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sidebar_label: "SNMP devices"
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# SNMP devices


<img src="https://netdata.cloud/img/SNMP.png" width="150"/>


Plugin: go.d.plugin
Module: snmp

<img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/maintained%20by-Netdata-%2300ab44" />

## Overview

This collector discovers and monitors any SNMP-enabled network device.

- **Built-in vendor profiles**: Netdata ships with a [large library of profiles](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/tree/master/src/go/plugin/go.d/config/go.d/snmp.profiles/default) for major vendors, enabling automatic, out-of-the-box monitoring—**no manual OID configuration needed** for common hardware.
- **Custom profiles supported**: Users can extend or override stock profiles to add new devices, modify charts, or collect additional OIDs.
- **Automatic vendor/model detection**: Devices are matched to the right profile using selectors such as `sysObjectID` and `sysDescr`.
- **ICMP ping**: Optional round-trip latency monitoring alongside SNMP, with a `ping_only` mode available.
- **SNMP v1, v2c, and v3 support**: Fully implemented via the [gosnmp](https://github.com/gosnmp/gosnmp) library.


**Built-in profiles for major vendors:**

| Category | Vendors |
|----------|---------|
| Switches & Routers | Cisco (Catalyst, Nexus, ASR, ISR), Arista, Juniper, HP/HPE, Dell, Extreme |
| Firewalls | Palo Alto, Fortinet FortiGate, Cisco ASA, Checkpoint, SonicWall |
| Wireless | Aruba, Cisco WLC, Ubiquiti, Alcatel-Lucent |
| Load Balancers | F5 BIG-IP, Citrix NetScaler, A10 Thunder |
| Infrastructure | APC UPS/PDU, Dell servers, plus standard MIBs (BGP, OSPF, TCP/UDP) |

> This table highlights common vendors—the **full library includes many more**.


:::info

See: [SNMP Profile Format](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/src/go/plugin/go.d/collector/snmp/profile-format.md) to learn how to write your own or extend stock ones.

:::

**Profile locations**

| Type | Default path | Notes |
|------|--------------|-------|
| **Stock profiles** | `/usr/lib/netdata/conf.d/go.d/snmp.profiles/default/` | Shipped with Netdata |
| **User profiles** | `/etc/netdata/go.d/snmp.profiles/` | Place custom or modified profiles here |

> Depending on installation, paths may be prefixed with `/opt/netdata`.

A **profile** defines:

- Device selectors for auto-matching (e.g. `sysObjectID`, `sysDescr`)
- The exact OIDs to collect (scalars and tables)
- How to label table rows (metric tags)
- Chart/metric metadata (units, families, types), including optional **virtual metrics**

**At runtime, the collector**:

1. Reads standard system OIDs (e.g. `sysObjectID`, `sysDescr`) to identify the device
2. Picks the best matching vendor/model profile(s)
3. Collects exactly the metrics those profiles define


This collector is supported on all platforms.

This collector supports collecting metrics from multiple instances of this integration, including remote instances.


### Default Behavior

#### Auto-Detection

SNMP service discovery can automatically scan configured networks and feed the SNMP collector with discovered devices.

- Disabled by default; enable and configure explicitly.
- Supports single IPs, ranges, and CIDR blocks (up to 512 IPs per subnet).
- Uses the provided SNMP credentials (v1/v2c/v3) to probe devices.
- Caches discovery results (configurable) to reduce network load.
- At collection time, each discovered device is matched to the appropriate [profile](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/src/go/plugin/go.d/collector/snmp/profile-format.md) based on its `sysObjectID`, `sysDescr`, and the profile’s selector rules.

The configuration file name is [go.d/sd/snmp.conf](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/src/go/plugin/go.d/config/go.d/sd/snmp.conf).

You can edit the configuration file using the edit-config script from the Netdata [config directory](https://learn.netdata.cloud/docs/netdata-agent/configuration#the-netdata-config-directory).

```bash
cd /etc/netdata 2>/dev/null || cd /opt/netdata/etc/netdata
sudo ./edit-config go.d/sd/snmp.conf
```


#### Limits

The default configuration for this integration does not impose any limits on data collection.

#### Performance Impact

**Device constraints**: Many SNMP devices (e.g., access switches) have limited CPU/ASIC time for management. If you see timeouts or gaps, reduce `update_every` or `max_repetitions`, or stagger polling across devices.

**Concurrent polling**: Parallel access by multiple tools may cause missed counters on some devices. Increase the collection interval (`update_every`) to reduce request pressure.


## Setup


You can configure the **snmp** collector in two ways:

| Method                | Best for                                                                                 | How to                                                                                                                                 |
|-----------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| [**UI**](#via-ui)     | Fast setup without editing files                                                         | Go to **Nodes → Configure this node → Collectors → Jobs**, search for **snmp**, then click **+** to add a job. |
| [**File**](#via-file) | If you prefer configuring via file, or need to automate deployments (e.g., with Ansible) | Edit `go.d/snmp.conf` and add a job.                                                                        |

:::important

UI configuration requires paid Netdata Cloud plan.

