A method for automatically configuring a network monitoring system to monitor signaling links connected to a network routing node: (a) instantiating a plurality of network monitoring servers on a plurality of network monitoring devices, each network monitoring server being provisioned to monitor a predetermined set of signaling links; characterised by: (b) instantiating a network monitoring client on the network routing node, the network monitoring client being associated with one or more signaling links connected to the network routing node; (c) sending a network monitoring service request from the network monitoring client to the network monitoring servers, the network monitoring service request including information for identifying the signaling link or links for which network monitoring service is being requested; (d) at the network monitoring servers, determining whether the network monitoring service request relates to one of the signaling links in the predetermined set of signaling links for which each server is provisioned to monitor; (e) in response to determining that the network monitoring request relates to a signaling link for which a network monitoring server is provisioned to monitor, sending a network monitoring service accept message from that network monitoring server to the network monitoring client; and (f) establishing a network monitoring connection between the network monitoring client and the accepting network monitoring server. (a) instantiating a plurality of network monitoring servers on a plurality of network monitoring devices, each network monitoring server being provisioned to monitor a predetermined set of signaling links; characterised by: (b) instantiating a network monitoring client on the network routing node, the network monitoring client being associated with one or more signaling links connected to the network routing node; (c) sending a network monitoring service request from the network monitoring client to the network monitoring servers, the network monitoring service request including information for identifying the signaling link or links for which network monitoring service is being requested; (d) at the network monitoring servers, determining whether the network monitoring service request relates to one of the signaling links in the predetermined set of signaling links for which each server is provisioned to monitor; (e) in response to determining that the network monitoring request relates to a signaling link for which a network monitoring server is provisioned to monitor, sending a network monitoring service accept message from that network monitoring server to the network monitoring client; and (f) establishing a network monitoring connection between the network monitoring client and the accepting network monitoring server. (b) instantiating a network monitoring client on the network routing node, the network monitoring client being associated with one or more signaling links connected to the network routing node; (c) sending a network monitoring service request from the network monitoring client to the network monitoring servers, the network monitoring service request including information for identifying the signaling link or links for which network monitoring service is being requested; (d) at the network monitoring servers, determining whether the network monitoring service request relates to one of the signaling links in the predetermined set of signaling links for which each server is provisioned to monitor; (e) in response to determining that the network monitoring request relates to a signaling link for which a network monitoring server is provisioned to monitor, sending a network monitoring service accept message from that network monitoring server to the network monitoring client; and (f) establishing a network monitoring connection between the network monitoring client and the accepting network monitoring server.