This review first appeared in issue 353 of PC Pro.
It’s hard to get excited about a laser printer, but Brother’s HL-L9430CDN might just put a hop in an office manager’s step. It’s a big beast, designed for use in small businesses and workgroups, and it comes with a suitable specification. In the base there’s a fully enclosed 520-sheet paper cassette, while the large flap at the front hides a 50-sheet multipurpose feed. Printed pages emerge into a 250-sheet tray on the top.
So far, so standard, but the HL-L9430CDN offers direct control through a large 8.8cm color touchscreen. While many business printers run rather cryptic, unfriendly menus, Brother’s is simple, offering quick access to functions and settings. It’s enhanced with web features, allowing you to access and print from cloud services such as Dropbox, Google Drive and SharePoint. Hidden nearby on the left panel there’s a USB host port for walk-up printing.
The final front panel feature is an NFC reader, used to control access if you need to lock down users or features. Using the printer’s web interface you can block people from printing, using the USB port or accessing web functions, or you can limit the number of pages an individual can print.
It comes with USB and gigabit Ethernet ports. Curiously you can’t buy it off the shelf with a wireless interface, but Brother will sell you one as an option. There’s also a rear USB port for secure printing. Brother offers a range of extra paper trays and a staple finisher, so this printer can grow to match your business’ needs.
The big and fast HL-L9430CDN has good paper-handling features(Image credit: Future)
Load it up and you’ll see the usual nag about setting the correct paper type. The HL-L9430CDN follows this by asking if you ever want to see the question again – a brilliant timesaver if, like us, you rarely change paper type and it simply gets on your nerves. We were also happy to see clear orientation marks at the front of the main tray and in the center of the multipurpose feed. Too many lasers force you to unload the paper just to see how to orientate the stack; a pain if you’re re-using previously printed pages, or using single-sided media.
Start printing and it’s clear that this is a very rapid device. However, if it’s been idle for any length of time the warm-up period can be toe-tappingly long. After an hour of rest we timed a first black text page out in 25 seconds, but the first color page of the day took nearly a minute and a half.
This pause aside, the HL-L9430CDN made mincemeat of our tests. It reached 30.6ppm when printing 25 text pages, and managed 34.9ppm on our 50-page document. Both fall a way short of the stated 44ppm engine speed, but our tests include the time taken to spool and send the job. Discount this and it was almost bang on target.
Like all printers, the HL-L9430CDN was slower when printing our challenging color graphics test. Here it reached 21.8ppm, the fastest color result in this test, and not far behind the 27.7ppm mono result recorded by Kyocera’s P2235dn. At the best Fine print quality it delivered two 10 x 8in photos on A4 paper in only 22 seconds, and six 10 x 15cm prints on three A4 sheets in 21 seconds. It duplexed ten sides onto five sheets at a rate of 14ipm.
The printer comes with generous amounts of toner(Image credit: Future)
So often, a promising color laser is torpedoed by high running costs, but happily that’s not the case here. The HL-L9430CDN is complex, requiring four toners, a drum, a waste bottle and transfer belt, but even factoring in all these it costs 0.9p per black page or 6.1p in color. This printer arrives with generous 9,000-page black and 6,500-page color inbox toners. With the largest replacements good for 12,000 black or 9,000 color pages, maintenance intervals shouldn’t be too frequent.
While not offering perfect color reproduction, the HL-L9430CDN still made a good job of our test photos, and printed excellent color graphics with a pleasing luster.
Black text was as good as you’d expect, too. Overall we could hardly call this hulking laser exciting, but it delivers everything you need in a busy business printer. And with Brother having won our Best Printer Manufacturer award for ten years in a row, you can expect great reliability and support, too.
This review first appeared in issue 354 of PC Pro.
Want a pretty OS? Look no further. Zorin comes as close as any operating system to rivalling Windows 11’s featherweight fluid design. We’re testing the free Zorin OS Core, but there are alternatives for older computers (Zorin OS Lite) and professional users (Zorin OS Pro).
Lite switches the highly customized Gnome 43 desktop environment for Xfce, while Pro, which costs £39 exc VAT, bundles installation support and additional software for image editing, 3D graphics, video editing, note taking and more. Pro can be installed on multiple computers with a single license, unless you’re a business or education user, in which case you’ll need a license for each machine.
Whichever version you choose, Zorin is based on Ubuntu, with the latest build running on the 6.2 kernel. Support runs until at least April 2027.
Linux Mint is often touted as the best Linux for Windows switchers, and certainly it takes very little time to become comfortable with its Cinnamon desktop. However, for our money, Zorin is better yet. The default UI has the taskbar and Start-style menu of both Windows and Mint, and the color scheme is immediately familiar. It’s supplemented by three other themes, with one adopting the traditional Gnome shell and another optimized for touch – and, if you upgrade to Zorin Pro, you get additional desktop styles, including more explicit Windows 11, macOS, Chromebook and Gnome 2 options.
You may be able to bring some of your Windows apps with you, with optional Windows App Support, which uses Wine and its graphical front end, PlayOnLinux. However, you can install these yourself on other distros (and Nitrix has it built in, in the form of Bottles), so they’re not a reason to choose Zorin in their own right – and Windows application support isn’t 100%, so don’t expect to be able to run everything you rely on today. That said, the one-click setup may well make this implementation a tempting one for less confident switchers.
