How to Create a Quarterly Network Health Check Template for MSP Clients

Enterprises typically outsource network health checks from MSPs to monitor and proactively remediate cybersecurity incidents before they pose a threat. This guide provides MSPs with an auditing framework that can help efficiently report findings and highlight impact during quarterly reviews.

For a quick visual overview, watch our video guide: How to Create a Quarterly Network Health Check Template for MSP Clients.

Network health check template structure

A quarterly network health check works best when it follows a standard template that the MSP and client agree on up front. The template captures the essentials of the client’s environment and is refreshed each quarter as performance data and priorities change. The core components below give you a consistent structure to build from.

A. Inventory and documentation review

MSPs should use the initial review process to determine if documentation matches the actual gaps in the IT environment. This auditing window can also yield recommendations on how existing tools and new solutions can be integrated. Here are some steps to consider:

• Audit routers, switches, firewalls, servers, and endpoints.
• Update network diagrams to reflect the current environment.
• Select an IT management tool that scales with business needs.
• Identify any “shadow IT” devices or systems that may have been overlooked.

For auditing enterprises, RMM tools provide capabilities and more polished workflows for discovering devices and managing inventory at scale.

B. Performance metrics

Upon verifying the network assets and resources, a metric should be established to measure their performance using strict criteria.

Below are some key evaluation areas:

• Latency: can disrupt real-time tools such as remote access software or live collaboration platforms
• Packet loss: can reduce VoIP call quality or delay automated system updates
• Bandwidth utilization: helps determine whether current capacity supports tasks like large file transfers or software deployments
• Throughput analysis: verifies whether the network can sustain operations such as centralized patching or backup processes
• Error rates: may signal hardware degradation or misconfigurations that impact endpoint performance

In addition, the template should outline application-level monitoring to observe how business-critical apps such as Microsoft 365, VoIP systems, or CRM platforms perform over the network.

As for auditing tools, network monitoring solutions can collect data, which can be analyzed against historical performance logs and quarterly baselines. These insights support proactive troubleshooting and long-term infrastructure planning.

C. Security and configuration validation

Security checks are essential for building a resilient strategy against evolving threats, as they help prevent vulnerabilities and maintain system integrity across client environments.

Validation checkliststypically include:

• Patching levels and firmware updates
• Firewall rules, VPN configurations, and ACLs
• Unsupported and legacy systems

These components should be tracked and reviewed regularly to mitigate surface attacks and optimize performance. That said, legacy software may require additional bandwidth since it typically has vulnerabilities that cannot be patched.

To increase its scope, an MSP can use a combination of built-in Windows tools, enterprise IT software, or an RMM to automate security and configuration management.

D. Connectivity and network integrity

Quarterly audits provide a timely window to check network stability and integrity. The workflow for this stage includes running ping or traceroute tests across critical nodes and confirming link redundancy and VPN tunnel stability.

For baseline objectives, IT administrators can use built-in utilities such as ping, tracert, or pathping for quick diagnostics. Specialized tools can then be used to audit VPNs and advanced network settings.

E. Backup and redundancy review

Backup systems must be routinely tested to ensure they can support recovery in the event of an incident. Backup schedules should be reviewed regularly and adjusted as needed to stay aligned with organizational policies. In addition, test restores should be performed to verify that backup protocols are functioning as expected.

When it comes to backup and recovery, cloud-first backup solutions play a crucial role in minimizing downtimes and meeting compliance. For scalability and reduced overhead, RMM platforms can provide integrations that consolidate backup systems and IT management in a single console.

F. Incident readiness and logging

To piece it all together, the quarterly checklist needs to account for the overall readiness of the network. To validate the system’s response capabilities, consider the following:

• Ensure antivirus/EDR solutions are up to date with the latest signatures.
• Validate that centralized logging is enabled for auditing and compliance.
• Check whether alerts are actionable and have clear escalation paths.
• Review logs from the past quarter, including incidents, alerts, and PSA tickets.

This stage should determine the resilience of the network and systems when incidents occur. It also scrutinizes logging and auditing protocols, which usually indicate how fast the remediation and recovery processes will be in the wake of security events.

