Every minute, your routers, switches, printers, firewalls, and more are sending syslog messages regarding their activity and overall functioning. To collect—and make sense—of these messages requires the use of a syslog server. With so many syslog servers on the market, finding the right one for your IT team depends on the size of your company, so I’ve built this list of free syslog server tools and some of their paid counterparts.
My favorite? When it comes to performance, SolarWinds® Kiwi Syslog® Server free and paid solutions offer robust, comprehensive management of syslog messages through real-time statistics and alerts as well as an intuitive web console. Kiwi offers a free syslog tool that’s a limited version of its commercial version. It allows you to collect, view, and archive syslog message and SNMP traps for up to five sources. And if you need to monitor more than five devices, you can easily upgrade to the commercial edition. The paid version also has a free 30-day trial, so you can test it on all your network devices to see if it’s the best syslog server for your company.
Best FREE Syslog Servers
A comprehensive, feature-rich application, Syslog Watcher from SnmpSoft is a Windows-based dedicated syslog server that collects and analyzes syslogs from any number of network hosts and servers. (The free version allows up to 5 sources, while the professional license lets you collect from an unlimited number of sources.). Syslog Server is a simple yet powerful Syslog protocol Server & Analyzer. Can be tuned to only log events under a threshold, or to directly mail and admin when another threshold value is reached.
Kiwi Syslog Server – Free Edition
Kiwi Syslog Server Free Edition lets you collect, view, and archive syslog messages and SNMP traps, and establish alerts for suspicious or damaging events. Jun 18, 2018 The WhatsUp Gold’s free Syslog Server is a feature-rich tool that addresses most administrators syslog needs. The toll has enhanced export capabilities and can display logged messages in real-time, optionally filtering results to customize the display to one’s specific needs. Hi, I need to build a syslog server in order to collect all the critical event LOGs from around 100 Servers and forward to SPLUNK Indexer. Is there anyway to build such syslog system in windows environment.? Thanks in Advance.
The free edition of Kiwi Syslog Server from SolarWinds is, in my opinion, the best free syslog server for companies in need of monitoring messages from a few devices (the tool can handle up to five).
With this tool in hand, you’ll receive centralized management of syslog messages and SNMP traps, be empowered to view and respond to messages, and even be able to archive messages and facilitate the compliance process. The free Kiwi Syslog Server also provides real-time statistics and daily statistic summaries so IT teams can keep their finger on the pulse of all activity. As far as free syslog servers go, this is by far the most comprehensive on the market.
If you’re looking to put a little spend behind your syslog server, the paid version of SolarWinds Kiwi Syslog Server can go a long way. In my view, Kiwi Syslog Server is not only the best syslog server for Cisco devices, but also a great syslog server Windows users within my community have come to rely on.
You can set custom alerting thresholds to monitor your entire IT infrastructure, all within one intuitive console. There are even a host of built-in actions to react to syslog messages, making it easy to trigger notifications and reports, run scripts, or forward syslog messages or SNMP traps to another host. The tool boasts detailed graphs of syslog statistics over designated time periods and automatically stores and archives logs, helping keep you compliant with SOX, HIPAA, PCI DSS, and more.
Paessler PRTG Network Monitor
Like SolarWinds, Paessler offers free and paid tools to help with syslog management through its PRTG network monitoring software. The free version for Windows helps IT teams capture and monitor syslog messages via a syslog receiver sensor and view all relevant information associated with syslog messages, like IP addresses and time of the message, through a single dashboard. From a security standpoint, PRTG will alert users if the contents of a syslog message exceed your predefined threshold values and even offers a ranking system. Messages with a “0” signify an emergency, while a “7” is typically an indication of a minor issue, like a debug. The free version of this software is powerful but can only be leveraged if you have a small network. While it offers extensive capabilities, the program’s functionality has been known to falter.
EZ5 Syslog Watcher
This free syslog server helps enhance the stability and reliability of your network through its syslog collection, sorting, and analyzing capabilities. It’s a high-performing tool designed to handle a heavy load, processing thousands of messages per minute and offering alerts via email in the event of unusual activity. You can even export syslog messages and data to your database or to a variety of file types, like CSV, XML, or JSON. Overall, it’s a strong tool, especially with its $0 price tag. Just don’t expect the more comprehensive centralization and reporting compliance of paid programs.