The app store can use Zorin and Ubuntu repositories, Flathub and Snap Store(Image credit: Future)
Zorin introduced an upgrader with version 16.3, which was simultaneously rolled out to existing version 15 installations. This preserves your files, apps and settings when you make a full-point upgrade. Previously, such upgrades required a clean start and manual migration. It sits alongside a carefully curated selection of default software. LibreOffice 7.6.3 is preinstalled, but GIMP isn’t. The default browser is Firefox, and for email it’s Evolution. This is a good-looking alternative to Thunderbird, but with the latter receiving a significant brush-up in its 115 release, we’re inclined to switch, simply so we can run the same client on both Linux and Windows.
Both the Core and Pro builds include Zorin Connect, which maintains an encrypted local-network connection between your computer and an Android phone. You can sync notifications, share files, and control music and video playback across devices. You can also use it to turn your phone into a remote keyboard and mouse, or a controller for PC-based presentations. If you want the same features in an alternative distribution, check out KDE Connect (kdeconnect.kde.org).
You can download anything that’s not preinstalled from the integrated app store, which is set up to use Zorin and Ubuntu repositories, Flathub and Snap Store. This all makes for a friction-free environment for Linux newbies, and we were pleased to see that both printers on our network were recognized on first boot.
If you’re new to Linux and nervous about switching, then, Zorin could be just the distribution you’ve been searching for. It looks great, feels immediately familiar (even if you don’t pay for the Windows 11-style UI of Zorin Pro) and goes to significant lengths to simplify working with your mobile – so long as it’s running Android – and integrating (some) Windows applications. It feels like the best Linux distro for Windows switchers who want to quickly feel at home.
This review first appeared in issue 354 of PC Pro.
WatchGuard’s family of Firebox security appliances offers an unbeatable range of desktop solutions, and the T45-CW brings 5G failover to the table. Ideal for businesses that need always-on internet access for remote sites, its multi-WAN features combine wired and 5G mobile connections in a single policy so if one goes down, the other seamlessly steps in and takes over.
The T45-CW’s quad-core 1.6GHz NXP CPU claims a high raw firewall throughput of 3.94Gbits/sec and 557Mbits/sec with all UTM services enabled. It has five gigabit ports for WAN, LAN plus DMZ duties and, unlike many table-top security appliances, it offers secure Wi-Fi 6 services.
The appliance delivers a wealth of security features, and it’s easy to choose the right subscription as WatchGuard offers two options. A Basic Security Suite subscription enables gateway antivirus, anti-spam, web filtering, HTTPS inspection, IPS, application controls, WatchGuard’s RED (reputation enabled defense) cloud-based URL filtering and network discovery.
The Firebox T45-CW has a wealth of security features(Image credit: Future)
We’ve shown the price for a three-year Total Security Suite subscription, which adds WatchGuard’s advanced persistent threat (APT) blocker with cloud sandboxing, DNSWatch for monitoring client DNS requests and blocking access to known malicious domains, IntelligentAV anti-malware services and ThreatSync XDR, which provides policy-based collection, correlation and automated responses for Firebox threat events.
Local management is simple. The web console runs a wizard to enable wired internet access, activate a basic security policy and create a wireless SSID. Our unit came with a Vodafone 5G SIM and, after enabling the internal modem, the SIM came online.
WatchGuard includes four SMA external aerials; LEDs on the front panel show the cellular signal strength, failover status and whether you have a 4G LTE or 5G connection. Configuring failover is a cinch: you use the multi-WAN feature to define primary and backup connections and decide how failback is handled.
In practice, it works perfectly. We set up a continuous ping to an external website and then pulled the wired internet cable. We saw a single ping timeout, after which it continued unabated, and when we plugged the WAN cable in again, the appliance swapped back to it without any ping timeouts being recorded.
Naturally, you can use 5G as your primary connection, and defining the modem as an external interface means all your security policies will be automatically applied to it. In fact, you can have both wired and 5G internet connections active and use multi-WAN round-robin weightings to determine how connections are distributed across them.
It can be managed locally or from the cloud(Image credit: Future)
For cloud management, we registered the appliance with our support account, allocated it to our site and chose the management and monitoring option. After reconfiguration, the T45-CW disables its local web interface, takes further settings from the cloud and provisions full access for remote configuration.
All security functions are easily accessible. From the portal’s content scanning page, you use a simple slider bar to enable the gateway AV, IntelligentAV, APT blocker and spamBlocker services. Anti-spam policies are available for SMTP, IMAP or POP3 traffic, where you allow, deny or tag spam messages in their subject line for ongoing local rule processing.
From the network blocking section, you can control botnet detection, IPS, custom blocked URLs and ports plus detection of Tor (The onion router) exit points. Web content filtering offers 130 URL categories for blocking or allowing, while WatchGuard’s application control service presents over 1,250 predefined app signatures.
The multi-WAN function is found in the device’s networks page where you select the Global WAN option, choose failover or round-robin operations and set the failback mode. Move to the portal’s monitoring page and you can see the status and strength of the 5G connection and view RSRP and RSRQ graphs.
Businesses that hate internet downtime will love WatchGuard’s Firebox T45-CW. It provides a wealth of top-class security services, can be easily cloud managed and delivers seamless 5G WAN failover.
This review first appeared in issue 354 of PC Pro.
Debian-based Ubuntu is the jumping-off point for many other distributions, including Linux Mint and Zorin OS. The Desktop edition is available in at least two builds: the so-called LTS (Long Term Support) build, which receives support for a minimum of five years from release, and the bleeding-edge release, which comes with nine months of security and maintenance updates. In each case, the build number – 23.10 in the case of this review – denotes the year and month of release, so 23.10 will enjoy support until July 2024, and 22.04 LTS until April 2027. New releases appear every six months for the cutting-edge build, and every other year for the LTS edition.
