Syslog and freeware

Real time analysis of syslog messages from your devices is done from its customizable dashboard. It comes with powerful search functionalities and the ability to filter results and drill down to those messages that you specifically require, such as error messages only or messages only from a specific device. Its search capabilities include Boolean, quoted string and wildcard searches; it allows you to search in real time, search time-range, or search by transaction-level.

It can also be set up to collect syslog data from a forwarder. Splunk Enterprise is a paid system but you can get it on a day free trial. The Dude is a powerful network administration application; it contains within itself a built-in Free Syslog Server.

While having The Dude poll your devices sending out information requests at regular intervals using SNMP is useful, capturing unsolicited messages from your devices is a more effective way to catch errors quickly.

Progress WhatsUp Gold is a network management system that can be expanded by add-ons. One of the add-ons available with this package is the Log Management module.

The Log Management system can operate as a Syslog server and it will also receive Windows Events messages. It is able to consolidate these two different formats and file them together. The service collects metrics on log message throughputs and will raise an alert if the arrival rate suddenly increases or decreases out of band.

The dashboard of the Log Management tool will show each log message as it arrives. The severity of each message is easy to spot, thanks to the use of color-coded icons that follow a traffic light system. These tools are software packages that install on Windows Server. You can access both on a day free trial. Grab one of these great Free Syslog Servers today and fire up a Test VM or Server and get it configured to really get a good feeling of the software works, along with their respective feature sets.

We'll continue to Update this list throughout the year and if we've missed any software, please feel free to send us an email and we'll happily get the software added after we've reviewed it!

Runs on Windows and Windows Server. Runs on Windows Server. The service also records message turnover metrics and can issue alerts for unusual levels. Pricing There are several pricing options to choose from when purchasing WinSyslog. Each main tier has different pricing per license, and per year of upgrade insurance.

Upgrade insurance includes free upgrades and priority support, and is an annual fee. Upgrade insurance is optional. Please note that if you do not have upgrade insurance, and the version you are attempting to upgrade to is two versions newer or more, you will need to purchase a new license.

WhatsUp Gold by IpSwitch. It is capable of filtering, importing, and managing syslog entries. Pricing WhatsUp is completely Free. Features Log collection: WhatsUp is capable of collecting logs from any device capable of sending syslog messages on the configured listener port. There is no cap, and the software is capable of processing up to six million messages per hour.

Filtering and Rules: There are many options for filtering logs that you can choose from. Step 3. Optionally, configure the source interface with the logging source-interface interface-type interface number global configuration mode command. This specifies that syslog packets contain the IPv4 or IPv6 address of a specific interface, regardless of which interface the packet uses to exit the router.

Issue timestamp showing the UTC time instead of local time:. Security Cisco routers can log information regarding configuration changes, ACL violations, interface status, CPU utilization, and many other types of events. For example, use the memory free low-watermark threshold io and memory free low-watermark processor commands to set memory thresholds. The router will send notifications, specified in kilobytes to the syslog server when available free memory falls below the threshold.

The router will send notifications again when the available free memory rises to five percent above the threshold. The syslog logging service provides three primary functions : The ability to gather logging information for monitoring and troubleshooting The ability to select the type of logging information that is captured The ability to specify the destinations of captured syslog messages On Cisco network devices, the syslog protocol starts by sending system messages and debug output to a local logging process internal to the device.

Logging buffer RAM inside a router or switch Console line Terminal line Syslog server Syslog message format The smaller numerical levels are the more critical syslog alarms.

Each syslog level has its own meaning: Warning Level — Emergency Level — These messages are error messages about software or hardware malfunctions; these types of messages mean that the functionality of the device is affected. The severity of the issue determines the actual syslog level applied. Debugging Level — This level indicates that the messages are output generated from issuing various debug commands. Notification Level — The notifications level is only for information, device functionality is not affected.

