Some of our favorite comments from Network Logger Pro customers:
Tech Support Email Exchange – Jan 25, 2025
Hello, we just purchased Network Logger IT and have been very pleased with it so far.
Background: We are primarily using this to monitor and log outages between two locations: Our Datacenter and a Branch office location, connected via a dedicated P2P circuit. The internet connection is only at the datacenter, so all network activity at the Branch location comes over that P2P, including accessing private servers in our datacenter, and accessing the general internet. So if that P2P connection goes down, the Branch office is completely cut off, outside of some limited local network assets.
I am running Network Logger IT on a small utility system at our Datacenter, so it’s always on, power-protected, and pretty bullet proof.. The Automatic Connection Testing seems work fine out of the box, to monitor Internet outages with our ISP, although those are very rare. More common are problems we are having with our P2P connection to the branch office. So in addition to the ACT, I have configured a secondary URL monitor which runs Ping tests aimed at a computer that is always on at the Branch office. If that system doesn’t respond, odds are there is an outage. We will get an email notification of the outage [from Network Logger IT] as long as the internet is functioning at the datacenter. This gets us very quick visibility into issues, and a very nice log of any outages, and their start and stop points (for cross-referencing in other logs) and a total outage duration. Outstanding!
I have a couple of questions. (I read the documentation and watched your videos, but I don’t see the questions I have addressed there… apologies if I missed it, but I did try! 🙂 )
1) Is there a better way to set this up? I point the primary Request URL at the remote computer, at the Branch office. I am currently pointing the secondary URL at yahoo.com, which would confirm if there is an internet outage as well, although I’m not sure this is needed.
2) Is there a way to edit the IP address I’m pointing the URL monitor to? The field does not seem like it’s editable once set up, even when it’s turned off. I understand settings are locked while it’s running (why is that?) but even when off, I can’t seem to make any changes to the URL fields. Which means that if I want to use a different target system, I have to create a new URL monitor from scratch.
3) Is there a way to save the state, so if the software is quit, or the system is restarted, upon launch the ACT comes back up (there’s a checkbox for this) AND my custom ping monitor panel ALSO restarts automatically? (It would be good to have the ability to auto-start the software upon boot / login, but I assume simply adding it to Login Items would suffice for that)
Screenshot of my preferred layout (for the moment, based on a single day of running the program):
Thank you!
K. P., Senior Systems Administrator
Hi K. P.,
1.) The way you have set up that monitor is as intended. Another thing you can do is do a traceroute to some site on the public internet and put ping monitors on each address up the traceroute chain to your ISP, that way, when an outage occurs you will know which device upstream has failed, as long as the IPs are static.
2.) You cannot edit the IP address of a monitor once it has been started, the reason for this is so that all of the samples collected by a monitor are on the same hardware basis and can be meaningfully compared to each other. This also avoids a situation where a 3rd party looks at a monitor that has had it’s target altered and is not aware of that, and then think they see a pattern in the samples that looks like a network fault or a bandwidth change that is not actually present. This can result in chaos at a data center with people chasing ghosts and technical support emails to me that I have no way of knowing the cause of. There is however a way to create a duplicate monitor with all the same settings, just go to the heart icon in the monitor UI and you will see recent monitor configurations, just click one and a blue button will appear that says, “Use Config” click that and it will create a fully configured duplicate monitor for you, then you can just enter your new target address and start it.
3.) You can configure Network Logger IT to restart automatically in any state you like using the “On application launch” menu, which is the first menu in the General pane of the Settings window. There are 4 menu choices there including asking the user what to do, and starting fresh, but it sounds like you would want either
“Automatically load the last session” which restarts with all monitors and the Network Status panel with all the data and logging from the last session
or
“Automatically load the last configuration without session data” which is the same as the previous option but it creates new empty monitors from the last session and does not load Network Status panel data from the last session.
If you use one of those options, all monitors that were running when the program terminated will start monitoring automatically on launch.
You do have to add Network Logger IT to the Login Items yourself to achieve automatic restart on boot.
Glad you are pleased with the program!
Regards,
L.
Thank you so much! Meaningful reply (not an auto response on a vaguely related topic LOL), and it’s appreciated.
Your explanations make sense and I’ll proceed accordingly.