Both 23.10 and 22.04.3 LTS require 4GB of memory, 25GB of drive space and a 2GHz dual-core processor, despite running on different kernels (6.5 versus 5.17) and desktop environments (Gnome 45 versus Gnome 41/42). Build 23.10 is also running more up-to-date versions of its default applications, Firefox, LibreOffice and Thunderbird. Of these, perhaps the most significant is Thunderbird, which sits at 91 in the LTS release and at 115.2 in 23.10. Thunderbird 115 introduced significant interface improvements and, even if you install the LTS release, we’d recommend updating Thunderbird to at least 115 yourself.
As well as the desktop edition, there are builds for server and IoT platforms, with the latter including Raspberry Pi. The Pi edition is available directly through the Raspberry Pi Imager. There’s also an immutable build, in which the core system files are protected against tampering.
None of the installer’s questions is too taxing. You don’t need to know what kind of security your network uses, as you do for openSUSE, and we didn’t need to play around with the partitioning of our drive to complete the process successfully.
Once up and running, you’re presented with a largely vanilla workspace. Although Ubuntu has its own style, it remains fairly faithful to Gnome’s default look and feel, rather than making a significant departure as Zorin does (or as Nitrux does from KDE Plasma). If you don’t like Gnome, you’ll find alternative builds with a little searching. Kubuntu (kubuntu. org) switches it out for KDE, while Ubuntu Budgie (ubuntubudgie.org) and Ubuntu Cinnamon (ubuntucinnamon.org) naturally use Budgie and Cinnamon respectively. Lubuntu (lubuntu.me), using Qt, and Xubuntu (xubuntu.org), using Xfce, are both Ubuntu-recognized ports for lower powered computers.
“Jump start your desktop” gives direct access to the most common apps(Image credit: Future)
Apps can be installed using the built-in App Center or via the Terminal using apt. The App Center, which gives access to both Debian and Snap packages, has been upgraded in 23.10, and certainly feels more engaging than the installer it replaced. There’s a handy “Jump start your desktop” at the top of the homepage that gives direct access to the most commonly installed apps, rather like the recommended software section in Raspberry Pi OS. Other named sections, including a Productivity section, make it easy to find essentials such as alternative browsers, Bitwarden and Slack. Neither Inkscape nor GIMP are preinstalled, but the versions available through App Center match the latest-edition version numbers available from their respective sites.
More good news? On first boot, both of the wireless printers on our network were successfully recognized and set up.
For many newcomers, Ubuntu may well be a byword for Linux, and it’s easy to see why. Installation is a breeze and, once complete, it just works. The new features in this latest release, including the updated App Center and Gnome 45, are subtle but welcome improvements over their predecessors, and the default interface is unflashy and provides few distractions.
Ubuntu was our Labs Winner last time around, and nothing changes here – so long as you’re happy running Gnome. If you aren’t, take a look at KDE-based openSUSE Tumbleweed or Cinnamon-based Linux Mint.
It’s not difficult to find an Ubuntu-based distribution running KDE, Budgie and several other desktop managers, although, as they’re not directly controlled by Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu itself, it’s fairer to consider them different products.
This review first appeared in issue 354 of PC Pro.
Rocky Linux is one of the youngest distributions around, first appearing in mid-2021. It’s based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux, so in some ways is a natural home for anyone previously running CentOS, a community-supported version of Red Hat terminated in December 2020.
Rocky’s first release was version 8.3, reflecting the fact that it was based on the same version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux. The version-8 line remains current, despite 8.9 appearing two days after 9.3, which itself is based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.3. That’s the version we’re testing here. Planned end of life for the Rocky 9 line is May 2032. For Rocky 8, it’s May 2029.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux uses Fedora source code in its development, so Fedora and Rocky naturally share several touch points. However, where Fedora 39 is built on the 6.6.3 kernel, Rocky Linux 9.3 is built on the same 5.14 Linux kernel as Red Hat 9.3. While this may look outdated, it shouldn’t be an issue, as Red Hat uses a system known as backporting to implement fixes and features within the existing kernel while maintaining compatibility with overlaying applications.
Installation is straightforward. There’s no media builder as there is for Fedora, so it’s a case of downloading the ISO and using balenaEtcher or similar to write it to a bootable thumb drive. The full DVD ISO is a hefty beast, tipping the scales at 9GB. However, there are lighter “boot” and “minimal” builds that can be used to enter rescue mode and install the OS from an alternative source, like an online repository. There are four processor builds, covering x86_64, ARM, PowerPC and IBM s390x servers (although only the first two of these are available for Rocky 8). Dig deeper and you’ll find a build specific to Raspberry Pi in the alternative images library.
Although Gnome is the default window manager, you can swap it out for KDE, Xfce, Mate or Cinnamon.
The software installer doesn’t always have the most recent version of apps(Image credit: Future)
We opted for the DVD ISO and, once up and running, were dropped into Gnome 40.4, which feels dated if you’re accustomed to Gnome 45. Aside from the operating system, we didn’t have much to show for our 9GB download. Firefox was pre-installed, but there was no email client, office suite or image editor. These are all available through the Software app, and we were glad to see that the version of Thunderbird available through the repository was 115 (which benefits from a significant redesign). However, LibreOffice, had we chosen to install it through the default repository, would have been version 7.1 (the latest build is 7.6), GIMP was one point behind the latest build, and Inkscape was at 1.1.1, while its latest stable release is 1.3.2.