Interface up or down transitions, and system restart messages are displayed at the notifications level. This can be accomplished in one of two ways: Manually set, using the clock set command Automatically set, using the Network Time Protocol NTP Enable millisecond msec timestamps using the service timestamps command: router config service timestamps debug datetime msec router config service timestamps log datetime msec These commands add time stamps to debugs in the format MMM DD HH:MM:SS, indicating the date and time according to the system clock.

Use ntp master number to set a router as NTP server. Configuring Syslog To view syslog messages, a syslog server must be installed on a workstation in the network. The output also notes that 32 such messages have been logged. The access method for a Syslog server depends on your operating system and the specific Syslog server that you chose to install.

On Linux, the Syslog server is more likely to be a command line utility. If you have a Linux flavor with a graphical interface, such as Ubuntu, you might be able to have a GUI Syslog server package.

GUI interfaces are very common for Windows-based Syslog servers. In these cases, the installer may well have created a shortcut icon on your Desktop. Syslog is a Linux utility, so it is better to create a Syslog server on a Linux machine:.

Those are the basic steps to start collecting Syslog messages and storing them to a file. You can get more sophisticated by adding in filters to direct messages to different files or add in explanations of each recorded event. Create a mnemonic to remember these. Take the first letter of each level type and make a memorable phrase with words that start with the same first letters. A Syslog server receives files sent by Syslog clients or sends out files in response to requests.

The files are formatted following a protocol called Syslog, which defines the fields in each log message. I use Syslog Watcher because it is effective for collecting and storing syslog messages from your router. It is great for managing all of your system messages on one computer.

I really like the control dashboard as it gives you several options on how to process messages. SylogWatcher is a great product. There are few products out there that have such a clean interface. However, Syslog Watcher originally obtained under SnmpSoft Company guise has remained the installed product which has fitted with my requirements. Easy to remove some noise from the displayed list. Drill down to logs for a particular device? Thank you so much for your help with this.

Business users can get a day money-back guarantee, however. I have tried multiple Syslog Servers, and my favorite one without a doubt is the Syslog Watcher. The thing I like the most is the ease of filtering messages. You guys you tried it out! This site uses Akismet to reduce spam.

Learn how your comment data is processed. Comparitech uses cookies. More info. Menu Close. We are reader supported and may receive a commission when you make purchases using the links on our site. Need the best syslog server to stay on top of system events? There are a lot of free tools out there, so we have reviewed the top 18 syslog servers for Windows and Linux to help you decide. Stephen Cooper. With a variety of filters and real-time monitoring options you can closely monitor your network and also send daily summaries.

Free for up to five devices. This service is for a fee, but there is a free Lite package. This is a cloud-based service. Installs on Linux. The tool will run on Windows Server. Syslog Watcher A free Syslog server for Windows that writes Syslog messages to files or a database and includes record sorting and filtering functions. As well as writing messages to log files it will create checksum validation files that are protected by SHA encryption.

The free version is limited to a data throughput of MB per day. Icinga 2 Free network monitoring system for Linux with an integrated Syslog server. Visual Syslog Server Collects Syslog messages and stores them to file as well as displaying them in a dashboard.

The program is free and runs on Windows and Windows Server. Logstash A system message monitoring service for Linux that includes the storage of Syslog messages. Graylog A log management system for Linux that is free to use with log message data volumes of up to 5 GB per day. What should you look for in Syslog server tools? We reviewed the market for Syslog servers and analyzed the options based on the following criteria: The ability to receive Syslog messages from any system The option to receive log messages from other systems Logfile consolidation A log file manager A log receiving record Free options or a free trial period for assessment A free tool that offers sufficient utilities or a tool that is worth paying for.

Pros: Offers a freeware version for smaller networks Captures both syslog and SNMP traps, ensuring nothing is missed Interface is easy to use and allows for quick filtering based on application, location, or custom grouping Color-coded warning level helps critical events pop out, and aids in prioritization Affordable for any size network.

Cons: Built for sysadmins, not the best option for home networks or non-technical users. Pros: Lives in the cloud, allowing syslog servers to scale regardless of onsite infrastructure Setup is easy, no lengthy onboarding process Can pull logs from cloud platforms such as AWS, Docker, etc Data is immediately available for review and analysis Offers a completely free version with limited retention.

