I was reading an interesting article the other day in computerworld.com and thought about sharing it with you guys. It basically suggests 10 free software tools that you can download to make your network easier to use, troubleshoot and maintain. These freebies will help everyone from networking pros to networking newbies and everyone in between.

Although there are plenty of free network software out there, the article concentrates on the lesser-known tools, which however can be very useful for keeping your network secure; creating a quick, navigable network map; scanning networks and putting together a list of all connected devices; checking to see if your servers are up and running; even designing networks and more.

I will just list the free software tools below and you can just check them out for a description on their website:

1. Network Magic (www.networkmagic.com)
2. Spiceworks IT Desktop (www.spiceworks.com)
3. NetLimiter Monitor (www.netlimiter.com)
4. Network Notepad (www.networknotepad.com)
5. Advanced Net Tools (www.dreamsyssoft.com/advanced-net-tools)
6. Advanced IP Scanner (www.radmin.com/products/utilities/ipscanner.php)
7. DreamSys Server Monitor (www.dreamsyssoft.com/servmon.php)
8. Technitium MAC Address Changer (www.technitium.com)
9. NetBrute Scanner (www.rawlogic.com)
10. RogueScanner (www.paglo.com/opensource/roguescanner)