Paessler Announces PRTG Traffic Grapher 6.1 with WLAN and LAN Packet Sniffer Functionality

New network monitoring and bandwidth usage solution enables systems administrators to monitor WLANs and LANs using using one management tool to improve operational efficiencies and increase network security and reliability.

[ClickPress, Wed Mar 28 2007] Paessler, the network monitoring company, today announced the availability of PRTG Traffic Grapher 6.1, the latest version of the popular network monitoring and bandwidth usage solution which now allows systems administrators to monitor wireless network usage by protocol and IP address. For the first time, PRTG Traffic Grapher users can collect live data from Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs), extending the product’s existing Local Area Network (LAN) monitoring abilities using one management tool to improve operational efficiencies and increase network security and reliability.

“Understanding bandwidth and resource consumption for all network components – wired and wireless – is critical to enabling optimal performance,” said Dirk Paessler, president of Paessler AG. “With PRTG 6.1, we’ve made it easier for systems administrators to gain visibility into their entire network, enabling them to now analyze wireless traffic and detect applications that cause bottlenecks.”

Systems administrators can monitor WLANs with PRTG Traffic Grapher by installing a wireless network USB 2.0 adapter onto the PC that houses PRTG. The USB adapter acts as a network card for WLANs and allows PRTG to packet sniff WLANs in the same manner it packet sniffs LANs, reading the headers of transmitted data packages while remaining invisible to other network subscribers. PRTG then graphically displays both LAN and WLAN traffic for different protocols. The USB 2.0 connector supports the standard 802.11 b/g for WLANs.

PRTG Traffic Grapher is an easy to use Windows-based software solution for monitoring and classifying bandwidth usage. It provides systems administrators with live readings and long-term usage trends of their network devices.
Using PRTG, network managers can gain valuable insight to affect changes that reduce server and bandwidth bottlenecks, identify which applications or servers hog bandwidth, strategically plan infrastructure upgrades, deliver better service to both external and internal customers, and reduce network costs by matching expenditures with actual bandwidth needs.

For example, systems administrators can monitor WLAN and LAN bandwidth usage by day or month to better allocate or budget departmental funds. Network mangers can also retrieve a list of top talkers or most active users to determine who or what is causing the highest levels of load, as well as a list of top connections or most active connections to determine which connections cause traffic.

Systems administrators can also use the solution to learn if employees engage in prohibited activities such as file-sharing or instant messaging by retrieving a list of active protocols to determine which programs are being used. From a planning standpoint, IT teams can use the latest PRTG to identify network trends and prepare for surges in use of WLAN and LAN resources to avoid bottlenecks.

PRTG Traffic Grapher can be purchased through the Paessler online store at http://www.paessler.com/order/prtg starting at $99.95 for the professional edition with a 25-sensor license, the USB connector for $199.95. A freeware edition with three sensors, suitable for SOHOs and private use, is also available.

About Paessler AG
Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Fuerth, Germany, Paessler AG builds cost effective software that is both powerful and easy to use. The product range is specialized on Network Monitoring and Testing as well as Website Analysis. Its products are used by Network Administrators, Website Operators, Internet Service Providers and other IT-Professionals worldwide. Freeware and Free Trial versions of all products can be downloaded from http://www.paessler.com.

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