Network section · 9 products compared
Network & asset tools for MSPs
Endpoints are only half of a client’s estate. The switch in the comms cupboard, the firewall nobody has logged into since installation, the printer on a fixed IP that half the office depends on — these rarely carry an RMM agent, and they are exactly what fails on a Monday morning. For an MSP, the network and the asset register are where “we manage your IT” either becomes true or quietly isn’t.
This page compares the tools small MSPs use to see that side of a client: agentless inventory for knowing what exists, network monitoring for knowing when it misbehaves, the network features built into RMM platforms for teams that would rather not add another console, and two free, open-source desktop tools most technicians keep on their laptop — Angry IP Scanner for a quick sweep of an unfamiliar subnet, and Wireshark for packet-level evidence when a client insists the network is to blame. We also cover LizardSystems Network Scanner, a Windows tool that lists file shares and who can write to them; it is free only for personal use, so client work needs its paid business licence. We care about how each tool is deployed on a client site (collector, sensor or on-premises server), how it is priced as you add sites, and how quickly it gives a new technician a usable picture of an unfamiliar network. Use these tools only on networks you manage or are authorised to assess. The criteria behind our notes are on the methodology page.
9 network and asset tools side by side
Rows are ordered by how often small MSPs shortlist each product for this job, not by any commercial arrangement — see our methodology. We describe pricing models rather than quoting prices, because tiers change; confirm current figures on each vendor's site.
| Product | Pricing model | Deployment | Key feature | How it sees the network | Best for | Vendor site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AuvikAuvik Networks | Per billable network device | Cloud SaaS + on-site collector | Live topology maps and config backup | On-site collector polling SNMP, flows and configs | MSPs responsible for client network gear | Official site → |
| LansweeperLansweeper | Subscription tiered by asset count | Cloud console + on-site scanning sensor | Agentless discovery of IT, OT and cloud assets | Agentless scanning sensor plus optional agent | Onboarding audits and asset registers | Official site → |
| PRTG Network MonitorPaessler | Subscription tiers by sensor count | Self-managed Windows server or hosted | SNMP, WMI, flow and HTTP sensors with maps | Core server or remote probes polling sensors | Deep monitoring of a client server room | Official site → |
| NinjaOneNinjaOne | Per device, quote-based | Cloud SaaS + endpoint agent | Policy-driven OS and third-party patching | Agent-based, with SNMP device monitoring add-on | MSPs that want one polished console | Official site → |
| AteraAtera | Per technician, tiered plans | Cloud SaaS + endpoint agent | RMM, ticketing and billing in one plan | Agent-based, with network discovery from an agent | Lean MSPs with many endpoints per tech | Official site → |
| SyncroSyncro | Per technician (user) subscription | Cloud SaaS + endpoint agent | Tickets, invoices and scripts in one record | Agent-based; limited network device visibility | Small shops moving from break-fix to managed | Official site → |
| Angry IP ScannerAnton Keks | Free, open source (GPLv2) | Desktop app on a technician’s laptop | Fast ping and port sweep of an IP range with CSV export | On-demand ping and port sweep from a technician laptop | First-visit discovery on a network you are authorized to manage | Official site → |
| WiresharkWireshark Foundation | Free, open source (GPLv2) | Desktop app; capture on a laptop, server or span port | Packet capture and protocol decoding with display filters | Captures and decodes packets at one point on the network | Settling “is it the network?” disputes with evidence | Official site → |
| LizardSystems Network ScannerLizardSystems | Free personal licence; perpetual business licence per machine | Desktop app on a Windows technician PC | Finds SMB/NetBIOS shares, FTP and web servers and checks read/write access | On-demand scan for shared folders, FTP and web servers, with read/write checks | Auditing file-share exposure during client onboarding | Official site → |
"Official site" links open the vendor's own website directly. None of them is an affiliate link, and placement in this table is not for sale. Disclosure.
