server". During the server configuration process, minimal settings are made - authentication method and password for connection (tab Authentication):

No Authentication- the password request when connecting the client to the server is not performed.
VNC Password Authentication- connection to the server with verification of the password specified in the server settings. The password is set when the button is pressed Configure. Many free versions of VNC use an 8 character password. If you specify a longer password, the first 8 characters will still be used for verification, which makes such a server very vulnerable to hacking using password guessing. Moreover, the number of password entry attempts is not checked. In paid versions, security is significantly improved, since you can use long passwords, data encryption and access verification using Windows tools (NT Logon Authentication mode)

Connection settings are made on the tab Connections:

Accept connection on port- accept connections on TCP port 5900. The port number can be changed if necessary.
Disconnect idle client after (seconds) - client inactivity time in seconds, after which the connection will be reset.
Serve Java viewer via HTTP on port- serve connections from a Java client connecting via HTTP to port 5800. When using this configuration item, connecting to a VNC server is possible in a browser window with Java support.
In field Access Control You can set connection processing rules for individual IP addresses or subnets. For each entry, there are 3 options for a predefined action:

Allow- Allow connection. In the window with a list of addresses, it is displayed with the sign + before the address.
Deny- Deny connection. In the window with a list of addresses, it is displayed with the sign - before the address.
Query- Issue a request for connection permission.. In the window with a list of addresses, it is displayed with a sign ? before the address.

Client connection service modes are configured on the tab Sharing:

Always treat new connection as shared- always treat a new connection as shared.
Never treat new connection as shared- never treat a new connection as shared.
Use client's preferred sharing settings- use client settings to define a shared connection.
Non shared connection replace existing ones- a non-shared connection replaces an existing one. When installing this mode, connecting a new client with the sign of a non-shared connection, the server will reset all other connections. To connect multiple clients to one server, the checkbox must be unchecked.

Tab Desktop defines the parameters for processing the desktop buffer when VNC clients connect, and the actions performed after the last one is disconnected from the server. .

While connected- actions when connecting a client to a VNC server
Checking the checkboxes for each of the fields reduces traffic when sharing the desktop buffer, but makes it a little easier appearance. It is advisable to enable it when the speed of the data transmission channel is low.

When last client disconnects- when the last client disconnects.
- Do nothing - do nothing.
- Lock Workstation - lock the desktop. The user's session does not end, but a user name and password must be entered to continue using the desktop.
- Logoff user - log the user out of the system.

Tab Modes Inputs define the interaction between the client and the server when processing keyboard and mouse events. The "Disable local inputs while server in use" mode disables the keyboard and mouse for remote computer when connecting to a VNC server.

Tab Capture method sets the desktop image processing mode when transferring data from the server to the client and the processing of transparent windows (Alpha - blended windows). Changing modes affects the amount of traffic between client and server, as well as resource utilization central processor when processing the desktop buffer.

RealVNC server settings are stored in the registry key HKLM\SOFTWARE\RealVNC\WinVNC4

Client Real VNC Viewer After launch, it displays a window for connecting to the server. The input field uses the name or IP address of the remote computer, and, if necessary, the port number, for example 5909:

Button Options allows you to configure modes for the RealVNC client part. There is a tab in the settings window Load/Save with which you can save the current settings to a file with the extension .vnc or load previously saved settings from a file. This allows you to have multiple settings profiles for connecting to different servers VNC. The default settings are designed for average performance and average desktop display quality.

Tab Color & Encoding allows you to select the data encoding mode when transferring the desktop buffer and its color depth. It is possible to select one of 3 preferred encoding types or set the mode Auto Select- when the selection is made automatically when a connection to the VNC server is established.

Color depth Color Level determines the quality of the remote desktop display and the amount of data transferred from the server to the client. Minimal traffic and worst image matches the mode Very Low (8 colors

Tab settings Inputs are in many ways similar to the server settings and relate to the parameters of input devices - keyboard and mouse

Field Menu Key- defines a special key to call the menu for client interaction with the remote desktop. Used to pass special key codes (CTRL, ALT, CTRL-ALT-DEL:) The default menu key is F8. In addition to transmitting special key codes, pressing F8 allows you to call up the client settings menu, go to full-screen mode, create a new connection and view information about the current one (Connection Info:). Information about the current connection includes the IP address and name of the remote server, screen resolution, pixel format, encoding method, protocol used, and approximate data transfer speed.

