Best Way to Draw Network Diagrams
Best 7 Automated Network Diagram Software + Guide
For your business's network to thrive, you have to really know its details and intricacies. Ane of the best ways to sympathise your network is to brand a network diagram, which is a visual representation of your network'southward devices and how they connect to one another.
You tin can manually create your own network diagram, which can assistance visualize complex networks. However, information technology can be hard and time-consuming to build a coherent, accurate network diagram on your own. The best way to create a clear and detailed network diagram is to invest in network diagramming software. Some network diagram tools are designed to create automated network diagrams, which update equally your network's architecture changes.
One of these automated network diagram systems is SolarWinds® Network Topology Mapper (NTM), an all-encompassing network diagram creator. NTM is designed to create multiple network diagrams from a single scan, keep them updated in real-fourth dimension, and edit these diagrams to fit your network'southward specifications. NTM tin likewise enable you to export these network diagrams to multiple external formats. Click this link to access a 14-day free trial of NTM.
- What Is a Network Diagram?
- Types of Network Diagramming
- Best Tools for Network Diagrams
- SolarWinds NTM (My Choice)
- Intermapper
- Creately
- Lucidchart
- SmartDraw
- LanFlow
- Microsoft Visio
- Summing Upwardly Network Diagrams + Network Diagramming
What Is a Network Diagram?
A network diagram provides a visual rendering of your network, outlining devices, connections, pathways, and data flows in your network. Network diagramming is besides known as network mapping and network topology mapping.
Network diagramming is crucial for learning about your network, checking upwards on your network's wellness, and keeping track of your network'due south devices (which are called "nodes" on a network diagram). Past discovering the specifics of your network's nodes and their connections, you tin better understand how your network works and what it needs to succeed.
A network diagram tin help you notice the logical aspects of your network as well as its physical elements.
Logical Network Diagrams
Logical network diagrams display the inner behaviors of your network, such as routing protocols and subnets, and reveal how information flows through a network. This kind of network mapping is common and offers several use cases.
Physical Network Diagrams
Concrete network diagrams show the concrete aspects of your network, such every bit cables and switches, and how they're arranged. You can remember of a physical network diagram as your network'due south "floor plan," and these kinds of network maps are nearly useful for network engineers.
To class a complete motion-picture show of your network, you'll want to create both a logical network diagram and a physical network diagram. There are also hyper-specialized kinds of network diagrams, which can assist you focus on specific aspects of your network. These can include network security diagrams, which focus on security-related devices, computer network diagrams focused on computers, and a network switch diagram showing the pieces of hardware that connect devices together over the network.
Yous can combine different types of network diagrams together, designing network diagrams to all-time fit your needs. Some examples could be building a physical network switch diagram or creating a network diagram focusing on the security of your network'south computers.
The ability to customize your network diagram is part of why network diagramming is and then important—and also why using a network diagram creator, like SolarWinds NTM, is helpful when it comes to edifice clear yet accurate network diagrams.
Types of Network Diagramming
As I've discussed above, there are several kinds of network diagrams. Your network diagram can focus on the security of your network, specific devices, or the physical or logical aspects of your network. Now that y'all know what network diagrams are, you can learn nearly the different ways to create your ain network diagrams—manually, automatically, or semi-automatically.
Manual Network Diagramming Software
When you manually draw a network diagram, y'all're in charge of understanding and visualizing the connections between your nodes. Manual network diagrams offer you total customization in your map'due south pattern, which can be useful for unique, intricate networks. Even so, you lot'll also have to manually change your network diagram as your network grows and updates, which makes maintaining a manual network diagram difficult.
Semi-Automated Network Diagramming Software
Semi-automatic network diagrams are, as the proper noun implies, a mix of both transmission and automated network maps. Your network's devices volition be automatically discovered while using a semi-automated network diagram tool, only you'll have to position and connect your network's nodes manually. While this offers customization options, edifice a network diagram without templates or drag-and-driblet features can be hard to execute.
Automatic Network Diagramming Software
These network diagramming creators are designed to notice your network'southward nodes and their connections and automatically generate a network diagram. An automated network diagram volition update along with your network as information technology changes, making network mapping maintenance easy. Many automated network diagramming tools will give you templates to choose from, and then you tin still customize your network diagram to friction match your network'due south environment.
