We are going to start by explaining what the Visual Paradigm Network Diagram software can bring us. Next, we will see an example so that you get the basic notions

What can we do with Visual Paradigm Network Diagram

Visual Paradigm Network Diagram is free software with network diagram support. In addition, it supports many other types of diagrams such as UML, organization chart, floor plan, wireframe, family tree, ERD and more. Its main function is to allow us to make network diagrams through a simple and intuitive editor. Here is an example of what can be achieved with this software.

An important feature is that it is an online software , so it will not require installation or take up space on your hard drive. All you need to use is a browser and an Internet connection. Besides being free, another positive thing is that there is no advertising .

Other interesting features are that there is no limited period of access, and we have no limitations in terms of number of diagrams, number of shapes and more. In addition, it has powerful editing tools including a drag-and-drop diagram editor.

Lastly, it has support for teamwork with cloud-based workspace and project and member management. Although, it does not have all the functions that I have mentioned, it does have most. In the price list you can see the difference between the free version and the paid version.

How to start using the program and first steps

We have already commented previously that it was an online software so we will use it using our internet browser. If we want to use the program we can do it in two ways. One would be to go to their website and click on the Make a Network Diagram button that you have framed in red.

The other way to do it would be with this direct link . I put them both in case the developer changes the url of any of the options at some point. Once pressed, we go to the program’s home screen, where we will have to make a series of decisions before starting to work.

In the column on the left is where we select the type of project that we want to use. In this sense, it should be noted that it has a very wide variety, for example:

• Circuit diagram.
• Organization table.
• Decisions Tree.
• Pert table.

Also if we click on the small box in red we can establish a filter to find us a project. Then above we have these sections:

1. New : we can choose between the projects that are selected in the left column or create a blank one.
2. Open : open existing diagrams.
3. Import : allows us to import Visio, draw.io and Gliffy files.
4. Favorites : used to add the diagrams that we use most frequently.
5. View : we can choose and see in the left column between diagrams and toolkit.

In this article, as it is a website specialized in networks, we will choose such a project as an example. In this case, as the Network Diagram project was already selected by default in the left column, we don’t have to do anything there. The only thing you have to do to start is on the right side select Network Diagram .

So let’s start creating a network diagram from scratch. The other options offer some predefined networks that can sometimes come in handy as a starting point.

So you can create a network diagram and online for free

Now it is time to start a new project of our home or office network.

Above marked in red you have the main options. We are going to briefly comment on what the most important ones are for.

• File : to open files from Google Drive, a device or the browser. We can also save the files that we create, import and export them. Login to your Visual Paradigm Online workspace is required for which we need to have an account.
• Select – Allows you to select all shapes, connections, and more at once.
• View : to choose how to view our work area. For example, we can select “Grid” and the area where our network devices are placed will change from having a white background to one made up of squares.
• Help : with keyboard shortcuts that we can use and support.

I have left apart from the top menu, the section « Extras «, there for example if we go to Language we can put it in Spanish. As a curiosity, comment that it also admits Galician and Basque.

Once selected to appear in Spanish, you have to press F5 to refresh and load the new values. Here you can see the menus in Spanish and we will proceed to analyze what the column on the left offers us.

In the Network section we have the icons of the teams and people that we can use to create our network team. Its use mechanics are very simple, with a simple click or dragging the icon to the work screen on the right. Then in General with the same mechanics of use, we can put geometric shapes, text, connecting lines.

Next, under General, we have arrows in case we want to insert one.

The last thing we have to comment on on the left side is the search bar that we have above and that has the symbol of a magnifying glass . There, for example, we can use it to add an icon that we do not have below. For example, imagine that we need the WiFi one, we write it, we give enter, it appears below and with one click we already have it in the work area.

Network example using Visual Paradigm software

Now it’s time to create our little network with the Visual Paradigm Network Diagram. We are going to start by explaining very briefly the buttons above on the right side where we will build our network.

Here with the arrows that we have to the left and to the right we can go back and advance in the actions that we have done. Other things we can do:

• Put fill color, line color, shadow and format copy.
• Establish connecting lines and reference points.

If you move the cursor gently over each button, comment what it is for. Now we will start to create our network, from the left we will choose a router and a PC by clicking on them. We will also insert text to better identify the devices. To put the text we can do it under the icons in General or in the upper menu Insert Text .

Then we will get a result like the following:

The next step is to click on the router to establish a connection line between the WiFi router and Luis’s PC. There we will see four large arrows where we can choose the one that best suits us. The one that I have used to do the tutorial is the one that I indicate with another arrow.

Then, when we link with the second team, we can choose the type of connection we want to create, in this case we have set bidirectional.

This would be the final result of the connection:

Now I am going to create an example with a network with 3 PCs, a WiFi router, a smartphone and a printer.

As you can see, Visual Paradigm Network Diagram allows us to create our network diagrams. Then the complexity of it will depend on whether you put more equipment on your network.