Domotz Pro Review

Organizations use Domotz Pro to monitor the networks of clients. In this review, we’re going to take a closer look at the network monitoring capabilities of Domotz Pro. However, before we look at the features themselves, we’re going to look at how Domotz Pro works.

How Does Domotz Pro Work?

Domotz Pro

Domotz Pro is a remote network monitoring tool that is comprised of three components: Domotz Pro Mobile Application, Domotz Pro Cloud and Domotz Network Agent. To start using Domotz Pro you first need to create an account. Once this is done you can add a Domotz Agent. There are two options for adding an agent;

Once you have these components you can start using Domotz Pro to monitor your network or remote networks.

Domotz Pro Review Overview

In this review, we’ve taken into account everything from the installation process to network monitoring, remote management, alerts, and mobile monitoring. Below is an overview of the features we’re going to look at in further detail:

  • Installation and Configuration – The program is clientless and easy to deploy with automatic network mapping and autodiscovery. It takes less than 15 minutes to finish scanning for connected devices.
  • Network Monitoring – You can monitor unlimited endpoints with SNMP monitoring, bandwidth analysis, external IP host monitoring, and speed tests. It is ideal for larger enterprises managing remote networks.
  • The User Interface – A web-based and desktop application are available. It is easy to see the performance of connected agents as they are color-coded. Also, a map view to show you where devices are located.
  • Alerts – The user can configure trigger conditions for alerts. Configurable trigger conditions are available for status, speed, and temperature. Alerts are sent as a push notification.
  • Remote Management – Secure remote connections are available with TCP, HTTP, SSH, Telnet, and RDP. It is great for monitoring IoT devices.
  • Remote Power Management – The user can power PDUs and PoE switches on and off remotely.
  • Administration and Team Management – You can monitor multiple clients through one dashboard. Team Leaders can invite other team members to monitor a client. It has a permissions system to restrict who has access to what clients.
  • Web and Mobile Applications – Web and mobile applications are available so that you can access the program no matter where you’re located. Push notifications keep you updated.
  • Mobile monitoring – You can conduct SNMP monitoring from a mobile device and view an “All Important Devices” view to see which devices are online.
  • Reports – You can create automated reports to keep yourself updated about network performance. Reports can be scheduled in the future.
  • Integrations – Integrations work with providers such as Control4, D-Tools, StormAudio WyreStorm, Liberty AV, Denon, Marantz, Creston, Sonos and more. Also, it has a RESTful API for further extensions.
  • Pricing – The Device Plan costs up to $1.50 per month, per device, and their Location Plan is priced at $35 or less per month, per location. You can register for a free quote and for a 14-day free trial.

Installation and Configuration

Domotz Pro installation screenshot

Domotz Pro is easy to deploy because it is a clientless solution. All you need to begin is to download the software. Once the software Is installed, the Domotz Agent will monitor the network and send you alerts if any problems are found. The Domotz Agent is available on Windows, Ubuntu, QNAP NAS, Synology NAS, ReadyNAS, Raspberry PI, and Virtual Machine.

The network is automatically mapped out so you don’t have to manually configure devices. Scanning for devices takes less than 15 minutes and scanning continues to discover devices added in the future.

The simplicity of the installation process and the autodiscovery feature are ideal for organizations looking for swift deployment. There are relatively few concerns to worry about when adopting this solution as there is very little in the way of manual configurations that need to be done.

The autodiscovery capabilities of Domotz Pro not only make deployment hassle-free but also eliminate the inconvenience of adding new devices. Domotz Pro is a low-maintenance network monitoring solution in both the short and long term.

Network Monitoring

Domotz Pro Dashboard

Users of Domotz Pro will be relying on its network monitoring capabilities. However, the focus of Domotz Pro is a little different than most network monitoring tools. The tool is intended for companies attempting to manage the third-party networks (on behalf of clients). The tool can be used to remotely monitor networks for performance issues at a distance.

The network monitoring experience is the core part of Domotz Pro’s offering. For a start, the tool can monitor unlimited endpoints. The lack of restrictions makes this ideal for larger organizations or companies looking for a network monitoring solution that is scalable.

