Our Sysadmins' 9 Favorite Apps and Why You Should Try Them

Written by Sarolta Hershey | Mar 15, 2017

iDecember 2018 - Update Time flies and the admin tools change. We asked sysadmins again, you can find the must-have tools (as of December 2018) in the article "10 Essential Apps That Make Your Sysadmin Life Easier".

"What's on your phone?" we asked our IT team at Paessler, looking for some inspiration. Of course the PRTG app was on all of their phones. It's what they work with daily to keep our network up and running at all times (thanks, guys!). But what other apps do they use and why do they love them?

Get Answers – Not a Link List

Felix is a big fan of WolframAlpha. The app will compute answers for your questions across the web using the WolframAlpha supercomputing cloud. Unlike search engines, you will not receive a list of sites where you might find answers, but the answers directly.

"I love how many possibilities WolframAlpha has to calculate answers to simple questions like the daily number of hours of sunshine or any statistics you could think of," says Felix.

WolframAlpha: Google Play, iTunes, Microsoft

Check Your Wifi

Dieter gave us a whole list of apps he uses regularly:

"I have two favorite apps for Wifi analysis, Fing and Wifi Analyzer. You will find out fast where your wifi problems originate from if you have any."

Aurelio adds:

"Fing is one of my favorites, too. It's free, easy to use and it provides you with lots of information, especially in your home network."

WiFi Analyzer: Google Play, Microsoft
Fing: Google Play, iTunes

Go to Your Desktop – On Your Phone

Another app Dieter relies on: Microsoft Remote Desktop Client.

„If there is an emergency in your network at the office and you don't have a laptop at hand, then this app will save your weekend. It sure did save several of mine."

Microsoft Remote Desktop: Google Play, iTunes, Microsoft

Get a Remote Control for Your Camera

As an avid photographer, Dieter uses the DSLR Controller Android app that lets you control your DSLR camera from your phone.

"When you are taking pictures of the night sky or working on macro shots, it's much easier to adjust the focus on your phone and not on the camera display. That way you don't run the risk of moving the camera every time you touch it."

DSLR Controller: Google Play

Share Your Tasks

Nina prefers apps that help her organize her day. To make lists and set reminders she uses Google Keep:

"The cool thing is that the app lets you share lists with others (in my case the grocery list with my boyfriend :D). The lists also synchronize automatically every time you open the app. Best feature: The app has an Android widget."

Google Keep: Google Play, iTunes

Jot Down What's in Your Head

For taking notes, Nina uses the OneNote App.

"It's like an extension to my brain across several platforms. I jot down what I need to think of when the next tax return is due but also all my wedding planning stuff", Nina tells us.

OneNote: Google Play, iTunes, Microsoft

Don't Take Notes – Photograph Them

„To capture notes at work I use Office Lens. No matter from which angle you take a picture, it turns out very well. Very useful to remember what a meeting was about, for example, and you can upload them to OneNote", Nina expands her list of favorites. "It also helps with private issues. My boyfriend forgot a document at home once and I sent him a pic taken with office lens. The app evens out strange perspectives and the document stays super readable."

Office Lens: Google Play, iTunes, Microsoft

Check Your Screen Time

Dirk's favorite app looks pretty anti-smartphone at first. IOS app Moment will tell you how much time you've spent on your smartphone.

"I like to check reality with my own perception", Dirk explains.

Moment: iTunes

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