|  | 7.2 | Monitoring the Network
| 7.2.3 | Traffic monitoring
Traffic monitoring is a much more sophisticated method of network monitoring. It looks at the actual packet traffic on the network and generates reports based upon the network traffic. Programs such as Microsoft Windows NT network monitor and Fluke's Network Analyzer are examples of this type of software. These programs not only detect failing equipment but also determine if a component is overloaded or poorly configured. The drawback to this type of program is that it normally works on a single segment at a time and if data needs to be gathered from other segments the monitoring software must be moved to that segment. This can be overcome by the use of agents on the remote network segments (as shown in the graphic). Equipment like switches and routers have the ability to generate and transmit traffic statistics as part of their operating system. So, how is the data gathered and organized in one central location to be useful to the network administrator? The answer is: Simple Network Management Protocol.