The software has already proven useful as we have been able to catch 4-15 min outages nearly every night on our P2P connection. Usually late at night so not necessarily meaningful to active normal work, but it’s been causing all manner of mischief with our backups, some of which require mapped drives to servers on the other end. Having the exact times will help our case, and provide proof to our provider.
K. P., Senior Systems Administrator
Excellent App and Developer – Sept 5, 2024
I got this app to help diagnose issues with my home networking, including WiFi, router, and ISP. For this work, it has been invaluable! … I couldn’t be happier with this app, and heartily recommend it.
Well written – Oct 4, 2023
I just want to tell you that this app is just what I needed and I think it’s excellent. Very well written.
Very helpful – Aug 30, 2023
Your app has been very helpful in diagnosing a router problem. Being able to see exactly when and for how long an outage happens was just the information my router manufacturer needed. Before I was just keeping a ping running but it didn’t help with what time it went out or for how long. Really like your app.
Love Network Logger Pro – May 16, 2023
I love Network Logger Pro. It is sooo Best in Class, heads and tails above all the others, in fact you have no competition!
Exact fit – Apr 5, 2023
This is exactly what I was looking for, thank you.
Easy to set up – June 30, 2022
I bought Network logger a couple of days ago to try and bottom-out an intermittent problem with my broadband. Easy to set up and great interface.
Enjoying it greatly – June 20, 2022
I purchased Network Logger for the Mac and have been enjoying it greatly.
Excellent connectivity tool – Nov 19, 2021
Excellent tool to check stability and issues with network connectivity.
Automatic Connection Testing Questions – July 26, 2021
Wow! I think I was able to accomplish my goals to monitor the overall total bandwidth going through each of my two routers. Really appreciate your help and lightning fast replies.
Works great, easy to understand – July 17, 2021
This app provides a lot of useful information about my network uptime and speed. It’s been very useful in troubleshooting intermittent loss of connectivity. Really appreciate this app.
Thanks so much – Jul 17, 2021
Thanks so much for Network Logger Pro. The same day that I purchased it I was able to easily convince our ISP that there were frequent network outages they were unaware of.
Solid – Apr 29, 2021
Does exactly what it’s supposed to do.
Good Product – Apr 26, 2021
This is a very good product. I plan to watch all of the videos.
Finally Fixed My Connection – Mar 22, 2021
I’m having intermittent outages that last only a minute or two with my Spectrum connection. Technician couldn’t find anything wrong. But outages are interrupting Zoom calls and very important gaming 😉 This little program is the only one I found that’s easy to use and logs the outages. It’s worth the $10 because when the cable guy came again, I showed him the log this app kept and he saw exactly how the connection was going out for a few minutes at a time. That allowed him to trace the problem and fix it. Yay! Another reason this is great is because it let me and my video callers know who was having the problem so everyone wasn’t thinking it was them, not me. When the Zoom call started goig bad, and this little guy blinked red, I knew it was my connection, not theirs.
Great App backed by personal service/support! – Dec 29, 2020
I would recommend this app based solely on the amount of direct ownership, time and interest the developer put into it. That said, its a great and useful app in and of itself. I had an initial issue when I first downloaded it, but within minutes of emailing the developer he had reviewed the log and provided me with an immediate fix. It works great and well worth the cost.
Great product – Dec 17, 2020
Thanks for your help. Great product NLP. I live in a retirement community of ~2500 residents with terrible WiFi service. NLP allows us to demonstrate to our IT staff using graphs and numbers that the poor service is not due to old, bitchy, antiquated people with old, antiquated computers. Hard facts have helped get Access Points installed in individual apartments, rather than have them lined up in a row in the halls. Service is still spotty, but now with NLP we can document the issues with data.
Good Morning – Dec 16, 2020
Thank you for getting back so quickly, greatly appreciated and somewhat unusual theses days!
Thanks for your help – Dec 13, 2020
Thanks for your help. This is turning out to be a very valuable tool in figuring out our network issues at our house.
Wonderful App work great – Mar 17, 2020
Thsi is a great piece of software. I’ve gotten to know the six technicians that work in my area because I call them so much. My net drops constantly, enough so that at one point they threatened me with a charge of $125 for a service call if they got here and my internet was working. Well, I spent money on this App and that changed the conversation with them completely. All I have to do is show them the logs and suddenly they admit they see the same drops in service that I have documented. My neighbors appreciate that I can take the fight to the ISP. Also, the App Developer is very responsive.