Cons: Would like to see a longer trial. Pros: Offers a limited freeware version, good for smaller businesses Works seamlessly with other ManageEngine tools, fits well into their environment Can apply bulk actions to log data making it a good fit for enterprises and larger networks Archived logs can be encrypted and have access rights applied to them, helpful in team environments. Cons: The platform has a large number of features and options which can take time to fully learn and implement.

Pros: One of the best platforms in terms of log visualization Offers numerous templates and configurations that make the platform plug-and-play Operates as a cloud service, lowering infrastructure costs and makes scaling easy Log collector agent is available for both Windows and Linux Pricing is based on data processed and retention rates, making this a viable option for both large and small businesses.

Cons: Site24x7 is a more detailed platform designed for professionals, not the best fit for hobbyists or home users. Cons: Does not offer a cloud version. Pros: Allows users to customize sensors to meet their specific needs Free version allows monitoring with up to sensors, great for smaller businesses Offers both on-premise and cloud versions A great choice for companies looking to also monitor other aspects of their business such as networks, applications, or infrastructure.

Cons: Can take time to learn the platform, PRTG is rich with features and designed for enterprise use. Cons: No log consolidator. Pros: Uses multi-threading for faster more efficient log processing Allows you to write logs to a database, good for larger volumes of data that need reviewing Allows monitoring over UDP or TCP, giving your more port options than other tools. Cons: Interface feels cluttered with a high volume of logs Could use better event visualization features.

Pros: Simple easy to use interface Reports on file size, helping avoid any massive bulky log archives Supports file integrity and encryption, ensuring data is not tampered with. Cons: Lacks visualization features Not the best option if you need log analysis features builtin.

Pros: Installs on Windows, Linux, and Mac, making this one of the most flexible options for syslog servers Can ingest SNMP alerts, ICMP requests, and DNS queries, giving you a wide variety of log collection options Utilizes autodiscovery for network mapping and device identification Supports log forwarding to other servers or applications. Cons: Not as lightweight as some other simple syslog servers Interface can be challenging to learn.

Pros: Open-source free version available Supports built-in event visualization Offers multi-platform log collection on Linux and Windows systems Offers a live view into event collection as it happens Dashboard is highly customizable — good option for teams.

Pros: Can customize the priority level on inbound logs Allows developers to integrate the tool into other data ingesting applications, such as a SIEM Is completely free. Cons: Antiquated interface, hard to use and cluttered. Pros: Simple interface — utilizes color to aid in log prioritization Powerful filtering options work quickly and are easy to learn More user friendly than other tools. Pros: Completely free and open source Can collect data on Linux, Unix, and Windows, a good flexible option for networks running multiple operating systems Supports data forwarding into a database format, great for long term archiving.

Pros: Supports Windows, Unix, Linux, and uniquely Android as well Lightweight application — uses very few resources Multi-threaded architecture enables the tool to process large volumes of data Completely open-source and free.

Cons: Interface is barebones, lacking many features found in similar tools No event visualization. Pros: Great user interface, highly visual with easy to navigate toolbar Part of the Elastic Stack — leverages a large open-source community Supports gathering information from cloud sources like AWS Uses Elasticsearch for filtering, one of the most flexible search tools available.

Cons: Must install plugins for every data type you collect No paid support option, bugs and issues are resolved by the community.

Pros: Open-source tool with large community Free for users who use less than 5GB of data per day, making it a good option for smaller growing businesses Browser-based dashboard allows users to track their logs from anywhere.

Cons: Has a steeper learning curve than other products Requires more time to learn the platform that other tools. Cons: No data analysis tools No event visualizations Outdated user interface.

How do I access my Syslog server? How do I create a Syslog server? Syslog is a Linux utility, so it is better to create a Syslog server on a Linux machine: Install syslog-ng, which you can get from here. You can actually set up redirections for each source of message to different log file names. What is the default Syslog facility level?

The default Syslog facility level is Local4.