Five questions to settle before a demo
- On-site footprint
- Every client site needs something local to see its network: a collector, a scanning sensor or a probe. Check what it runs on and how it is updated.
- Pricing per site
- Per-device, per-sensor and per-asset models behave very differently when a client has three switches versus thirty. Price one small and one large client before you commit.
- Time to first map
- For onboarding, the useful question is how long until a tech who has never visited the site can see what is plugged into what. Topology maps earn their keep here.
- Config backup
- Automatic backup of switch and firewall configuration turns a dead device from a day of guesswork into an hour of restoration. Confirm which vendors and models are supported.
- Alert routing
- Network alerts should land in the same PSA queue as everything else, tagged to the right client — not in a separate inbox someone checks on Fridays.
How to narrow it down
Pick by the question you most need answered. “What does this client actually own?” is an inventory question, and Lansweeper is built for it — it is especially useful in the first month of a new contract. “What is the network doing and what changed?” is a monitoring question; Auvik answers it for multi-site MSP work with little setup, while PRTG gives finer control over what is measured and suits clients with a real server room worth watching closely.
If you are a very small shop, first check what your RMM already offers. The network features in NinjaOne and Atera are thinner than a dedicated tool, but they may be enough for clients with a single flat network. Add a dedicated product when you find yourself driving to a site to answer a question a map would have answered. Our client onboarding checklist shows where discovery fits in the first thirty days.
The two free tools answer narrower questions and cost nothing but time. Angry IP Scanner tells you, in a minute or two, which addresses on a subnet respond and what they call themselves — a useful first pass before a heavier inventory tool is deployed, not a replacement for one. Wireshark is for the day a problem refuses to show up in any dashboard: a capture taken at the right point shows exactly which side stopped talking. Neither monitors anything continuously, and neither sends alerts to your PSA. LizardSystems Network Scanner answers a different onboarding question — which shared folders exist and who can write to them — but its last release dates from July 2021, and client work needs the paid business licence.
Authorised networks only
Discovery and monitoring tools probe devices across a network. Run them only on networks you manage under a signed agreement or have explicit written permission to assess, and record that permission in the client file. Scanning networks you are not responsible for can breach acceptable-use terms and, in some jurisdictions, the law.
Guides and head-to-heads
- MSP client onboarding checklist
- Auvik review
- Lansweeper review
- PRTG review
- Angry IP Scanner review
- Wireshark review
- LizardSystems Network Scanner review
- Auvik review
- Lansweeper review
- PRTG Network Monitor review
Questions we get from other shops
Do I need Auvik if my RMM already monitors endpoints?
Only if you are responsible for client network gear. An RMM agent watches the machine it runs on; switches, firewalls and access points need SNMP polling, flow data and config backup, which is what Auvik focuses on.
Is Lansweeper a monitoring tool?
Not primarily. Lansweeper discovers and inventories assets — hardware, software, users and network devices — so you know what exists and how it is configured. It is strongest at audits and onboarding rather than real-time alerting.
How is PRTG priced?
PRTG is licensed by the number of sensors, where a sensor is one measured value such as a port’s traffic or a disk’s free space. Tiers change, so check Paessler’s current pricing page and count sensors for a typical client before you buy.
What is a network collector?
A small piece of software, running on a machine or appliance inside the client’s network, that polls local devices and reports to the cloud console. Tools like Auvik need one per site because the cloud cannot reach private devices directly.
Are Angry IP Scanner and Wireshark really free for MSP use?
Both are open-source projects released under the GNU GPL version 2, so there is no licence fee for commercial use by a managed service provider. The costs are technician time and keeping them up to date. Get them only from the projects’ own websites. LizardSystems Network Scanner is different: it is free for personal, non-commercial use only, so an MSP needs its paid business licence.
Can I scan a prospective client’s network before they sign?
Only with their explicit written permission, ideally as part of a scoped assessment agreement. Without it, do not run discovery or monitoring against a network you are not responsible for.