Viakoo Announces Free Network Monitor

By Brian Karas, Published Apr 21, 2016, 01:46pm EDT

Intransa reincarnate Viakoo is giving away its networking monitoring service.

Viakoo released a freemium product, FreeMonitor [link no longer available], aimed at providing basic system health monitoring services for security systems.

This report takes a look at how FreeMonitor fits in a crowded marketplace of server monitoring tools.

Basic ******** ****

*********** ******** * **** of ****** ** ********: 

  • ****** **** ******* ** stops **********
  • ***** ********** ******** ***** running
  • ****** ******* ******* ***** running
  • * ****** **** *******
  • **** ***** **********
  • ********* **********
  • **** ********
  • ***** ****** ********
  • ****** ********* ********** *** ** space

***** *** ***** ******** and ********* *** ***** be ********* ** *** number ** *********** ********** platforms.

Freemium ****

**** **** *******, ******'* VP ** *********, **** Gallagher, **** ****** * blog *** ********** ****** ** Free.  *** **** ******** is ****** ** **** the *** ** *** blog:

** *** **** ****** FreeMonitor ******, *** ***** like ** **** ********* of *** ********* ****** that ************* ********** ******* location, **** ***** ** the *******, *** *** to *** **.  ** maybe *** ****-****** ********, predictive *********, ***** ********, and ** ***** – all ********* *** * fee.

*********** ** *** **** to *** *** **** Viakoo's ******** *** ********** converted ** * ********** of **** ********.  

******* *** ******** ******** ****** by ******* **** *** system ****. 

Software ***** *** ******** ******** ********** ********

*********** ******** *** ** install ** ***** ** the ******(*) *** **** to *******. **** ***'* uncommon *** ***** **** provide *********** **********, *** it **** **** **** you **** ** ***** Viakoo ****** ** ******* their ********* ***** ** your ****** *** **** it ****** ** ***** network ********* **** ********.

*********** **** ******** * persistent ******** ********** **** HTTPS **** ** ******'* servers.

Setup ****

**** ** *** *** entire ****** ** *** running ***** ****** **** an ************* **** * day.  *** **** ** download, *******, *** ***** account **** *** *** software ****** ** **** server, *** **** ********* SNMP ** ******* **** switches ** *** *****'* already.  ***'** **** ** some ************* ** ******'* web ****** ** ***** contact **** *** ********* alert *****.  *** ***** process **** *** ****** to ** ****** ***********, but ** *** **** some **** ** ********.  If **** ******* ********* outbound *********** **** ******* by ******* ***'** **** need ** ****** **** firewall ** ***** ******** HTTPS ****** ** ******'* servers.

Race ** *** ******: ********

****** ********** ******* ****** to *** ***** *** ***, *** *** ******** offer ******* *** ***** barriers ** *** *******.  

* **** ****** ********** of ***** **** **** to **** **** ** required ** ******* **** move **** ****** ******** more ******** *** ******.

Free ************

***** *** * ****** of ****-**** ************ ** Viakoo, ****** *** ******* Viakoo ****** ** ***** in-the-cloud ******, ******* *** don't **** ** ***** and ******** **** *** monitoring ******.

**** ******** **** **** monitoring ***** *******:

** **** ** **** *** ************ ***** **** ****** ******* of *** ********** ** setting ** **** *** monitoring.

Market ******

******'* *********** **** *** ***** any ************ ********, *** it ** *** ** a **** ******* ****** of ********** ********* **** a ***** ** ******** (Optigo ** *******, ***: **-******** **** ***** ******* Outage ********** ******* (******)).  

*** ******* ** ****** monitoring **** *****, *** users *** ** ******** to **** **** ****** fees **** ******* **** often ***** ******* **** support/maintenance ****.  ****** ***** competition **** *********** ******* monitors, *** ************ ****** monitoring ******** ***** ***** to *** *********.

** *********** ******** *** Viakoo ***** ** ** offer ***** ******** ** a ****-*** *** ******* monitoring ******** ** ***** organizations **** *** ********** to ******* *** ******* to ******* ** * way ** ******** ********** for ***** *************.

Comments (11)

Undisclosed #1

IPVMU Certified | 04/21/16 10:08pm

Thanks, Brian.

Am I understanding this right, that the free version doesn't monitor individual cameras or even channels? How much more is that?

Is there any real security integration or monitoring going on, or just the VMS/Access Control processes (Which I'm guessing you have to tell it anyway)?

Avatar

Brian Karas

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed #1 | 04/22/16 01:16am

Yes, this is more of a basic server monitor, not something that monitors cameras, or video recording.

The paid products vary in price based on total number of channels, from what I have been told by other Viakoo dealers, and how the dealer wants to sell it. I know of one monitoring company that was planning to wrap a basic portion of the paid Viakoo monitoring into part of their larger contract, and not charge for it as a separate line item.

Avatar

Scott Gerrels

IPVMU Certified | 04/21/16 10:37pm

We use Viakoo now... have been for a while.

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Scott Gerrels | 04/21/16 10:43pm

Scott, what have you found particularly good or bad about it?

Avatar

Scott Gerrels

IPVMU Certified | 04/21/16 10:56pm

The biggest obstacle, hurdle, mountain to climb as always is IT. We have it installed on alot of our customers, but not all. It's been effective in some instances, telling us where the problem has originated vs the standard health check "Oh, there is a problem".

For IP cameras its actually very good. The larger obstacle is other security devices. Access Control systems, are painfully behind in the network world.

Undisclosed #1

IPVMU Certified | In reply to Scott Gerrels | 04/21/16 11:51pm

What version do you use?

Avatar

Scott Gerrels

IPVMU Certified | In reply to Undisclosed #1 | 04/21/16 11:57pm

Not the free one

Undisclosed Integrator #2

08/12/16 09:16pm

We tested the full version of Viakoo but it did not work for us. Wouldn't find many networking devices and strangely you couldn't manually enter any. The video stream monitor only works with certain VMS'. They tried to make it too simple and ended up making it too limited.

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed Integrator #2 | 08/12/16 09:18pm

2, when you say networking devices, do you means switches or IP cameras or?

Undisclosed Integrator #2

In reply to John Honovich | 08/12/16 09:37pm

Yes,switches and access points.

Michael Miller

08/12/16 09:27pm

U2 same issue with us. Too limited as we couldn't monitor UPS, SAN and wireless links. Just didn't make sense to have two different monitoring platforms

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