Documentation forSolarWinds

Watch It tool

The Watch It tool in ETS for the Desktop is an up-down network monitor. It can monitor numerous device types, including the following:

  • Servers
  • Routers
  • Websites
  • Workstations

Watch It notifies you when network response time begins to degrade or when a device is down. Alert sounds can be configured to play when a device drops packets, stops responding, and when a down device becomes active again.

Open the Watch It tool

  • To launch the tool from the Toolset Launch Pad, locate the Watch It tool and click Launch.

  • You can add the tool to a tab in the Workspace Studio, and access it from there.

  • To launch the tool from the Windows Start menu:

    1. Click Start > All > SolarWinds Engineer's Toolset.

    2. Right-click Watch It, click More, and click Run as administrator.

Monitor devices

  1. Specify the host name or IP address of the device you to monitor.

  2. Click Add Node.

  3. Click OK after adding all devices.

  • If Watch It is currently running, click +/- to add or remove devices.

  • To reveal the Watch It user interface, point to the row of lights displayed on the right of your desktop.

  • Double-click any device to check the current response time.

  • The response time of each device is monitored. When response time begins to deteriorate or the device begins dropping packets, the light near the device turns yellow. The light turns red if the device stops responding.

Change audible alerts

Each time a device changes state, starts dropping packets, or the response time degrades, an audible alarm can be played.

  1. Move the pointer to the Watch It user interface.

  2. Click +/-.

  3. Select the device to be modified.

  4. Click the state for which to modify the sound.

    For example, click Warning.

  5. Select a new sound, and then click OK.

  6. In the Watch It Settings window, click OK.

Minimize Watch It

Click the upper-left corner of the window and select Place Watch It in System Tray to minimize Watch It to the system tray. While in the system tray, Watch It provides a single LED:

  • Green light: All devices are responding.

  • Yellow light: One or more devices are dropping packets or response time is degrading.

  • Red light: One or more devices have stopped responding.