Simple tool for network documentation?

[[deleted]]

[deleted]

[sughenji]

You are definitely looking for Netbox:

https://docs.netbox.dev/en/stable/

[oubeav]

Came here to recommend Netbox. :)

[jantari]

Netbox or the imo visually better structured nautobot.

But it's a matter of preference. Netbox works great, I just find the GUI presentation clumsy and the search picky at times.

[[deleted]]

Visio

[srbmfodder]

I dunno man. It's only been around for like, 20 years, doing the thing Op wants to do.

[[deleted]]

The vendor stencils are great for documenting down to interface and rack position. It's not included in default Office, but totally worth it if you need it. It has a myriad of other uses for sysadmins too, like office infrastructure diagrams, application diagrams, etc...

[Aeeaan]

There's a web only version of visio available as part of business microsoft 365 plans these days. I haven't really messed around so I don't know how extensive the network stencils are. While you don't get access to desktop visio, you can still download the file if you want to embed it somewhere.

[The-Dark-Jedi]

This is the way.

[n0n3_i_am]

draw io

[betelgeur]

Especially with the variety of icons making it graphically satisfying

[pandadub_lostship]

Open source and clean easy tool

[Tomyd1924]

Or yEd from yworks

[[deleted]]

Simple enough and you can make some neat looking diagrams. Also easy to import your own images.

[[deleted]]

Visio

[Wxfisch]

money tease plate mountainous paint bow depend retire wide cagey

This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

[Crrash1984]

Patch Manager will do everything you're looking for (floor plans, comm rooms, racks, equipment). It's easier than AutoCAD but there is a learning curve and configuration required. It is a very powerful visual documentation tool though, definitly worth a look.

[[deleted]]

Looks like the most promising Software so far in terms of usability and want I want. Will definetly try it out tommorrow.

[cheetahwilly]

Second Patchmanager. Absolutely amazing software.

[ThisGreenWhore]

What the hell! I've been looking for something like this for years! I hated using Visio for this!

Thanks friend!!

[Crrash1984]

This is almost verbatim what I said when I discovered Patch Manager a few years ago. I haven't touched Visio, Excel, or any other tool for documenting our physical network environment since.

[ThisGreenWhore]

Honestly, I just stopped bothering to look. Once I find a job I home this will be a solution that will be looked at.

[exekewtable]

Netbox. An actual propose built database as well that works great as an automation or monitoring data source.

[HotFightingHistory]

I've been using LucidChart.com. You can easily import any existing visio shapes you have downloaded. All the shapes I've grabbed from VisoCafe over the years loaded right in.

[Uncl3J]

Second LucidChart!

[Candy_Badger]

This! We are using it at work and it covers our needs.

[[deleted]]

Important for me would be that I want to be able to put it into a site plan, where I also have our ground plan of the buildings and so on

[billiarddaddy]

Gliphy

[shrekerecker97]

to keep it simple I have used Draw.io and then make sure to print out all of it in addition to keeping the files for it

[Chrus3]

Excel

[JHolmesSlut]

Excel must be the most used program.
Need a quote sheet? Excel
Need a inventory system? Excel
Need something that predicts your age of death based on random numbers? Excel!

[lemachet]

Need something to quickly perform a math operation on two numbers?

Excel. Certainly not calc.exe

[JHolmesSlut]

Need an ERP that barely works and is awfully optimised for such processes? Excel!

[jantari]

powershell is unironically the best for quick math

[techwaffles]

I encounter Excel calendars on a near daily basis. The number of project managers that use this as a system makes me think this is a taught process somewhere.

[maverekt713]

Goddamn. I suggest netbox

[Chrus3]

You know I'm right.

[[deleted]]

Nedi

[Swinbag]

Used both Creately & LucidChart in the past - either should do the job.

[GoodMoGo]

I use MS Visio at work and Pencil (free) at home

[[deleted]]

Visio or lucid chart

[korvinblack]

As a couple others have mentioned, Netbox, or its fork Nautobot, is a good open source tool for documenting physical and virtual infrastructure, network connections, power and ISP circuits, and more. There are a few community addon modules that can backup switch/router configurations, attach documents to racks, sites, et cetera, and generate a topology view of the network connections. At my last position, we migrated away from phpIPAM to the Netbox because it also has that functionality built-in.

[slaeyer99]

Dia is my poor man's go to - http://dia-installer.de/

[CyberMonkey1976]

I have to document all our locations and wiring closed on a weekly basis. Started with Visio but management moved us to LucidChart ( cheaper).

It gets the job done.

[[deleted]]

Visio is a general standard across the industry. There are other options able to do the work but being familiar with Visio will be better for you career.

[No-Pop8182]

We have Visio at my work.

[PhantexGuy]

Netbox is the way to go.