Further hurdles: the two printers on our network hadn’t been recognized upon first booting and updating the system, and we needed to enter their IP addresses in the printer setup dialog to add them to the OS.
Less rocky was this distribution’s turn of pace. Rocky Linux 9.3 returned a respectable 1,097 in the single-core Geekbench test and 3,112 in the multicore test. Despite the different kernels, this was broadly similar to the scores we saw when testing under Fedora, which turned in 1,105 and 3,053 respectively. In either case, we would be surprised if this made a noticeable difference in day-to-day use.
It’s perhaps unsurprising that our verdict is so similar to that for Fedora, which was our runner-up to Ubuntu. They are, after all, the bread in a Red Hat sandwich, sitting at either end of the development chain. If you don’t want to run a Debian-based OS, either would be an excellent choice, being well supported and closely aligned to one of the pre-eminent commercial Linux distributions.
Of the two, we would opt for Fedora. There are three reasons why. First, it got us up and running more quickly. Second, for bundling Gnome 45. And third, for including a wider range of pre-installed default applications, each running a recent build.
This review first appeared in issue 354 of PC Pro.
As remote working continues to boom, there’s no shortage of solutions aiming to improve the resilience of your power or networking provision. However, Reskube’s Home Pro is the first device we’ve come across that promises to do both: it’s an uninterruptible power supply, offering up to 500W of backup power, and also provides fallback data connectivity through an integrated 4G LTE router. If the mains goes down, the Home Pro keeps its two forward sockets powered from the internal battery; if your internet connection is lost, it switches to the mobile data connection.
The design is basic but robust, with no controls aside from the power button. The front features two simple LED strips indicating battery life and current power output. At the back you’ll find the mains power input plus an FM12315 port for solar power, again rated at 500W. The rear is also home to two Ethernet ports, which handle incoming WAN and outgoing LAN connections, plus SMA connectors for two mobile antennas and RP-SMA connectors for two Wi-Fi antennas. Above these, you’ll find primary and secondary SIM trays.
Reskube claims the Home Pro is powerful enough to run a small office with five PCs or laptops, a switch and a printer. I’m not sure about that: it’s certainly not sufficient for larger laser printers, which can draw around 1kW during their warm-up phase. However, it should be fine for a couple of home workers or a limited mobile retail setup. I tested the Home Pro under a constant 500W load and found the battery lasted for a decent 1hr 22mins before giving out. Over this time it supplied a total of 633Wh of power, about 82% of its stated 768Wh battery capacity, which is competitive for a compact battery power bank.
It’s worth mentioning that, during the 500W load test, the Home Pro’s cooling fans ran continually at top speed. The noise was audible, but not as loud as the warning buzzer, which sounds constantly when you exceed a load of 475W. At a 200W load the fans were quieter, and the battery delivered a total of 595Wh – roughly 77% of its claimed capacity.
The fans are distinctly audible when recharging, too. This happens at a fixed 500W rate, tailing off shortly before the batteries are fully charged. I measured a total power consumption of 801Wh for a complete recharge, so assuming the batteries went from fully discharged to fully recharged, that equates to an impressive 96% efficiency.
Two simple LED strips on the front show battery life and current power output(Image credit: Future)
The Home Pro’s power failover function works brilliantly. When I cut the incoming power, it switched to battery power in less than 10ms – much faster than most general-purpose battery backups, and certainly quick enough to avoid any glitching on my IT equipment.
Internally the Reskube Home Pro uses lithium-iron phosphate batteries, which have safer charging characteristics than standard lithium-ion chemistry. They also have a longer service life: Reskube says they’ll maintain 100% capacity for 3,000 cycles, dropping to 60% after 5,000. That being the case, it’s disappointing that the standard warranty is only 12 months, especially when other power supply manufacturers offer five years.
The Home Pro’s networking capabilities are on the conservative side. The unit supports 4G at speeds up to 150Mbits/sec, carrier and signal strength permitting. For the best possible reception you can upgrade Reskube’s standard stubby antennas with cabled ones, but even then you shouldn’t expect best-in-class network performance: the Home Pro’s Wi-Fi network only supports 2.4GHz 802.11n Wi-Fi, and its Ethernet ports are limited to 100Mbits/sec.
Those limitations have a noticeable impact on network performance. My ISP line normally gives me download speeds of 100Mbits/sec, but that dropped to 62Mbits/sec over the Home Pro network. That’s a shame, as for maximum resilience you’ll want to keep your critical devices connected to the Home Pro. Still, there’s enough bandwidth here to be productive, and the switchover to LTE is impressively smooth: I measured around nine seconds of downtime when switching from my fixed line to mobile data – fast enough that a YouTube video kept playing without interruption.
The Home Pro’s web-based configuration interface is easy to use, and provides access to a huge range of configuration options. Oddly, though, you can’t check the battery status, or change any power-related settings, such as selecting a slower charge rate or modifying the warning buzzer threshold. Reskube also offers a remote management option for £39 a year. This adds a command-line interface and full online access to the web dashboard, making it ideal for supporting remote users without needing to go onsite or cause downtime.