When monitoring network performance with Domotz Pro you are provided with everything you need to measure the network’s status. The program incorporates SNMP monitoring, bandwidth analysis, and speed tests to find problems. You can monitor SNMPv2 devices complete with alerts and speed tests can be run manually or scheduled by the user.

One interesting feature from Domotz Pro is that of external IP host monitoring. Extending monitoring allows you to monitor up to five devices remotely all the way from web services to Layer 3 in your network. This gives you visibility even if you’re not on-site. When combined with other features like mobile monitoring (see further below) the platform provides you with transparency wherever you are.

Related: The Best Network Monitoring Tools

The User Interface

The user interface of the web and desktop application are designed to give you top-down visibility over the performance of connected agents. The main listview displays of active agents.

Each agent is color-coded and marked as Healthy, Issues or Down. Healthy devices are denoted by green, those with Issues by yellow and those Down by purple. There is also a map on the right-hand side to show you where the agents are located. The map is useful because it provides you with context on the geographical structure of your network.

While the user interface doesn’t have much depth it provides you with the essentials you need to see how connected devices are performing. There isn’t any unnecessary information that clutters the display. Everything you see on the screen is important and problem areas stick out prominently.

Alerts

To ensure that you don’t miss any important security or performance events Domotz Pro has an alerts system. Alerts work by having the user configure trigger conditions or parameters for connected devices. Device conditions you can monitor include status, speed, and temperature.

After configuring a trigger condition, once the trigger is met the program sends the user an alert or push notification. Alerts are sent straight to your email or device so that you can see a list of significant events that have happened throughout the day. These are useful for keeping you up-to-date with security events.

The alerts system gives you complete control over the conditions that you want to monitor. Likewise being able to monitor the temperature of connected devices makes sure that your resources are being utilized correctly. If they aren’t, you’ll know almost immediately.

Remote Management

Domotz Pro screenshot

The remote management features offered by Domotz Pro are wide-ranging. The platform offers secure remote connections via TCP, HTTP, SSH, Telnet, and RDP. Open ports are scanned for automatically to make it easy to connect to remote services. In addition, you can also monitor VLANs.

Those users looking to incorporate Internet of Things (IoT) devices are also adequately supported with a number of features. You monitor the status of IoT devices from providers such as Zigbee, Z-Wave, and Cresnet. If you’re in or working on behalf of an organization that is adopting IoT devices, Domotz Pro provides you with much-needed transparency.

Being able to monitor IoT devices is particularly important for those enterprises embracing digital transformation. Domotz Pro thus provides the features to monitor IoT devices in enterprises deploying new IoT products.

Related: The best server monitoring tools

Remote Power Management

If you want complete control over a remote network then remote power management is one of the most invaluable features on Domotz Pro. Remote power management enables the user to power PDUs and PoE switches off and on remotely. Domotz Pro supports smart plugs from providers such as Belkin, APC, CyberPower, SnapAV, Luxul, Panamax/Bluebolt, Tripp-lite, and Bryant.

Remote power management is beneficial because it allows you to turn off faulty devices and get control over security and performance issues. It also helps to cross the boundary between monitoring a network and interacting with a network. Remotely interacting with network devices provides extra options for responding to problems in the network.

During a security event, you can react to issues rather than simply watching. For instance, if the temperature of a device reaches problematic levels then you can power it off and take a closer look. Being able to switch off devices in this manner grants you a host of other options for responding to threats.

Administration and Team Management

The administration potential offered by Domotz Pro is one of its strongest assets. Clients can be monitored through one dashboard. The dashboard allows you to dive in and out of different client’s networks and make sure that you don’t miss anything. Administration on Domotz Pro is all focused on controlling access to Domotz Agents. A Team Leader can invite Team Members to collaborate and work on a Domotz Agent.

Permissions can be assigned and revoked based on who needs to access certain material. Users with adequate permissions will be able to benefit from shared alerts. As an extra security measure, Domotz Pro offers two-factor authentication. You can check whether members of your team have completed two-factor authentication to keep your client’s data secure.