Essential App for Problem Networks – Jul 16, 2018
I have a home automation system in a remote location with Internet access by wireless broadband. Neither is 100% reliable due to the remote location. Network Logger Pro is an essential tool for identifying the source of the problem and having concrete data on the data rates and outages. Well worth the price.
Simple and powerful – Jun 4, 2018
Program does what it promises. Rare these days I know. I’ve been having speed issues with cox for a year now and finally proved to them that there were issues in the neighborhood. Couldn’t have done it without Network Logger.
Excellent Internet Monitoring – Sep 26, 2018
Prior to updating to the current Mac OS Apple included a diagnostic feature in the Airport Utility that I used to determine if I should call my ISP when signals is lost. Not embracing working in the “Dark” and depend on tech support “Script Readers” whose most frequent response was “We don’t (can’t) see a problem” followed by “Most likely you need a new router” (Who I never call before resetting my Airport Extreme® and POE to roof). I reviewed options to troubleshoot for myself. After repeated signal drops for 3 days after a recent storm I was told “We don’t see….”. Network Logger Pro® had excellent reviews so I purchased and downloaded. After monitoring my internet connection for another 24 hours the log showed signal drops ranging from a few seconds to several minutes and finally no signal as all. I checked cables for damage and tightness and I again reset Airport Extreme® and POE to radio on roof. I know the owner of the ISP so I emialed the log to him. His diagnostic showed he could see the Radio on my roof but not the Airport Extreme®. I reset my Airport Extreme® and the POE. No connection so I again physically checked connections including on not checked before the cable from the radio to the POE. The contacts in end connector of the cable between the POE and the roof radio appeared charred (Dark like burned). While disconnected I cleaned the contacts on the cable end with a brass brush. After resetting the Airport Extreme and the POE the signal was restored. I texted the owner what I discovered and he sent out a repairman the next day. After replacing the ends at the POE and the radio on the roof and replacing the POE (Contacts burned in it too)signal was restored. That was two days ago. It is my opinion, without the Network Logger Pro®, I would have been unsuccessful in determining the source of the signal loss and convincing the ISP I DID NOT have a defective Airport Extreme® I did email Network Logger Pro® tech support for assistance with minimizing the log window. I am impressed with the “possibilities” I read in the manual I downloaded and have watched in the easy to follow video tutorials offered on Youtube® readily accessed through the HELP tab at the top of the App’s screen.
Extremely useful data – Sep 5, 2017
Used this app to monitor uptime at my office (which kept having wifi issues) and at my house (which kept having ISP issues.) The data it collected helped me debug both issues and also kept me aware of when my connection was dropping. Recommend.
Good App, great service. – Aug 17, 2017
I bought this App to log outage issues over an extended period (hearing me Open Reach?) and it performs exactly as advertised. A question to the developer (Lyle) was answered literally within minutes and out of ofice hours. To me that combination is well worth the price.
Great app, worth the $ for sure – Jul 11, 2017
I’m fairly technically savvy, but when it comes to networks I’m like a fish out of water. I get the basics, but running commands in terminal or fishing around for logs on my machine isn’t really ideal. I have been having issues with internet connectivity. I suspect it is the line coming into my house. Of course ISPs do not want this, so they will attempt to point the finger at any other possibility before they send a tech out. Not anymore! I plugged my box directly into the modem, fired up Network Logger Pro and went to bed. When I woke up it was like Christmas morning when I saw all of the outages. Each one was for around the same time; about 6 minutes. Made the call to my ISP this morning, they are coming out tomorrow to replace the line. My main point is this: If you are having internet connectivity problems, this $10 app will save you the hassle of having to run around in circles with your ISP. The logs don’t lie, and you can confidently tell your ISP what’s up. In terms of ease-of-use, sure there are some things I don’t fully get with the app (some of the terms used, technologies leveraged, etc) but I understand when my box speaks out something like “Internet Interruption Detected”. That I understand, and for my purpose that’s all I needed. As far as setup goes, there wasn’t really much to do. It just works
Great App, Responsive Developer – Jun 14, 2017
On first glance the graph can be a little intimidating but the app is pretty much set it and forget it (until you have an outage, at which time you’ll probably want to consult the manual to learn how to export data to submit to your ISP, which is easier than it sounds). Really the only thing I’ve had to do is to select the desired network to monitor in the menubar and that takes all of one click. I mentioned to the developer that I would like to be able to set the smaller graph to monitor only one connection, as the shared connection to a PC in another room is of no concern to me, and he responded the very next day and said that he would add it to his to-do list. Very responsive. In the end, this app is far easier for the average user to track connection drops with than searching tedious log files, using professional network tools, or taking screenshots of Apple’s dropped connection graphics, and will hold more weight with your ISP than just complaining about your connection. And at a fraction of the price of other network tools to boot! I am very happy with Network Logger Pro and I kind of wish my connection problems would arise again just so I can set my ISP straight 🙂
It does what it says on the tin – Apr 24, 2017
This is a good application, it does what it says on the tin.