The Reskube Home Pro is a simple concept, delivered well. It wouldn’t hurt if it were quieter and had faster network support, but it offers the core protections you need in a single box that’s easy to deploy and manage. It’s also surprisingly good value, costing £999 exc VAT – only a little more than you’d pay for a similarly specified backup power supply and a dual-WAN router. Alternatively, the Reskube Home Pro can be leased for £444 per year. This means you don’t have to worry about the stingy warranty, and it includes remote, telephone and online support. If you’re looking to back up your key business systems, that seems like a price that’s more than worth paying.
This review first appeared in issue 354 of PC Pro.
Progress Software has been busy developing its flagship network-monitoring software, and WhatsUp Gold (WUG) 2023.1 introduces a raft of new features with ease of use given a high priority. Previously, you had to manually enable monitoring for every device, but you can now set a network discovery scan job to do this for you.
What’s more, the discovery process automatically collects SNMP and WMI device attributes and updates them in real-time, while WUG’s dynamic SNMP table monitor populates every instance, making it easier to monitor specific devices. The device properties page clearly shows which credentials are being used, access security has been tightened up with TLS 1.3 support, and SQL Server Express 2022 is now the default database.
Licensing is even more flexible. Along with the standard versions, perpetual licenses and points-based options, Progress has added three yearly subscription plans. The Business edition starts at around £715 per year for 50 devices and, unlike sensor- or element-based products, WUG doesn’t care how many CPUs are in a host or the number of ports a switch has.
The new NOC view provides a view of the network using slide decks(Image credit: Future)
This edition supports 1,000 devices and includes core functions such as network discovery, topology mapping, alerting and reporting, as well as cloud, wireless network and storage monitoring. The Enterprise edition has unlimited device support and enables virtualization host and application monitoring plus log management, while Enterprise Plus adds network traffic analysis and configuration management for switches, routers and firewalls.
Installation on a Windows Server 2019 host took around 30 minutes, and discovery is swift. A wizard helped conjure up the first scan and, after we’d added all our device credentials, it took ten minutes to deliver a complete list of all our network devices.
The WUG console is easy to use. It presents four menu options in its upper ribbon bar, and you can add frequently used views to the Favorites tab by clicking on the star icon at the top right of the console. It’s simple to create custom network discoveries, and you can pull up network topology views and maps.
Analysis dashboards are a great feature that allow you to design multiple custom views, add columns and choose the metrics you want to see. Anything WUG is capable of monitoring can be included, so you can create very detailed dashboards, and each device is assigned a colored icon for instant status views.
WhatsUp Gold Enterprise shows Flowmon data plus app availability(Image credit: Future)
The new network operations center (NOC) feature manages collections of views that rotate to a schedule for presenting support teams with a big heads-up live status display. To create them, you click the same star icon, choose the NOC option, add items to a slide deck, enter a display duration in seconds and pass the URL to support staff so they can access it directly.
Alert policies link device state changes with an extensive range of actions including running a program, restarting a service, sending emails and posting alert messages to Microsoft Teams users. The Alert Center presents even more information about disk utilization, and the device properties page has been updated so you can see which actions have been applied to it.
WUG is a great choice for businesses running the Progress Flowmon appliances as it can monitor them and include their traffic analysis in its dashboards. General reporting tools are in abundance, too, and they can now be emailed in HTML format so nontechnical users can appreciate them.
WhatsUp Gold 2023.1 is simple to deploy and offers an impressive range of network-monitoring tools. The choice of licensing plans makes it an affordable option for SMBs, and support teams will love its smart dashboard and NOC views.
Paessler's flagship product offers comprehensive visibility across networks, servers, and applications through its signature sensor-based approach. The platform monitors everything from bandwidth usage to hardware health metrics in real-time.
TechRadar reviewers spend several weeks researching each major IT platform in the market. We've found PRTG particularly appealing for mid-sized organizations seeking robust monitoring without enterprise complexity.
While LogicMonitor remains our pick for the best network monitoring tool of 2025, thanks to its AI-powered automation suite for IT workflows, PRTG offers compelling value for teams prioritizing quick deployment and comprehensive device support.
Paessler: Pricing
Plan
Starting price (paid annually)
What's included
PRTG 500
$179/month
500 sensors, monitor ~50 devices, basic support
PRTG 1000
$325/month
1,000 sensors, monitor ~100 devices, basic support
PRTG 2500
$675/month
2,500 sensors, monitor ~250 devices, basic support
PRTG 5000
£1,183/month
5,000 sensors, monitor ~500 devices, basic support
PRTG XL 1
$1,292/month
Unlimited sensors, single core server, basic support
PRTG Enterprise
Custom
Multiple core servers, unlimited sensors, enterprise support
Note: Prices converted from perpetual licenses to monthly equivalents based on 3-year depreciation
PRTG's sensor-based pricing offers flexibility but can become expensive as monitoring requirements grow. The licensing model counts individual metrics rather than devices, with most devices requiring 5-10 sensors for comprehensive monitoring.
While this allows precise control over monitoring scope, costs escalate quickly in large environments.
Support requires additional annual fees ranging from $360-680 after the first year, which adds to the total cost of ownership.
Paessler PRTG: Features
PRTG’s feature depth justifies its position among leading network monitoring platforms. It mostly targets IT professionals managing diverse network environments, with particular strength in multi-vendor networks.
For example, it’s remarkably good at infrastructure monitoring, with over 250 native sensor types covering everything from SNMP devices to SaaS.
However, PRTG lacks the advanced AI/ML capabilities of some competitors like LogicMonitor.
Its pricing remains reasonable for smaller deployments, but sensor-based licensing can become quite expensive as monitoring needs grow.