    To install the server part on a remote computer, you can use a free utility pushVNC. The program allows system administrators to install a VNC server on a remote computer over a local network without any end user intervention.

An account with administrator rights is required to connect to a remote computer. In addition, the hidden network resources ADMIN$ and IPC$ must be available on the remote computer and the service must be running remote control registry. The program copies several of its files to create a VNC server to a remote computer and registers it in the registry new service PushVNC and launches it. A normal client connection is then made to the remotely created server. If the mode is not set Leave Service, then after the session ends, the created server and the files copied over the network are deleted.

RealVNC is one of the simple and convenient free VNC implementations. In addition to it, there are several dozen more, differing to an insignificant degree. For example, the popular UltraVNC package has almost the same settings as RealVNC, but allows you to use large quantity data encoding methods, encryption even in free version, you can use a special native driver to handle the desktop buffer. And just like RealVNC, the UltraVNC server in the free edition truncates the password to 8 characters. Below are links and a brief description of free VNC implementations on the SourceForge project.

Programs of the VNC family of the SourceForge.net project

    SourceForge.net is one of the world's largest websites for open source software developers, operated by SourceForge, Inc. and uses SourceForge's proprietary system. On this site, developers can post and collaborate on their software projects. SourceForge.net hosts more than 230 thousand projects, and the number of registered users is about 2 million people.
Many projects published on sourceforge.net have their own website, a link to which is located on the page with brief description software product.

	TightVNC- the most popular product of the VNC family, an improved implementation with “Tight” encoding, which reduces traffic between the client and server, and the ability to transfer files.
	TigerVNC- VNC implementation based on the refinement of the TightVNC and TurboVNC projects. Features improved JPEG compression.
	EchoVNC- implementation of a VNC client with improved security. There is support for connections to VNC, Remote Desktop, and RAdmin servers. An extended toolbar allows you to optimize your work with the selected server.
	Flashlight-VNC- client (VNC Viewer), written in Flash.
	Flashlight VNC Recorder- addition to the project Flashlight VNC with the ability to record the session.
	Delphi VNC Server VNC server written in Delphi.
	MultiVNC VNC client with support for a large number of data encoding methods
	LightVNC implementation of a VNC server only supporting connections via HTTP and HTTP(S) protocols. A web browser is used as client software. Allows you to connect to a remote desktop for devices that do not have a VNC client - smartphones, game consoles, tablet computers.
	ThinVNC is a VNC implementation using HTML5 and AJAX technology. The client must be a browser that supports HTML5 - Mozilla FireFox, Chrome, Opera.
	pushVNC7- remote installation over a local network and launching a VNC server on Windows 7 workstations. Implementation of the pushVNC project for Windows 7.
	A simple set of tools for installing UltraVNC on a remote computer without any user action and without being noticed by the user.

Local networks are no longer something unusual, as they were at the dawn of their creation. The advantages of such networks are obvious. Users of computers united in a single local network will have access to shared files and folders and can easily exchange necessary information, edit documents, play games using team modes etc. However, this only applies to computers that are connected to each other using wires and a fairly large amount of hardware. But what to do when the computers are quite far from each other? This is where software products for creating virtual local networks come to the rescue. Among them, quite often there are completely free programs. Downloading free programs for creating local networks and installing them on your computer is not a problem now. As they say, there would be a desire. Among the free burnouts for local networks of such applications, two main types can be distinguished. The first type allows you to create a virtual private network in such a way that one of the computers will act as a server. And this also includes programs that use computers alternately as the main server. Data exchange in this case is carried out using P2P (peer-to-peer) technologies, that is, using the universal BitTorrent protocol. The second type includes programs where the role of the central server is performed by a remote server of the software manufacturer. Here you only need to register on the manufacturer’s website. If we talk about free programs of this kind, then, in comparison with paid analogues, they allow you to create networks with the connection of about one and a half dozen computers or accounts. It is clear that paid analogues can create networks connecting even several hundred computers. However, for home use or for small offices 15-20 users are absolutely enough. It must be said that networks created using such applications have all the capabilities of conventional wired networks. And the setup, in most cases, is very similar. The difference in such programs may also be that sometimes one computer is bound to only one specific IP address. In some other cases, the IP address may be assigned automatically. To work on such a network, you will only need a program installed on your computer. Some free programs for creating private virtual networks even allow you to use the registration data of many Internet messengers, for example, Jabber accounts. However, the capabilities of such programs are quite similar. Some additional functions may differ, for example, in the presence of built-in chats or the ability to exchange short text messages. I think today virtual networks still preferable, since they allow you to connect computers located even in different parts of the world into a single network. On our website you can download the most modern programs for creating local networks.