The on screen detail is probably more than an average home user really requires, but it depends on what you want or need to monitor on your network.
I purchased the app to chase down broadband outages my ISP tells me don’t happen… and the app shows that they do, recording the time and duration of the connection drops. It would be nice if there was additional information detailing the attempted pings sent and URLs not contactable during an outage, but it’s not essential detail just a “nice to have” feature.
In all honesty the UI is a little clunky and would certainly benefit from having a minimise button, especially when doing long duration monitoring, but it’s a logging and monitoring tool and as such it is fit for purpose.
App support from Lyle, the developer, is outstanding.
Superb – Apr 19, 2017
this app is superb. it allows me to prove all the doubts i had about the quality of service im receiving from my broadband company. it gives you indisputable record of the quality of connection you get over time. the app itself is very easy to use. well done and thanks!
Excellent program – Dec 27, 2016
I was looking to diagnose dropped connections on someone else’s wireless network. Using this program, I was able to quickly identify that there was a problem only with the DNS and fix the problem in about ten minutes. It has a very clean, straightforward interface that quickly presents the information you need to gauge connection problems, especially if you have multiple connections. I emailed the creator of the program for information and he responded promptly and courteously. Happy to do business with Lyle.
Great Program, keeps your ISP honest ! – Apr 29, 2015
This app is worth every penny. Proved to my ISP what lousy service they were providing during peak hours. Speeds from my ISP are better than ever.
Works as Advertised – Feb 16, 2014
Runs long term analysis of speed and up time. Since I use VPN, I need to document outages. Easy to use.
Excellent, easy to use, and does exactly what I need – Jan 6, 2013
“I wanted a utility to track my network’s downtime from my ISP, and wanted logs to show Time Warner about my disconnects. Network Logger does exactly that (I bought version 2.0) and the user interface is wonderfully easy, even for a novice like me. Support was great as well. I had pre-purchase questions and wrote the developer, Lyle, who answered me in two hours. I’m running Network Logger on a MacBook Pro, Mac OS X 10.7.5, with lots of other apps open. It’s never crashed or hung on me. Love it. Recommend it.”
Cool app with great support. – Mar 16, 2013
“Downloaded this app and couldn’t get it to work for what I wanted to do. I emailed the developer and got a very helpful response the next day.”
Good long term monitor – Oct 8, 2011
“This is the only tool I’ve found that provides a view of network behavior over long periods of time. Since it does regular sampling it’s not limited to looking at user generated traffic. Easily worth the price.”
Answers my doubts… – Aug 14, 2011
“This app is superb. It allows me to prove all the doubts I had about the quality of service Im receiving from my broadband company. It give you indisputable record of the quality of connection you get over time. The app itself is very easy to use and stable (running on SnowLeopard). Well done and thanks.”
Very handy for monitoring network – Aug 9, 2011
“My DSL has been dropping its connection (losing sync) about a ten times a day. This wouldn’t be a huge problem for just casual surfing, but it brings down my VPN connection every time and everything running over that connection, which is a big hassle. Network Logger has been invaluable in documenting for my ISP just how frequently my connection goes down. When I called my ISP with this information, I got to 2nd level support almost immediately, without even being asked if it’s plugged in, or to turn it off and turn it on again.
I’m getting a backup cable connection later this week, but last time I used this company a few years ago, they were providing less than 50% of advertised speeds, so I’m looking forward to also using Network Logger to monitor that I’m getting what I pay for. All in all, a great tool with lots of different uses. Very handy to have in your toolbox whether you need to constantly monitor a site, or just to have around for occasional use when your network or site starts behaving oddly.”