PRTG’s sensors deliver a vast amount of useful information(Image credit: Paessler)
Automatic network discovery
PRTG's automatic discovery feature simplifies initial setup by identifying all network devices and creating appropriate monitoring sensors automatically. The system recognizes servers, routers, switches, and printers without manual configuration. This significantly reduces deployment time and ongoing management overhead for IT teams.
Real-Time dashboards and visualization
The platform provides customizable dashboards with live status information and graphical data representation. You can create custom maps using the PRTG map designer to visualize network topology and performance metrics. These visual tools help administrators quickly identify issues and understand network health at a glance.
Multi-protocol monitoring
PRTG supports comprehensive monitoring through multiple protocols, including SNMP, WMI, NetFlow, and HTTP.
The platform can monitor physical network environments, virtual servers, cloud services, and applications from a single interface. This makes it suitable for hybrid infrastructure environments combining on-premises and cloud resources.
Alerting and notification system
The notification system delivers alerts via email, SMS, push notifications, and integrations with third-party tools. Administrators can customize alert thresholds and create escalation procedures to ensure critical issues receive appropriate attention. PRTG has achieved 91% satisfaction ratings for its alerting capabilities.
Reporting and analytics
PRTG generates customizable reports covering performance metrics, availability statistics, and trend analysis. Users can schedule automated reports and create executive summaries for stakeholder communication. The reporting functionality supports compliance requirements and capacity planning initiatives
Paessler PRTG: Ease of use
PRTG's interface strikes a balance between comprehensive functionality and user accessibility.
The web-based dashboard presents monitoring data through intuitive graphs and visual representations that help newcomers understand network status quickly.
Setup takes just minutes with the automatic discovery feature handling initial device identification.
However, the sensor-based licensing model can confuse new users who expect traditional per-device pricing.
And while the platform's learning curve remains manageable for IT professionals, customization requires a deeper understanding of both the infrastructure and the platform's capabilities.
Advanced features like custom sensors and complex alerting rules demand more technical expertise.
Most users praise the straightforward approach to adding devices and configuring basic monitoring, but note that fine-tuning alerts and managing large sensor deployments requires careful planning to avoid notification fatigue.
The PRTG web console keeps you in the loop on sensor usage(Image credit: Paessler)
Paessler PRTG: Customer support
Paessler provides multiple support channels, including email, phone, and an integrated help desk accessible through the PRTG interface.
The company offers comprehensive documentation, video tutorials, and an active community forum for troubleshooting assistance. Premium support includes priority response times and direct access to technical specialists for complex issues.
Support quality varies by license tier, with basic plans receiving standard email support and enterprise customers getting dedicated account management. Response times typically range from 1-2 business days for standard inquiries, though critical issues receive faster attention.
The company charges additional fees for extended support beyond the first year, which some users find frustrating compared to competitors offering inclusive support packages.
Paessler PRTG: The competition
PRTG occupies a strong position in the network monitoring market as a feature-rich solution for mid-sized organizations.
PRTG's strength lies in its comprehensive device support and reasonable pricing for smaller deployments, making it particularly attractive for organizations managing diverse network environments.
For enterprises seeking advanced analytics and automation, LogicMonitor's AI-powered platform offers superior predictive capabilities and automated remediation.
Cloud-native organizations might prefer DataDog or New Relic for their modern architectures and developer-focused features.
PRTG remains the better choice for traditional IT teams managing on-premises infrastructure who value proven reliability over cutting-edge automation capabilities.
Paessler PRTG: Final verdict
PRTG Network Monitor delivers solid value for organizations seeking comprehensive network monitoring without excessive complexity.
The platform's extensive sensor library, intuitive interface, and quick deployment make it an excellent choice for IT teams managing traditional network infrastructures.
While the sensor-based licensing model may surprise newcomers, the flexibility to monitor specific metrics provides precise control over costs and monitoring scope.
However, PRTG falls behind newer competitors in AI-driven automation and predictive analytics capabilities. Organizations prioritizing modern features like intelligent alerting, automated remediation, or advanced machine learning should consider alternatives like LogicMonitor.
For traditional IT environments where proven reliability and comprehensive device support matter most, PRTG remains a compelling choice that balances functionality with accessibility.
Paessler PRTG: FAQs
How does PRTG's sensor-based licensing work?
PRTG licenses are based on the number of individual metrics (sensors) rather than devices. Each sensor monitors one specific aspect of a device, such as CPU usage or network traffic. Most devices require 5-10 sensors for comprehensive monitoring, so a 1000-sensor license typically covers about 100 devices.
Can PRTG monitor cloud environments?
Yes, PRTG supports cloud monitoring for major providers including AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform. The platform can monitor cloud services, virtual machines, and hybrid environments through various protocols and APIs. However, cloud-native monitoring solutions may offer better integration with modern cloud services.
What's included in the free version of PRTG?
Paessler's free edition of PRTG includes monitoring for up to 100 sensors permanently, which typically covers 10-20 devices depending on monitoring requirements. It includes all core features like dashboards, alerting, and reporting — making it suitable for small networks and for evaluation purposes.
How difficult is PRTG to set up and configure?
PRTG offers quick deployment with automatic network discovery that identifies devices and creates appropriate sensors automatically. Basic setup takes minutes, though advanced customization and large-scale deployments require more planning and technical expertise to optimize sensor configurations and alert management.
Does PRTG integrate with other IT management tools?
