A network monitoring device responds to network status data (whether “pushed” from the network device or “pulled” from the network device) to maintain a buffer of saved status data. The network status data is reordered, manipulated, and presented to users of the network monitoring device in order. The monitoring device can provide a status report of the network environment. When network status data is delayed too long, the monitoring device can discard the network status data, or reduce its weighted consideration. The monitoring device attempts to balance accuracy and latency by adjusting wait time for network status data. The monitoring device maintains a record of the amount of network status data it receives and processes from each network device and each network device's ability to provide accurate and complete information to operators and users in a distributed network monitoring environment.