Programs necessary for working on the Internet, including for browsing websites, receiving and sending mail or text messages, as well as for transferring files over the Internet.

Browsers

Browsers - special programs to browse the Internet.

Messengers

Programs for communication and communication over the Internet or local networks.

Mail clients

Programs for sending and receiving email.

Download Managers

Programs for managing file downloads, allowing you to resume them in the event of a connection break.

p2p clients

Programs for receiving files from networks using p2p technology.

FTP clients

Programs for transferring files via FTP.

Browser Add-ons

Various programs that are built into browsers and expand their functionality.

10. Classification and characteristics of computer viruses. Methods of protection against computer viruses.

Computer virus is a specially written, small-sized program (i.e., a certain set of executable code) that can “attribute” itself to other programs (“infect” them), create copies of itself and inject them into files, system areas of the computer, etc. .d., and also perform various unwanted actions on the computer. Much is known in various ways classification of computer viruses. One way to classify computer viruses is to divide them according to the following main characteristics:

 habitat

 features of the algorithm

 methods of infection

 degree of impact (harmless, dangerous, very dangerous)

Depending on the environment, the main types of computer viruses are:

 Software viruses (affect files with the extension .COM and .EXE)

 Boot viruses

 Macroviruses

 Network viruses

Software viruses is a malicious program code that is embedded inside executable files (programs). Viral code can reproduce itself in the body of other programs - this process is called replication. After a certain time, having created a sufficient number of copies, a software virus can proceed to destructive actions - disrupting the operation of programs and the operating system, deleting information stored on the hard drive. This process is called a virus attack. Boot viruses– it is not program files that are affected, but the boot sector of magnetic media (floppy and hard disks). Macro viruses– affects documents that were created in application programs that have tools for executing macro commands. Such documents include documents from the word processor WORD and spreadsheet processor Excel. Infection occurs when a document file is opened in a program window, unless the ability to execute macro commands is disabled in the program. Network viruses sent from computer to computer using computer networks for distribution, email and other channels.

Computer viruses are classified according to their operating algorithms:

 Worms (sent from computer to computer via computer networks, email and other channels)

 Invisible viruses (Stealth viruses)

 Trojan horses

 Programs are mutants

 Logic bombs

Currently the most common types malware include: worms, viruses, Trojan horses.

It is advisable to prevent viruses from appearing on your PC, but if your computer is infected with a virus, it is very important to detect it. The main signs of a virus appearing on a PC:

 slow computer performance

 freezes and crashes in the computer

 changing file sizes

 reducing the size of the free random access memory

 significant increase in the number of files on the disk

 disappearance of files and directories or corruption of their contents

 changing the date and time of file modification

And other signs.

Methods of protection against computer viruses One of the main ways to combat viruses is timely prevention. To prevent virus infections and Trojan horse attacks, you must follow some recommendations:

 Do not run programs received from the Internet or as an attachment to an e-mail message without checking them for viruses.

 Everything needs to be checked external drives check for viruses before copying or opening the files they contain or booting your computer from such disks

 It is necessary to install an antivirus program and use it regularly to scan computers. Promptly update your antivirus program database with a set of virus signature files as soon as new signatures appear

 Must be scanned regularly hard disks in search of viruses. Scanning usually occurs automatically every time you turn on your PC and when you place an external drive in the reader. When scanning, an antivirus program looks for a virus by comparing the program code with the codes of viruses known to it, stored in the database

 create strong passwords so that viruses cannot easily guess the password and gain administrator permissions. Regular archiving of files will minimize the damage from a virus attack

 The main means of protecting information is backing up valuable data stored on hard drives

There are quite a lot of antivirus protection software available. Modern antivirus programs consist of modules:

 Heuristic module – to identify unknown viruses

 Monitor – a program that is constantly located in the PC’s RAM

 A control device that runs anti-virus programs and updates the virus database and components

 Mail program (checks email)

 Scanner program – checks, detects and removes a fixed set of known viruses in memory, files and system areas of disks

 Firewall – protection against hacker attacks

The most effective and popular anti-virus programs include: Kaspersky Anti-Virus 7.0, AVAST, Norton AntiVirus and many others.

