For this we can make use of external tools, which we can install on the computer or mobile, and in this way monitor the network.
Applications to control the connection in Windows
In Windows we can use a large number of programs that allow us to control the connectivity of our network. In this way we can know if there is an error that we must correct as soon as possible, if there is any equipment that is not connected, etc.
GUI ping
One of those tools is GUI ping. It is a simple application that allows you to see, graphically, the ping we do to a specific website. It acts in a similar way to the pin that we can do from the command line, but more simple and visual.
With Ping GUI we will be able to ping several IP addresses at the same time. It is free and portable, so we will not have to install it on the system. Once we have Discharged we can start using it. We have to put the addresses that we want to monitor and we give Start.
In addition, at the top we will see two buttons. One of them is used to manage the configuration on our computer and the other to calculate the route with tracert to all those domains without having to use the command for each one of them.
Ping viewer
It is a similar application and it also allows us to ping different domains at the same time. In fact we can monitor up to 100 web pages if we wanted. The first thing we have to do is download it and from there to be able to use it in Windows.
We can add a list with all the IP addresses we want, whether they are public or private. We can even configure the “ping timeout”, which is the size of the packet to be sent.
eToolz
Is application It is quite complete and has different modules to be able to perform ping multiple devices, Tracert, WhoIS, or even check the HTTP headers of an email. It is considered by many to be an “all in one” network tools for Windows. First we will have to download the application.
We can ping or multiping, as well as enter the WhoIS of any website and know where it is hosted, for example. It is intuitive and we can see everything graphically in the different sections of the Windows application.
Windows Resource Monitor
In this case we are facing a tool that comes integrated with Windows, but it is still an interesting option to monitor the network. For this we have to go to Start, we write Resource Monitor and we open it. It will automatically show us a new window with the information of each program that is connected to the Internet.
It allows us to see in real time which processes are connected to the Internet. This will allow us to know if a program really works well or even if some tool that we are not interested in is consuming resources. Logically, this could also include viruses.
Block a connection in Windows
What if we want block a connection in Windows, for example so that some of the previous processes do not connect to the network? We can do it easily. There are in fact several options for this, as we will explain.
One of them, the most common, is to use the Windows firewall or any other that we have installed. We can block, for example, an application that we do not want to have access to the Internet and may be a security problem or negatively affect the connection.
Another option is Net Disabler. Of course, in this case we must take it with more caution, since this program has been designed to completely block the connection. It can be useful in certain circumstances.
Control network connection on Android
Through our mobile we will also be able to use applications to control the network and monitor the connection. Android offers a wide range of options, including being able to ping or simply see how many devices are connected to the router.
Ping
The first interesting application that Android offers is Ping. We can to download from the Google Play store. It serves, among other things, to analyze the saturation of a network by seeing the packages sent and the time it takes when we ping Google, for example.
It also allows you to perform a speed test to see if the connection is working well or to check if a server is enabled or not, to rule out that it may have problems and that is why it does not connect correctly.
Fing
With Fing We are facing one of the most complete tools to monitor a network on Android. It is capable, for example, of identifying and locating all the computers that are connected to a network. This is very useful to verify that something in particular is connected correctly. We can download it from the Google store.
This application is widely used to detect possible intruders on our Wi-Fi network. It will allow you to analyze the network and see all the devices that may be connected at any given time. Also see the IP address, MAC, name, device model, etc.
JuiceSSH
Another Android program that we want to show is JuiceSSH. In this case it is a full SSH client that allows us to connect remotely to any server or computer, simply by knowing the access data.
It is a free application, although it also has a Pro version, and that we can also find in the Google store. It is more complete than the previous ones and is more oriented to more expert users.
Network Connections
The objective of Network Connections It is similar to the Windows Resource Monitor, but in this case we are dealing with a program for Android. What it does is show all the applications that we have in use and that are connected to the Internet. We can know which IP addresses connect and see if any program connects without permission.
It is very useful, for example, to detect possible fraudulent programs that may be sending data from our device. This could happen if we have installed an application that contains malware and affects our security on the network.
AFWall +
What if we want to block these connections that can be malicious? There we would have to make use of a firewall, as is the case of AFWall +. It is a firewall that we can install for free and prevent a specific program from connecting to the network.
Its operation is similar to any other firewall that we install on the computer. We can create a black list with the applications that we do not want to have access to the network. We can get it down from the store Google play.
Programs to control the network in iOS
As in the case of Android, we can find different applications for iOS that allow us to have greater control over the network and monitor the available resources. Some programs are compatible and run on both operating systems, such as Fing. However others are exclusive.
Network Analyzer
A program that we can use on iOS is Network Analyzer. We can get it down from the official store. It is capable of monitoring all the computers that are connected to a network. Very useful if we want to see if a television is connected to Wi-Fi or if the NAS server works well, for example.
It also allows us to execute commands such as ping, to obtain a large amount of information about the network or about any device that is connected to it.
iNet-Network
This iOS program takes care of scan our Wi-Fi network and show all connected equipment. It will show us details such as the IP address, the type of device or the MAC address. This will allow us to have more control over everything that is connected in a network and, of course, to take action if a problem arises.
It is available in the official iOS store and it is one of the oldest applications to monitor a network and obtain information from the devices that are connected to it.
IP Network Scanner
One more network scanner is IP Network Scanner. What it does is show all the devices on a network and help detect potential intruders. It shows us data such as the IP address, device type, manufacturer, port scan, etc. All this will help us to have more control.
Once again, we can download it from the apple store. There we will find information on all the functions that it has and that can be very useful in our day to day to better control the network.
In short, these are some interesting programs that we can use to monitor a network on Windows, Android or iOS. These applications are useful for detecting intruders, for example, as well as finding possible problems that may appear.