Regardless of which network diagram creator you lot choose, brand sure your network diagram software allows for motility within your network. Static network diagrams—maps that don't change with a network's changes—become outdated virtually immediately. The best network diagram tools will adjust with your network, constantly accounting for changes and keeping your network diagram up to date.
With so many options to cull from, it can exist daunting to selection a network diagram tool. Different network diagramming creators offer different benefits and possibilities, too equally unique challenges. Below, I've shared with you my personal favorite network diagram software, starting with my tiptop recommendation.
1. SolarWinds NTM (Free Trial)
SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper (NTM) is an all-in-one automatic network diagram creator designed to build multiple kinds of detailed network diagrams from a single network scan. NTM tin can enable you to schedule menses re-scans of your network, automatically updating your network diagram, so you lot e'er stay upward to date. You tin edit existing nodes on your network diagram using NTM's elevate-and-drop characteristic or by manually maneuvering your nodes.
NTM is built to give you lots of ways to share network topology diagrams through Cisco, Microsoft Visio, and other formats like PDF and PNG. NTM is a wonderful choice for creating user-friendly automated network diagrams, and you lot can try it free for fourteen days.
two. Intermapper
Intermapper is an first-class network diagram generator, enabling you lot to create physical and logical network diagrams that operate in existent-time. This network diagramming software is designed to back up customization, so you can draw your network diagram exactly as you lot meet it in your caput. Intermapper offers a pay-by-device plan, increasing every bit y'all add together devices, merely there's besides a free trial available.
three. Creately
Creately is a detailed network diagrammer with in-system collaboration and chat functions, making it easy to illustrate and share your network diagrams. Features like smart connectors help your network diagram stay legible, while styling options and a full library of node shapes allow you to personalize your network diagrams. Creately integrates well with other platforms such as Microsoft Part, Slack, and Google Workspace; however, it doesn't offer existent-time features for your network diagrams. You lot can register here for their free version.
4. Lucidchart
Lucidchart network diagram software is a not bad program for creating flowcharts, procedure maps, and other kinds of network diagrams. Like SolarWinds NTM, Lucidchart integrates well with other programs and backs up data automatically. However, Lucidchart has no auto-discovery features, so it can't automatically protect and maintain your network's devices. There are three professional options also as a gratuitous, single-user option available for download.
v. SmartDraw
SmartDraw is a web-based network diagram tool designed to run anywhere with a stable net connexion. Their goal is to exist as easy to use as possible, which results in limited customization options but very neat, professional-looking network diagrams. The tool'south limited customizability, likewise as its pay-by-user plan, makes information technology best for smaller networks. You tin sign up for a complimentary online version.
half-dozen. LanFlow
LanFlow offers simple network diagramming tools but powerful design capabilities, including libraries of 2d and 3D icons. Another helpful features include an optional snap filigree, full zoom-in capability, and figure labels that automatically motility equally you edit. You can besides choose from predefined templates or completely create your ain and add hyperlinks and websites to your network diagram. LanFlow is a diagramming tool only—there are no autodiscovery features or alert programming options. Many Cisco professionals employ LanFlow for network topology diagrams, and you tin download a 30-mean solar day free trial.
seven. Microsoft Visio
Microsoft Visio is a reliable network diagram creator designed to easily communicate with other software and applications while helping go along your data secure. Microsoft Visio offers semi-customizable templates and themes but cannot enable automatic network diagramming. At that place's a Standard version bachelor, plus a more expansive and expensive Pro version, and you tin can endeavor it complimentary for 30 days.
Summing Up Network Diagrams + Network Diagramming
Network diagrams human action equally a map of your network, helping you visualize how data is passed between your network'due south devices. Creating and using a network diagram is crucial to maintaining your network and helps ensure information is safely getting from where it is to where information technology needs to go.
Using the assist of network diagramming software, you can build your own network diagrams in the best fashion for you and your squad members. Automated network diagram creators, like SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper, are designed to relieve you time, energy, and resources by automatically discovering and mapping your network's nodes and connections. NTM automatically generates network diagrams using information gathered, giving you lot an accurate and clear yet visually striking network topology diagram.
*As of March 2021
Source: https://logicalread.com/network-diagrams/
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