List of sources used:

Solomenchuk V. Internet: Short course. – St. Petersburg: Peter, 2002.

Guk M. IBM PC hardware. / St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg, 1999

Kaspersky E. Computer viruses in MS-DOS. / M., “EDEL” - “Renaissance”, 1992.

Explanatory dictionary of computer technology. / St. Petersburg, LLP “Channel Trading LTD”, 2000.

Workshop on economic informatics: Textbook in 3 parts - M.: Perspective, 2002.

Basics of working on a personal computer: Tutorial/ ed. prof. A.V. Yurkova. – St. Petersburg: NIIMM, 2004.

Khoroshilov A.V., Seletkov S.N. World information resources: Textbook. – St. Petersburg: Peter, 2004.

Potapkin A. Fundamentals Visual Basic For Microsoft package Office. M., 1996.

Dubnov P.Yu. Access 2000. Database design. Eco 2000.

Reitinger M., Much G. Visual Basic 6.0. Student library. BHV 2000.

Kopylov V.A. Information law. M., “Yurist”, 1997.

Kolesnichenko O.V., Shishkin I.V. PC hardware. St. Petersburg: BHV-Petersburg, 2004. – 1152 p.

Stang D., Moon S. Secrets of network security. / K., “Dialectics”, “Information Computer Enterprise”, 1996.

Platonov Yu.M., Utkin Yu.G., Ivanov M.I. Computer Science (with CD). Series "Student's Library". – M.: SOLON-Press, 2004.

Today on forums you can increasingly find topics such as “Suggest programs for system administrators”, “What network programs better”, “Help me choose programs for a network consisting of N number of computers, servers and such and such a number of users”, etc. What is the meaning of the concept of “network programs” and what are they for?

Network programs- This software responsible for the stable operation of the organization’s computer park. I think there is no point in explaining that all computers in the organization must be part of a common local network, which is why programs of this kind are called network programs.

The network performs in the company two main functions. Firstly, it allows the company's employees to work as a single team. And secondly, the network helps to use available resources more efficiently and helps share limited or expensive resources among employees. For example, a printer for each workplace- it is expensive and ineffective. Sharing a printer on a network saves on hardware costs.

Network programs are designed to solve many tasks and problems related to the network, such as: problems with equipment, hardware and software, software information security company, equipment inventory, organization of general file system businesses and much more. And although diversity computer networks Now it’s huge, the problems that arise everywhere are about the same. Network programs are designed to deal with them as quickly as possible.

It is necessary to protect the network, first of all, from external threats: hacker attacks, viruses, sniffers, etc. But most importantly, the system administrator sometimes has to protect the network from internal users. Some people think that since they were allocated Personal Computer, provided Internet access and access to documents, you can perform various actions without being subject to any criticism or punishment. Well, for example, download a couple of films. So what, the Internet in the organization is unlimited, more gigabytes, less gigabytes, what's the difference? Or take a brand new video card home and put your old one in its place. Anyway, no one will see, which means no one will know. Network programs will find out.

You can harm the system unconsciously, without any second thought. For example, bring infected files from home on a flash drive and drop them into a shared folder. Viruses have the dangerous property of spreading across the network at the speed of light, and protection against them usually appears a day or two later. Information security specialists have already realized that it is pointless to always catch up with hacker technologies; computer attackers are always one step ahead. Therefore, new techniques are increasingly based on the preventive detection of violations in information systems.

In order for an administrator to be aware of everything that is happening in his computer park, network programs must respond to everything unusual on the network. For example, if the response time of any equipment is exceeded, because this may indicate either a breakdown or a failure of a service important for the operation of the equipment.

Network programs must respond to exceeding the traffic limit allocated to an organization or office, or to a drop in Internet connection speed. There can be many reasons for these phenomena: from a not very conscientious employee who downloads movies and loads a channel during the working day, and problems with network equipment, to a not too honest provider.

