- Document networks diagrams with minimal effort. Simplify visualizing even the largest networks with advanced drawing features. Smart connectors, plus create, preset styling options and a full library of networking diagram tools. Intuitive drag and drop interface with precision drawing and control. Professionally-designed network diagram.
- However, the network diagram needs to be created manually using the “Detailed Network Diagram” template. Generally, automatic network mapping tools may be more suitable for troubleshooting and security purposes. Visio can be an inexpensive option for an enterprise unwilling to invest in automated and comprehensive network mapping software.
Aug 07, 2010 Network Diagram Software for Mac and Windows. Network diagram maker is excellent in drawing network diagrams (AWS, Cisco, Rack.) on Mac, Windows and Linux. Starting with a drag-and-drop interface and a large collection of ready-made network symbols, even one without any drawing skill could make professional-looking network diagrams in minutes. LucidChart Mac Network Diagram Software It is an online and cloud-based Mac diagramming tool that allows you to draw basic network diagrams based on the clean and functional interface. After signing up for a free account, you will get access to an extensive library with hundreds of network diagram examples and symbols. Lucidchart ensure teams always have access to the most up-to-date version of your network diagram—and its version history—to make informed decisions about your network. Our cloud-based network diagram tool works seamlessly across Mac, PC, and Linux operating systems, so you can collaborate with anyone, anywhere, anytime.
Network Design is one of the main jobs of a network engineer and he would like to document the designed network. There are network tools available for the same. We have evaluated 6+ Network Design tools and provided a review of the best network design tools available. These tools are open source software or online Network Design Tools. These tools have all the figures of all the standard network components to build out the network diagram.
Related:
LucidChart-Network Design Tools
LucidChart provides a Network diagram and a design tool. It is easy to create the network design by just dragging and dropping the components. It has a library of network diagram shapes from Cisco and other vendors. Then we can easily adjust the layout as per requirements. It integrates with software like Google Apps and you can import and export to Visio.
Creatley
Creately network design tool is available online on the cloud and also on desktops and servers. It has a very easy drawing tool. It has smart shapes and connectors available. It has library images available and which can be used to create your network design. There are thousands of templates for use and can collaborate with other users.
Draw.io
Draw.io is a free online network design tool. One can save the network design to Google drive, Dropbox, One Drive or other storage. It has simple drawing components which one can drag and drop to build your network diagram. It has a lot of diagrams available for your use and can create a library and save it for further use.
Free Network Diagram Software
This software is available from WERESC and is called CADE. It is a good software for making detailed network design documentation. Pre-drawn shapes for network equipment especially cabling is available. These shapes can be extensible. It supports layering and we can make layers invisible based on our needs.
Network Design Tools On Other Platforms
Network Engineers or Designers may work on different platforms like Windows, Mac, and Linux and hence need the tools available on the required platform. We will discuss few tools below which will work on separate platforms.
Dia Diagram Editor for Mac
This tool is available on multiple platforms like Mac, Windows, and Linux. It is available under GNU license and this means it is free. It has a simple intuitive interface and has a library of all the symbols and the components needed to make a network diagram.
Edraw – Cisco Network Design for Windows
E-Draw is a software available on Windows and Mac and is a free download. It has a big library of images for Cisco equipment. It will draw 200+ types of Network diagrams and has an easy to use interface for creating these designs. It integrates well with Microsoft products.
Most Popular Network Design Tool – Gliffy
Gliffy is an online network design tool. It is very fast as it uses HTML5. It is easy to use as we have to drag and drop the various shapes and put it together. There are various templates available and we can reuse it to create our own network design. We can import Visio files.
What is Network Design Tool?
Network Design Tool is used to document the Network Design by the network engineer. This can be from a simple network at a home with some computers and phone connected to the internet, an office which has a few floors and has a bigger network with servers and an office across multiple locations. You can also see Flowchart Maker Software
As the complexity increases, it is a good practice to document using the network design tool. It is available in the cloud or on the desktop. It is a vector based software similar to Da Vinci network designer and has the necessary tools to create network diagrams easily.
