Monitors networked devices and TCP/IP services running on them. Allows pinging of hosts and checking of TCP and UDP ports. Shows current status, sends notifications by email, generates log, HTML and CSV files and executes custom scripts. Run as NT service.

Pros: sMonitor is a network monitoring software that allows you to verify the network connectivity of TCP/IP hosts on the Internet and LAN. The application periodically pings and thereby checks the TCP and UDP ports on user specified computers or other network devices. Protocol specific requests are sent to port 67 (DHCP), 123 (NTP), 137 (NETBIOS-NS), 161 (SNMP), 389 (LDAP).

Should the destination host fail to reply to a ping, connection request, or user datagram, sMonitor alerts you using audible alarms, visible notifications, e-mail messages, third-party software, modem and telnet connections. E-mail messages can use any custom format created by the user. The application also generates a HTML report or a CSV file indicating current status and uploads the report by FTP to a specified host. Several automatic actions can be scheduled based on the status. Actions that can be performed are power management, reboot and alarm reporting through the use of telnet or custom scripts. A built in script interpreter is provided to run these scripts. Scripts can be developed and debugged within the environment of this same application. Third party applications can be launched.

The user interface is a table that displays status and the application keeps updating it. Controls on the same are a few and simple to use. For managing networks whose uptime is crucial, this application can help the administrator keep an eye on the status and take actions depending on any changes. Same status view is created in an HTML file that can be dispatched to a web server via FTP. Plain text log files and in CSV format can be used by additional applications if required.

Cons: Nothing adverse detected.

Overall: This is a very useful program with a simple interface and is easy to learn. This is an application fit for 5 star category.