Do I have to install Remote Network Agent on every server to monitor all our branches?

Do I need to install Remote Network Agent on every server in our corporate office I wish to monitor?

Q: I was looking for a tool to simply alert me if any of our 28 remote branches go offline. However, I see that this tool also supports server monitoring. We have about 12 servers in our corporate office that I would also like to monitor. Do I need to install the Agent on every server I wish to monitor?

A: It depends on networks structure.

If the servers to be monitored can be directly accessed from computer running IPNetwork Monitor, there might be no need to install agents on every other server.

There are several situations when using Remote Network Agents is required:

  1. Network device(s) to be monitored can’t be accessed directly. Device (computer, network printer etc.) may be located in different intranet or VLAN; firewall could prevent network access etc
  2. Network exchange between monitor and device being monitored could disclose sensitive information, such as access credentials (for example, FTP server receives access credentials in plain text)
  3. Device should be monitored (availability check) simultaneously from several locations
  4. Connectivity between computer with monitoring software and device is unstable (significant lags can happen)

There might be other reasons to use Remote Network Agents. Note that agent communicates with its IPNetwork Monitor master instance using secure (encrypted) channel, to prevent data interception. One’s sensitive data are safe when this exchange is performed.

Please refer to the list above to decide whether Remote Network Agents should be used. In short: if monitor software uses secure and reliable channels to exchange with devices it watches, and can access them directly, one can do without installing agents.

See also a Quick start guide: Monitoring with Remote Network Agents.

Related topics

How can I monitor remote system resources?

Frequently Asked Questions

Check out our Knowledge Base where we answer questions regarding various topics.

Is a Remote Network Agent required on every monitored server?

No. If the IPNetwork Monitor computer can directly and reliably access the servers, separate agents on every server are usually unnecessary.

When should a Remote Network Agent be used?

Use an agent when devices are behind another intranet, VLAN, firewall, unstable connection, or when monitoring traffic would otherwise expose sensitive information.

Can one device be monitored from several locations?

Yes. Remote Network Agents can be useful when availability must be checked from multiple network locations rather than only from the main installation.