We have described 6+ Network Design Tools and mentioned their main features. You can choose the tool from the above recommendation and create useful network diagrams. Based on your need you may go for a cloud-based tool or a desktop based tool.
Diagram Maker Mac
Related Posts
Mapping your network is vitally important for keeping on top of how it’s performing, as well as for pinpointing bottlenecks or network issues, and troubleshooting problems. But approaching this process manually with a large or complex network can quickly become overwhelming.
I’ve found using a network mapping tool is a much better approach—especially if it can map your network for you automatically. There are a number of quality tools on the market, paid and free, which I’ll go into after a review of the network mapping process. For top-line solutions I recommend SolarWinds® Network Performance Monitor and Network Topology Mapper, both easy-to-use tools capable of mapping your network along with providing important data and performance metrics.
What Are Network Maps?
There are two main levels of maps to consider: physical and logical. While open-source network mapping tools can create a physical network map, they may not offer automated scanning to ensure the map is always up to date.
There are three levels of maps to consider—physical, logical, and functional.
A physical network map diagrams all the actual components of your network, including cords, plugs, racks, ports, servers, cables, and more. A physical network map gives you a visual representation of all the material elements of your network and the connections between them.
Network Diagram Software Mac Free Download
A logical map is more abstract than the physical network map. It shows the type of network topology (bus, ring, etc.), and how the data flows between the physical objects in your network. This includes IP addresses, firewalls, routers, subnets and subnet masks, traffic flow, voice gateways, and other segments of the network.
To note: Since logical and physical network maps depict the same network environment from two different perspectives, it’s best to use both types to get a more comprehensive look at your network.
A functional network map shows you how application traffic flows through the network physically. These types of network maps are only as useful as they are accurate, which means you need an appropriate and high-quality tool.
How Does Network Mapping Work?
Network mapping is the process of visualizing all the devices on your network, how they’re connected, and how the overall network is structured. The network map generally equips you with information about whether the network is functioning properly or whether any particular device has a problem.
Networks are set up in different structures, also called topologies. The structure can have a major effect on how your network functions, what happens when a device or server goes down, and how complex it is to manage. When you map your network, you’re basically mapping its topology into a visual network diagram.
Here are the main network topologies to be aware of:
- Bus – A bus network is set up in a straight line, allowing data to flow through the network from the server to each node one by one
- Ring – In a ring, network the nodes are arranged in a circle, and data can flow around the circle in one or both directions
- Tree – In a tree topology, a server has multiple branches of nodes coming off it. This is a bit more robust than a bus or ring topology, as with a tree topology, if one of the branches has a problem with a node, the rest of the network will still function. With ring and bus topologies, a problem with one node can cause the whole network to go down
- Star – A star topology has one central node with all others coming off it in a star pattern
- Mesh – A mesh network has connections between all the nodes and servers, like a lattice or mesh. It has high failover protection because if one node goes down, the network can reroute the data to get it where it needs to go
- Hybrid – A hybrid topology is simply a combination of any or all the above network structures and is very common as networks get larger
Best Network Mappers
Network Diagram Software Free
Of course, all these types of network maps are only as useful as they are accurate, which means you need an appropriate and high-quality tool. While mapping can be done manually using tools like ping and tracert, followed by a visual mapping or vector program, this process can be prohibitively time-consuming. Similarly, if you’re considering a free network mapping solution, you should check which kind of network map it offers and whether it will give you the full visibility you need to optimize network performance.
Below, I look at some of the best network mappers on the market and what makes them stand out from the pack.
- Network Performance Monitor – Free Trial
My top pick is SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor (NPM). NPM is extremely useful for both mapping networks and determining how your network is performing. It includes a feature called NetPath, which maps your network and then provides you with information on network performance, traffic, and configuration along the entire service delivery path. You can also see performance metrics with hop-by-hop data between your central servers and your satellite offices.