PRTG provides various integration options, including REST APIs, webhooks, and support for ITSM platforms like ServiceNow and Jira. The platform can send alerts to ticketing systems and supports integration with security tools for comprehensive IT management workflows.
If you want to get things done with precision, slick ergonomics and outstanding connectivity, try the new HP Series 7 Pro 727pm for size. It's a 27-inch 4K monitor with fantastic connectivity, plus a few extra useful frills that help it rank among the best business monitors.
The main attraction is a 27-inch 4K LCD panel using LG's IPS Black technology for heightened contrast. To that HP has added a suite of features aimed at maximising utility. That starts with truly comprehensive connectivity, including both Thunderbolt 4 and DisplayPort in and out, monitor daisy chaining, a KVM switch, and full hub functionality with ethernet.
You also get a pop-out 5MP webcam with Windows Hello and AI head tracking capability. In productivity and connectivity terms, this monitor really has all your bases covered. However, it's slightly less impressive from a multimedia perspective.
HDR support is limited to DisplayHDR 400 and this monitor only runs at 60Hz. But those are expected limitations for this class of display, even if higher refresh rates of 120Hz and beyond are arguably becoming more mainstream and do have benefits beyond just gaming.
HP Series 7 Pro 727pm: Design & features
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Slick, slim-bezel design
Outstanding connectivity
Above-average integrated webcam
Specs
Panel size: 27-inch
Panel type: IPS Black
Resolution: 3,840 by 2,160
Brightness: 400 cd/m2
Contrast: 2,000:1
Pixel response: 5ms GtG
Refresh rate: 60Hz
Color coverage: 98% DCI-P3
HDR: VESA DisplayHDR 400
Vesa: 100mm x 100mm (bracket included)
Inputs: DisplayPort 1.4 x1 in, DisplayPort 1.4 x1 out, HDMI 2.0 x1, Thunderbolt 4 in with 100W PD, Thunderbolt 4 out with 15W PD, USB-C with 65W PD
The HP Series 7 Pro 727pm conforms to HP's latest premium productivity design language. So, it's clean, modern and minimalist. The slim and symmetrical bezels on all four sides of the display make for a contemporary looking and compact monitor. You won't need a huge amount of desktop space to accommodate this 27-inch monitor. It's also nicely engineered with a metal stand and base that offers a full range of adjustment and thus excellent ergonomics.
The plentiful range of ports on the rear are likewise especially easy to access, with all ports located on the chassis back panel with cables and connectors exiting straight out the back as opposed to directly downwards. That includes the power cable, which slots neatly into the rear with neat flush-fitting attachment.
You can also plug a standard kettle-style power cable into the rear, but the bundled connector with its flush attachment is a nice touch and speaks to the attention to detail to which HP has gone with this display. Speaking of those connections, there's quite the array of them on the rear. You'll find two Thunderbolt 4 ports, one input with 100W PD and one output with 15W PD, another USB-C in, USB-C out, DisplayPort in and out, HDMI, ethernet and two USB-A out.
That little collection means you have support for everything from single-cable laptop connectivity to sharing this monitor across two PCs or Macs via the integrated KVM switch, plus monitor daisy chaining that allows you to run a dual-display setup via just one cable. It really is a comprehensive setup.
To that you can add the integrated 5MP webcam. It pops out of the top bezel manually, which means it can be hidden away for totally reliable security and offers both Windows Hello support for quick and secure Windows logins and AI head tracking.
The latter works better than some competing cameras with similar functionality, tracking you accurately as you move around the camera frame. Admittedly, the tracking is a little slow and laggy, but it does offer you a little more freedom of movement than a conventional fully static webcam.
What's more, the image quality is a clear step above both most integrated monitor webcams and those typically found in laptops. In other words, you'll very likely benefit from the HP Series 7 Pro 727pm's webcam almost regardless of what laptop you're currently using.
HP Series 7 Pro 727pm: Performance
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Crisp, precise 4K visuals
IPS Black tech isn't that impressive
Limited HDR support
In theory, the main visual attraction of the HP Series 7 Pro 727pm is its 27-inch panel. Partly that's because it offers a full 4K resolution of 3,840 by 2,160 pixels. Sure enough, that translates into excellent pixel density of 163DPI.
The result is really crisp, clean fonts and razer-sharp image detail. That applies to both Windows and MacOS, the latter being particularly good at making the most of this HP's pixel density when it comes to rendering really lovely looking fonts.
In practice, the other key element from an image quality perspective isn't quite so successful. HP has gone for LG's latest IPS Black panel tech. On paper, it offers all the usual benefits of IPS panel technology, including excellent colour accuracy, good viewing angles and fast response (in an LCD as opposed to OLED context) and adds increased contrast.
It's contrast where IPS is weakest versus VA panel technology, with most IPS panels coming in at 1,000 or 1,300 to one ratios. This IPS Black panel increases that to fully 2,000 to one. That's a big boost even if it's still well short of the 3,000 or 4,000 to one of most VA-equipped monitors, never mind the perfect per-pixel lighting and effectively infinite contrast of an OLED display.
Anyway, as we've found with all other IPS Black monitors, the subjective experience doesn't really match the on-paper advantages. For sure, this is a lovely 4K IPS monitor. It's vibrant, punchy and accurate. It just doesn't look obviously superior to other high-quality IPS monitors. As with all IPS panels, there's still a little light bleed and the contrast and black levels are subjectively very similar.
As for HDR performance, this monitor lacks local dimming and only offers HDR 400 certification, which is entry-level stuff. Ultimately, this isn't a true HDR monitor, but it can at least decode an HDR signal.