Web and Mobile Applications

To ensure that you can access Domotz Pro wherever you go, the platform is available as a web application, desktop application or mobile application. All of these applications are synced across devices with push notifications to keep you up-to-date. This means if the performance of a device is sub-par you’ll know about it whether you’re at your desk or on the move.

There is also a customer-facing mobile application that allows customers to request support. Through the application, you can provide much-needed troubleshooting guidance. The great thing about this is that it allows you to expand from monitoring client networks to actively supporting them to resolve issues.

Mobile Monitoring

Domotz Pro network monitoring

The mobile monitoring experience offered by Domotz Pro is very detailed. From a phone, you can do network and SNMP monitoring. On the main dashboard you are shown whether “All Important Devices” are online or not, the number of devices in your network, the number of online devices, the download speed of the network, the upload speed, a list of alerts and collaboration options.

List/Map View and Hamburger View

For monitoring multiple sites you can switch between a list/map view and a hamburger view. The Map View shows you a map of active Domotz Agents. You can then filter agents to see only those that are up and running, down, or experiencing issues.

In this list view, you can view a list of Agents with health indicators. The health indicator is categorized as green for Healthy, yellow for some important devices down,and purple if the Agent is offline.

The hamburger menu provides you with a more condensed version of this information. You can view an agent overview, number of collaboration requests, expired agents and the number of My Domotz Eyes being used. Alerts can also be activated or deactivated with a toggle on this screen.

Additional Features

Another excellent feature on the mobile app is remote device access. Domotz Pro screens opened ports for available services and allows you to connect to a divide in one click. Connections are encrypted so you don’t have to worry about keeping your data secure or using a VPN.

You can also interact with some of your configurations on the mobile app. For instance, in the Alert Manager, you can toggle whether to “Get an email notification” or Get a push notification” when a new device is discovered. Being able to make tweaks on the go allows you to interact with your monitoring experience wherever you are.

Reports

Automated reports are another key offering of Domotz Pro. The user can schedule monthly reports on network performance. You can generate reports on historical performance data, Wifi signal, user activity, and more. Once the report has been created you can share it with the rest of your team.

Being able to automate reports makes it easy to periodically check up on network performance. Scheduled reports are even more valuable for those organizations working with multiple clients who need to manage the performance concerns of many different customers with unique needs.

Integrations

Domotz Pro offers integrations with a number of other external providers including Control4, D-Tools, StormAudio WyreStorm, Liberty AV, Denon, Marantz, Crestron, Sonos, and more. However, if you require more, you can use the Domotz Pro Public API. The RESTful API allows you to integrate other applications with the software to customize the monitoring experience.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

  • Offers a simple dashboard that makes it easy to see bottlenecks and dependencies
  • Creates topology maps automatically based on each sensor’s location
  • Has a wide range of access control, QoS, and bandwidth controls that sysadmin can apply

Cons:

  • Better suited for multi-site organizations and MSPs

Pricing

The Device Plan costs up to $1.50 per month, per device, and their Location Plan is priced at $35 or less per month, per location. You can access a 14-day free trial and fill in details for a custom quote.

Domotz Pro Review: A Robust Remote Monitoring Solution

From the lightweight installation process to its battle-tested remote network monitoring abilities, Domotz Pro delivers an exceptional remote monitoring experience. The user experience provides you with complete visibility on a per network and customer basis.

The moment that a device starts to perform poorly the alerts system will keep you informed. With the right responses in place, you can solve performance issues in real-time.

The potential to integrate additional services further supports the monitoring experience. The user isn’t limited to the out-of-the-box capabilities offered by Domotz Pro. Integrating third-party services gives enterprises the flexibility needed to implement a custom approach to network monitoring.

In addition, the multi-platform monitoring experience helps the user to stay within reach of performance data no matter where they are. The web, desktop, and mobile apps all come together to create a complete monitoring experience that synergizes together to cover everything.

While Domotz Pro’s focus is fixated clearly on remote network monitoring (often on behalf of customers) there’s no reason why an enterprise couldn’t use it to monitor its own network. As a result, Domotz Pro is an exceptional tool regardless of whether you’re managing customer networks or trying to ensure your network is performing as it should.