There are many tools that we can use in our day to day to manage and control networks. It is important that our connections are well configured, that we have them secure and that we know how to perform a proper deployment. For this it is possible to have software that helps us. In this article we are going to show some free tools with which we can create network diagrams to design a network.
What is and why to use a network diagram
First of all we are going to explain what a network diagram is . We can say that it is a tool or utility that allows us to manage, plan and monitor a project. It allows us to create a visual diagram to better plan, facilitate understanding and point out points to be done.
Therefore we can say that it is basically a series of interconnected graphics to show the different areas of a project. Let’s say we have a large amount of computer equipment, servers and other connected devices. We can create a network diagram to have everything reflected correctly and in a visual way.
For this we can create a diagram by hand, linking each device, but we can also use tools to facilitate this task. In this sense this article is directed, where we are going to show some free programs that we can use.
Programs for creating network diagrams
As we say, we are going to show some free tools to create a network diagram and be able to manage our teams in a visual way. This is geared for those who have multiple servers, networked computers.
Network Notepad
One of these tools that we can use is Network Notepad . It has a large number of icons, so we can create our network visually, always keeping everything in mind. We can find icons such as routers, printers, computers, servers, switches …
With Network Notepad we can design our network . Very interesting for an organization that wants to create a network diagram showing all the components such as access points, computers, connected printers … In short, all the computers that make up that network.
To download this tool we can go to its website. There we will find the different versions. Additionally we will have to download the package with more than 100 icons that we can use to create our network diagram.
Netpict
Another very interesting tool that we can use for our purpose is Netpict . Once we download and install the program, we can see the different icons related to networks that it has. We have router, switch, server, cloud, wireless …
Its interface is very easy to use. We can create our diagrams as we want. You just have to take the icons on the left and move them to the panel.
NetProbe
This tool, in addition to allowing you to create network diagrams, also has a network scanning feature. We can add a range of IP addresses and netmask for it.
NetProbe allows us to draw a network diagram and configure it as we need, as in the previous cases.
DiagramDesigner
One more tool that we want to show is DiagramDesigner . It is open source and allows us to create network diagrams from the very basics. It is a simple software, although the design is old. It is compatible with different versions of Windows.
Once we download and install it, the operation is the same as in the previous cases. We can choose the icons that adapt to what we need and draw the network diagram as we want.
In short, these are some options we have to create network diagrams. If you need to manage a business, a large premises where there are many network teams, a good idea is to generate a diagram. In this way we can have greater control, correctly manage everything that we are going to need and also be able to solve possible problems that may arise. We have seen different tools that we have at our disposal for free and for Windows, which is today the most used operating system on desktop computers.