Elsewhere, the limitation to 60Hz is largely expected for this class of productivity rather than gaming monitor. But refresh is one area where this monitor ends up feeling a little dated in years to come. Once you've used a 120Hz-monitor as your daily driver, 60Hz panels like this do feel a tiny bit sluggish.
That said, the pixel response is zippy enough. HP has included four levels of pixel-accelerating overdrive in the OSD menu. The fastest setting really is pretty nippy and only suffers from a touch of overshoot. If you want to game on this monitor, you will actually get a pretty good experience, albeit it won't be a high-refresh experience.
HP Series 7 Pro 727pm: Final verdict
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The new HP Series 7 Pro 727pm isn't cheap, especially not for a "mere" 60Hz 27-inch monitor using LCD as opposed to OLED technology. However, the 4K resolution makes for super crisp and precise visuals and lots of working space.
Admittedly, the supposedly next-gen IPS Black panel doesn't move the game on much, in subjective terms, compared with existing IPS screen technology. ANd the HDR support on offer is limited. But in terms of the clear productivity remit, this is a lovely monitor to use daily thanks to its vibrant, accurate visuals and excellent image detail.
But arguably the star of the show here is connectivity. HP has covered off just about every eventuality, with Thunderbolt 4, 100W charging, daisy chaining, a KVM switch, USB-C hub support, ethernet, the works—you name it, this monitor has it when it comes to connectivity.
The pop-out 5MP webcam is likewise a very welcome inclusion. Along with Windows Hello support, it sports AI-enabled head tracking that works better than many similar systems. It also offers much better image quality than most integrated webcams, be they in other competing monitors or in laptops.
All told, the HP Series 7 Pro 727pm offers a very strong productivity proposition. It's not the cheapest 4K 60Hz IPS panel out there. But if you're going to make use of a decent subsection of its feature set, it's definitely worth the extra cash over a screen with more basic connectivity and no webcam. Just don't go buying it expecting that IPS Black panel tech to be revolutionary.
This review first appeared in issue 354 of PC Pro.
It’s not unusual for Linux distributions to be available in several builds. Ubuntu has long-term support and cutting-edge editions, Zorin has Core and Pro builds, and openSUSE has Tumbleweed and Leap. Tumbleweed, which we’re reviewing here, is a continuously evolving build comprising the latest stable version of each component, which is updated as and when new code appears. Leap, which is based on SUSE Enterprise Linux, is a stable release that receives periodic updates.
The version that we installed was running the 6.6.3-1 kernel (the very latest build was 6.6.4 at the time of writing), and is available with a choice of desktop managers, including Gnome, Xfce, Cinnamon, Mate and KDE Plasma 5, the latter of which tops the installer’s list of options. That’s therefore what we chose for our tests. In our installation, this sat on top of the X11 Window System rather than Wayland.
As well as the regular 64-bit and 32-bit builds for desktop use, there are alternative builds for ARM, IBM Z family mainframes, RISC and PowerPC. It will also run on Raspberry Pi.
The installer is logical, but not the most friendly on test. Setting up Wi-Fi requires that you know which security protocol your network uses, and we failed on our first three attempts to boot into openSUSE at the end of the process. Despite the installer apparently completing, our test machine still attempted to start the OS we had previously tested. We solved this by forcing the installer to delete all partitions on our internal drive even if it thought that wasn’t necessary.
Once it was up and running, however, everything was far more logical, and there were only ten updates ready to download, reflecting the fact that the installer was still fresh, having been downloaded just the day before. A further 11 appeared later in the day.
The installer is logical, but not the most friendly on test(Image credit: Future)
It’s not only core components such as SAMBA, git and the kernel that receive rolling updates in Tumbleweed: bundled applications are likewise cutting edge. Thus, at the time of writing we found LibreOffice 7.6.3.1 and Firefox 120 pre-installed. Email is handled by Kmail, but if you prefer Thunderbird, the version accessible through Discover, openSUSE’s software manager, is version 115.5. The versions of GIMP and Inkscape available through the manager, both of which are options rather than pre-installed software, match the latest releases available through their respective sites.
KDE Plasma should be familiar to anyone switching from Windows, as it features a traditional taskbar and menu. Commonly used applications can be pinned to the bar for easy access, and menu options are filtered as you type to reduce the number of matching applications.
Plasma lets you add secondary toolbars, and also features widgets, with a generous selection pre-installed but dormant. We saw this implementation in Nitrux, which also uses KDE Plasma, although in a significantly tailored form. For our money, the version seen here, where window controls remain attached to the windows themselves, feels more logical.
The comprehensive settings app is supplemented by YaST (Yet another Setup Tool), which provides password protection for more sensitive options, such as configuring the boot loader, administering printers and managing users. Tumbleweed scored 1,167 in the single-core Geekbench tests and 3,241 in the multicore benchmark. This puts it broadly in line with the other distributions on test, suggesting that deployment decisions would be better based on factors other than performance. openSUSE is one of the oldest Linux distributions still being actively developed but, with Tumbleweed, you’ll always be running one of the newest builds available. This is its primary appeal, since other factors such as the choice of desktop managers, and pre-installed applications, are common to many rivals. Although we initially experienced some difficulty with installation, your mileage will likely vary and, once up and running, it was regularly updated – as promised – and as stable as any other distribution on test.
If your preference is for KDE, rather than Gnome, this would be our pick of the bunch.