As an incident response foundation, ticketing systems within PSA platforms can improve organizational accountability by aligning technical actions with business records.

Automating network health check

Automation transforms quarterly reviews from labor-intensive projects into a streamlined and sustainable workflow. With scripts and policies, MSPs can scale network health checks across many clients without losing accuracy.

Example: Check uptime and patch status via PowerShell

This script pulls data about the recent patch and the system’s uptime in days.

if (-Not (Test-Path "Clients.txt")) { "localhost" | Out-File "Clients.txt" }

$clients = Get-Content "Clients.txt"

$result = foreach ($c in $clients) {

$uptime = (Get-CimInstance -ComputerName $c Win32_OperatingSystem).LastBootUpTime

try {

$patch = Invoke-Command -ComputerName $c -ScriptBlock { Get-HotFix -Id "KB5011497" -ErrorAction Stop }

} catch {

$patch = $null

}

[PSCustomObject]@{

Client = $c

UptimeDays = (New-TimeSpan $uptime (Get-Date)).Days

PatchApplied = if ($patch) { "Yes" } else { "No" }

}

}

$result | Export-Csv "QuarterlyHealthCheck.csv" -NoTypeInformation

💡 Note: Please replace the current KB value (e.g., KB5011497) with the specific KB you want to verify across clients. Meanwhile, to identify installed updates on a reference system, run: Get-HotFix.

Example: Perform a compliance check via GPO

This action audits the compliance status of a single endpoint. You may use GPMC to repeat the process at scale.

gpresult /S COMPUTERNAME /h GPOComplianceReport.html

Note: Replace “COMPUTERNAME” with the actual hostname of the endpoint you want to audit. To check the hostname, run hostname on the target machine.

Leveraging automation can help MSPs better manage IT resources and mitigate human errors. Automating workflows will also improve service delivery, incident logging, and general response times.

Packaging and delivering the network health check report

A health check’s value is only as strong as the way it’s presented to the client. Packaging findings into a clear, polished report demonstrates professionalism and reinforces trust.

A professional health check report should include the following components:

1. Cover page: client name, quarter, date, author
2. Executive summary: top risks, recent improvements, and high-level findings
3. Detailed: grouped by each health category
4. Visuals: diagrams, charts, and trendlines
5. Action plan: remediation steps with timelines
6. Appendix: raw logs, automation outputs, and supporting evidence

Delivering results in a structured client-facing format ensures that stakeholders not only see the technical depth of the work but also understand its business impact.

NinjaOne integration for network monitoring

RMM unlocks many automation opportunities for monitoring network health and auditing incidents. For instance, these NinjaOne integrations can be used at scale across distributed endpoints:

• Track quarterly tasks via recurring maintenance logs in the ticketing module.
• Use device and policy data from the RMM to validate patching and asset age.
• Consolidate outputs from automation scripts, such as backup logs or registry-related checks, in the health check report.
• Use NinjaOne dashboards for an organization-wide health overview, including metrics like device status, patch compliance, and alerts.
• Flawlessly export data from dashboards as summary reports for client delivery using built-in reporting and documentation templates.
• Use the NinjaOne IT automation engine to schedule and execute PowerShell scripts across multiple or distributed environments.

NinjaOne Endpoint Management® has a built-in network monitoring baked into its RMM capabilities. This integration enables teams to automate patch and software management while collecting and processing network data for auditing and compliance requirements.

Why choose quarterly network health checks

A quarterly review balances effort and visibility, both of which are crucial in fast-paced industries and agile IT environments. Monthly checks can be redundant if continuous monitoring tools are already in place, while annual checks can allow gaps to go unnoticed for longer periods.

On balance, a quarterly network audit is ideal as it aligns easily with industry compliance and business reporting cycles. With automation and predefined scripts, most reviews can be put together within a few hours, which then affords MSPs more time to package results and create a client-friendly and actionable presentation.

Related topics:

• 6 Network Monitoring Best Practices
• Exploring Network Performance Management Guide
• What Is Network Discovery?