Project/Ipswitch WhatsUp Syslog Server
Another free syslog server software, WhatsUp Gold Syslog Server is a straightforward way to manage your syslog needs. It monitors syslog messages and provides real-time views into message data as well as filters to help you sort through the approximately 6,000,000 messages it can process per hour. To help customize your experience, Syslog Server encourages users to create rules for processing, sorting, and receiving syslog message alerts. These features make it easy to stay abreast of network activity and security. Since this is a free tool, the scope of its capabilities are fairly limited, but it’s great for smaller IT teams looking for a simplified syslog message management option.
How Do Syslog Servers Work?
However, to understand syslog servers, we must have a basic understanding of syslog. Syslog, short for System Logging Process, is a universal protocol for system message logging. All network equipment, like routers, switches, printers, workstations, and firewalls, can send syslog messages. These messages keep IT teams informed of all network equipment event activity. The syslog server collects and analyzes thousands of these messages per minute and determines the appropriate course of action. Without these analytic tools, syslog messages often fall through the cracks. This can drastically inhibit your company’s productivity, as you clunk through repairs and issues, and even put sensitive information in jeopardy.
To keep your company safe and on track, I recommend equipping the IT department with a syslog server that offers:
- Consolidation – To boost efficiency, syslog servers should centralize logs from systems and network devices, so you can quickly view syslog messages and pinpoint issues in minutes, not hours.
- Real-Time Alerts – A strong syslog tool will empower you to set predefined criteria for syslog messages based on time, type of message, or source, and alert you when these criteria have been met.
- Remote Capabilities – As an IT professional, you never know when an issue will arise. Staying in tune with your network health at all times, from any location, is essential. Look for a syslog server with a web console you can view when you’re at the office, or while you’re on a business trip.
- Compliance Reporting – Log collection and retention are the mainstays of many compliance frameworks. An advanced syslog server should be equipped to schedule automated log archival and cleanup and generate syslog reports, making it easy to comply with industry standards and keep your company in good standing.
- Sorting – Trying to sift through millions of syslog messages is no easy task. Find a syslog server with advanced filtering, so you can search messages by host name, host IP address, priority, time of day, and more to quickly access the critical data you need.
Depending on the size of your business, many free tools offer robust capabilities that could be just what you’re looking for.
Finding the Syslog Server in 2020
Finding the right tool for your company can be overwhelming amidst so many options. I recommend looking for a syslog server that centralizes all network and device logs, offers advancing filtering qualities, alerts you to anomalies, and helps keep you compliant with industry standards. My personal favorite? Both the free and paid version of SolarWinds Kiwi Syslog Server offer robust, comprehensive syslog message management. Download the free 30-day trial and try it out for yourself.
Additional Resources
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Network devices such as servers, firewalls, and routers generate logs about events and statuses, and trying to track all that information is challenging. Using syslog, in tandem with a syslog server such as SolarWinds® Kiwi Syslog® Server, provides a way to easily review and manage those logs.
This guide will go into more detail about syslog and the difference between syslog and event logs.
What Is Syslog?
The syslog protocol has been in use for decades as a way to transport messages from network devices to a logging server, typically known as a syslog server. Due to its longevity and popularity, the syslog protocol has support on most major operating systems, including macOS, Linux, and Unix. Syslog can also be supported on Microsoft Windows via third-party tools.
Syslog has three layers as part of the standard definition: Fallout pre war mod.
![Syslog Syslog](https://www.cmsdistribution.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/SolarWinds-Kiwi-Syslog-Server-Web-Console.png)
- Syslog content: The information in the event message
- Syslog application: The layer that generates, routes, interprets, and stores the message
- Syslog transport: The layer that transmits the message
What Does Syslog Do?