NPM also features a number of network visualization graphs and charts. Insights from NPM network mapping features can easily be viewed alongside your other performance tools to provide troubleshooting assistance of your entire network. Try out a free trial of NPM for 30 days.
- Network Topology Mapper – Free Trial
SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper (NTM) is focused on network mapping. Unlike NPM, the tool doesn’t include network performance measurement capabilities. However, NTM shines in its ability to automatically plot your network to build multiple different kinds of network maps from a single scan.
The automatic scanning function is useful if you have an already established network needing to be properly mapped. It automatically detects any changes in your network topology and updates the maps accordingly. You can choose whether you want it to determine your network using SNMP, ICMP, WMI, CDP, or another method of discovery. You can also try NTM free for up to 14 days.
Paessler PRTG Network Monitor is a well-known software with monitoring and performance tools as well as reporting features and dashboards. It lets you create maps to show you devices and connections, as well as live status information for your network, so you can detect problems in one glance and troubleshoot effectively using maps as a primary source of information. You can customize your map using HTML, and you can share the map with whoever you want (company-only or external). While the maps are extremely useful, you must create them manually using the drag-and-drop map editor, which can be time-consuming.
Device42 is a configuration management database with auto-discovery and application mapping tools. You can set up a schedule and Device42 will automatically scan your network and infrastructure and detect any changes as they’re made, so your network information is always up to date. It can track IP and non-IP based devices and assets, hardware, software, and interdependencies between devices, as well as resource utilization. You can also generate dependency and impact visuals using the Device42 NetFlow collector, which allows you to view topologies at different levels. Overall this is useful software, but the auto-discovery can be difficult to implement if the network is very complex, as it tends to pick up unnecessary information.
Intermapper allows you to create custom maps quickly and effectively, automatically mapping all the IP-enabled devices in your network. You can customize your maps with colors and different background options, as well as color-coded statuses to show you how the network is performing. It provides you with real-time text or email alerts if there are any issues, helping prevent your users from being affected. Intermapper works for Mac, Linux, and Windows, and offers a 30-day trial, a free version, and an enterprise version.
Nmap is a free and open-source network mapping tool that uses IP packets to determine what hosts are on the network, what services are offered by those hosts, and identify operating systems, firewalls, and other information. It runs on Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X, and can link in with other Nmap suite tools including Zenmap, Ncat, Ndiff, and Nping. Nmap comes with a learning curve, but it’s a great option if you’re working with a small business without the budget for a professional tool.
Spiceworks is a manual network mapping tool that allows you to view an interactive network diagram of how your devices work together and relate to each other. You can add, edit, move, and resize devices on the map to show how your network is structured, as well as using filters and views to show only the most important data. The network map displays lines between each node—the thicker the line, the more bandwidth is being used. However, the mapping is manual, which means you need to redo your network map every time your network changes. The Spiceworks network mapper is free, though, so it’s a good choice for someone who has the time to map a smaller, less complex network rather than a changing enterprise system.
Best Network Mapping Solution
There are a number of good network map tools on the market, but in my view, some are better equipped to handle the task than others. Some are tools you can use to help you map the network yourself. Others look at your network and map it automatically. Automatic network mappers result in fewer mistakes and missed devices, and are designed to adapt when a new server or node is added to the network. I recommend trying Network Performance Monitor as an all-in-one network map and performance tool for any size environment.
Recommended Reading
Best Network Monitoring Software – If you need to do more than map your network, look into a complete network monitoring solution. I’ve written reviews of what I consider to be the best network monitoring software.
6 Best FREE Patch Management Software – Network maintenance involves more than monitoring the topology—you need to make sure you’re keeping on top of all your patches and updates, among other priorities. There are a number of free patch management solutions that can help you. Here are my top picks.