Most often, in organizations, network programs are designed to help the system administrator or IT manager take inventory of equipment and supervise it. In this case, when it comes to the company’s intangible assets, its property, notification is important system administrator about the problems that have arisen. After all, we are talking about the honesty and reliability of employees!

From all of the above, a completely obvious conclusion follows: network programs are designed not to prevent equipment breakdowns or solve all problems that arise on the network, but to warn the administrator in time about a problem that has arisen - even before complaints from users that “ doesn’t work”, “doesn’t come in”, “slows down”.

The CADE 2D vector editor for Windows was developed by a company specializing in working with CAD. The program allows you to easily create a detailed network diagram. One of the most useful features, in my opinion, is the ability to sign an IP address, serial number and the name of the manufacturer for each device on the network. CADE includes all the templates necessary for drawing up a diagram and is distributed absolutely free of charge.

Concept Draw Pro is one of the most powerful business tools for drawing diagrams, and not just for network diagrams. It takes a minimum of time to master the program - all operations are carried out by simple drag and drop. Concept Draw Pro comes with a complete set of network symbols, and every aspect of the diagram can be customized. The application costs $249.



Dia is open source diagramming software, the main disadvantage of which is its outdated interface and primitive character set. But the program is very easy to use without being distracted by any extraneous tasks. Dia is free and works on almost all desktop systems. Linux distributions.



Diagram Designer is another one free utility with an outdated interface, but very easy to use, which will surely appeal to many users. Unlike Dia, the program offers a much wider selection of symbols and icons. The only thing I didn't like about Diagram Designer was the need to draw connections between computers manually, because the program uses a free-form shape to do this. Apart from this small drawback, DD is a completely decent solution.



eDraw Max is one of the best tools on this list, with the exception of Visio, of course. The program is easy to learn, has a convenient, and, moreover, the most modern user interface from all the options listed. eDraw Max is a fully functional business diagramming tool for any purpose, not just network diagrams. The cost of the solution is $99.95 per license, and the more licenses, the cheaper each of them.



There are some incredibly bad programs, and GoVisual Diagram Editor is one of them. It is a difficult tool to use and produces less than satisfactory results. Although it can still be used to create a network diagram, it will not be particularly readable because the GoVisual Diagram Editor is missing some useful features- in particular, icons of network devices. But if someone needs a free diagramming program for any purpose, GoVisual is just the right option because it comes for free.



I would include LanFlow among the best. The program has an excellent interface, offers a rich selection of network objects and allows you to easily create local, telecommunications, external network diagrams, as well as computer diagrams. LanFlow even provides two different network diagram templates: 3D and black and white. To create a diagram, just select a template and drag suitable objects onto it, which can be grouped, deleted, and so on. A single-user license for the program costs $89, so LanFlow can rightfully be called one of the best budget alternatives to Visio.



Although NetProbe can be used for mapping, its primary purpose is to monitor network devices in real time. But the main advantage of NetProbe as a diagramming tool is that network devices can be added to the diagram as needed, even in advance. There is no need to do this manually - the built-in NetProbe component automatically scans the network and compiles a list of all devices available on the network. The Standard version is free, but can only track eight hosts. The Pro version costs just $40 for up to 20 hosts, while the Enterprise version, which can monitor up to 400 hosts, is priced at $295.



Network Notepad (literally "network notepad") is exactly what its name suggests - a notepad for drawing up network diagrams. But despite its apparent simplicity, the program has rich capabilities, including interactive functions (Telnet, network browsing, pinging, etc.). Network Notepad has a simple drag-and-drop interface and can automatically discover Cisco devices. The program is distributed free of charge.



Visio is, of course, the de facto standard in the Windows diagramming application market. The program allows you to easily create beautiful schemes networks and provide them general access via a web browser. Visio includes a rich set of templates, including for data centers, help desks, network racks; for office consolidation, enterprise-wide network planning, data center or home office; for drawing up a fault tree, heating, ventilation, air conditioning plan, etc. Visio - The best decision for drawing up network diagrams, and therefore it is not cheap: $249.99 for the Standard version, 559.99 for Professional and 999.99 for Premium 2010. You can read more about the capabilities of the versions at official page Visio.



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