Syslog provides a way for network devices to send messages and log events. For this to work, Syslog has a standard format all applications and devices can use. A syslog message contains the following elements:
- Header
- Structured data
- Message
The header includes information about the version, time stamp, host name, priority, application, process ID, and message ID. The structured data comprises data blocks in a specific format, which is followed by the log message.
Log messages should be encoded using the 8-bit Unicode Transformation Format (UTF-8), but apart from that, the messages can be configured based on individual needs. The flexibility of the message content is part of what makes syslog so popular and effective.
The severity levels for syslog messages range from 0, which signals an emergency, to 5, which constitutes a warning. There are additional options for informational messages (level 6) and debugging (level 7).
While this information is advantageous, you can’t use syslog to gather information from devices the way you can with Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP). Syslog only supports sending messages to a defined location when certain events happen.
Syslog Server Kiwi
Syslog vs. Event Log
In contrast to syslog, an event log is a more basic resource that stores different types of information based on specific events. These events include:
- Failed password attempts
- Locked accounts
- Network login sessions
- Application errors
- Unexpected application closures
Event logs can be used to troubleshoot problems with security management, application installations, and more. The Windows event log includes the following information for each entry:
Whatsup Syslog Server
- Date: Date when the event occurred
- Time: Time when the event occurred
- User: User logged in when the event occurred
- Computer: Name of the computer used
- Event ID: An identification number from Windows indicating the event type
- Source: Component or program that caused the event
- Type: Type of event
When thinking about syslog vs. event log, it helps to remember an event log is a subset of what might be tracked in syslog. Syslog servers capture information from multiple logs and store it in a central location.
Syslog Server
What Is Syslog Server?
Syslog servers are used to collect syslog messages in a single location. A syslog server might be a physical server, a standalone virtual machine, or a software-based service.
To make it possible for syslog servers to receive, interpret, and store the messages, they usually have a couple of common components:
- Syslog Listener: This allows the server to receive messages by gathering Syslog data.
- Database: This is important for larger networks to be able to store syslog data for easy reference.
A good syslog server allows you to both collect the syslog messages and view and filter them from one location. This should include syslog messages from all devices and operating systems, with the ability to log in from any location through a secure portal.
Automation is also important. With the right syslog server, you can configure alerts to notify you of problems coming through syslog. You can also set up other types of responses to messages, such as running scripts, forwarding messages, and logging to a file.
Another way to view information is with reports. Syslog servers may allow you to schedule reports to run at certain times and be delivered to your email, so you can easily review graphs of statistics.
Advanced functionality may also support:
- Filtering messages based on priority, host IP address, host name, or time
- Buffering messages, so your system or inbox doesn’t get overwhelmed during heavy loads
While you won’t want to keep all logs active for long periods, compliance frameworks have specific requirements for log retention. A good syslog server will support archiving log data to comply with HIPAA, SOX, and more.
Why Use Syslog?
With so much complex information produced by multiple applications and systems, administrators need a way to review the details, so they can understand the cause of problems or plan appropriately for the future.
Logs collected in syslog support this by:
- Providing information needed to return the system to a prior status after a failure
- Containing details of individual applications to allow teams to understand trends and troubleshoot problem areas
- Monitoring applications without impacting performance by writing the information to external devices or services
Syslog has a few weak spots. The flexibility of the message component is useful, but not having a standard format can sometimes be challenging. Syslog also employs User Datagram Protocol (UDP) to transport information, which means log messages could be lost if there’s network congestion. Finally, syslog does not include any authentication processes to prevent a machine from impersonating another.
The drawbacks are minor, though, compared to the benefits. Syslog provides a way to gather and retain important messages using a widely recognized and standardized protocol. It makes the job of administrators much easier, especially with the right syslog server.
Syslog Management Is Key
Once you know what syslog is, it’s clear it does more than an event log. Syslog is a comprehensive tool to gather information from multiple sources to make it easier to manage large networks.
Handling all that data can be a challenge, which is why a syslog server is critical. A good option with a free trial is SolarWinds Kiwi® Syslog Server. This dedicated log software offers the ability to view and filter messages, create reports, configure alerts, and more.
Whatever solution you use, taking advantage of syslog is key to effectively managing all the devices on your network and keeping operations running smoothly.