:::


### Prerequisites

#### Prepare the SNMP device

Before configuring the collector:
- Enable the SNMP service on the target device (via its management interface).
- Ensure the device is reachable from the Netdata node on UDP/161.
- Gather connection details: IP/DNS, SNMP version, and either a community (v1/v2c) or v3 credentials (user, auth/priv).



### Configuration

#### Options

The following options can be defined globally: update_every, autodetection_retry.


<details open><summary>Config options</summary>



| Group | Option | Description | Default | Required |
|:------|:-----|:------------|:--------|:---------:|
| **Collection** | update_every | Data collection frequency. | 10 | no |
|  | autodetection_retry | Recheck interval in seconds. Zero means no recheck will be scheduled. | 0 | no |
| **Target** | hostname | Target host (IP or DNS name, IPv4/IPv6). |  | yes |
| **SNMPv1/2** | community | SNMPv1/2 community string. | public | no |
| **SNMPv3** | user.name | SNMPv3 user name. |  | no |
|  | [user.level](#option-snmpv3-user-level) | Security level of SNMPv3 messages. |  | no |
|  | [user.auth_proto](#option-snmpv3-user-auth-proto) | Authentication protocol for SNMPv3 messages. |  | no |
|  | user.auth_key | Authentication protocol pass phrase for SNMPv3 messages. |  | no |
|  | [user.priv_proto](#option-snmpv3-user-priv-proto) | Privacy protocol for SNMPv3 messages. |  | no |
|  | user.priv_key | Privacy protocol pass phrase for SNMPv3 messages. |  | no |
| **SNMP transport** | options.version | SNMP version. Available versions: 1, 2, 3. | 2 | no |
|  | options.port | Target port. | 161 | no |
|  | options.retries | Retries to attempt. | 1 | no |
|  | options.timeout | SNMP request/response timeout. | 5 | no |
|  | options.max_repetitions | Controls how many SNMP variables to retrieve in a single GETBULK request. | 25 | no |
|  | options.max_request_size | Maximum number of OIDs allowed in a single GET request. | 60 | no |
| **Ping** | ping_only | Collect only ICMP round-trip metrics and skip periodic SNMP polling. A minimal SNMP sysInfo probe still runs at setup for naming/labels/metadata. | no | no |
|  | ping.enabled | Enable ICMP round-trip measurements (runs alongside SNMP). When disabled, no ping metrics are collected. | yes | no |
|  | ping.privileged | Use raw ICMP (privileged). If false, unprivileged mode is used. | yes | no |
|  | ping.packets | Number of ping packets to send per iteration. | 3 | no |
|  | ping.interval | Interval between sending ping packets. | 100ms | no |
| **Profiles** | manual_profiles | A list of profiles to force-apply when auto-detection cannot be used. | [] | no |
| **Virtual node** | create_vnode | If set, the collector will create a Netdata Virtual Node for this SNMP device, which will appear as a separate Node in Netdata. | true | no |
|  | vnode_device_down_threshold | Number of consecutive failed data collections before marking the device as down. | 3 | no |
|  | vnode.guid | A unique identifier for the Virtual Node. If not set, a GUID will be automatically generated from the device's IP address. |  | no |
|  | vnode.hostname | The hostname that will be used for the Virtual Node. If not set, the device's hostname will be used. |  | no |
|  | vnode.labels | Additional key-value pairs to associate with the Virtual Node. |  | no |

<a id="option-snmpv3-user-level"></a>
##### user.level

The security of an SNMPv3 message as per RFC 3414 (`user.level`):

| String value | Int value | Description                              |
|:------------:|:---------:|------------------------------------------|
|     none     |     1     | no message authentication or encryption  |
|  authNoPriv  |     2     | message authentication and no encryption |
|   authPriv   |     3     | message authentication and encryption    |


<a id="option-snmpv3-user-auth-proto"></a>
##### user.auth_proto

The digest algorithm for SNMPv3 messages that require authentication (`user.auth_proto`):

| String value | Int value | Description                               |
|:------------:|:---------:|-------------------------------------------|
|     none     |     1     | no message authentication                 |
|     md5      |     2     | MD5 message authentication (HMAC-MD5-96)  |
|     sha      |     3     | SHA message authentication (HMAC-SHA-96)  |
|    sha224    |     4     | SHA message authentication (HMAC-SHA-224) |
|    sha256    |     5     | SHA message authentication (HMAC-SHA-256) |
|    sha384    |     6     | SHA message authentication (HMAC-SHA-384) |
|    sha512    |     7     | SHA message authentication (HMAC-SHA-512) |


<a id="option-snmpv3-user-priv-proto"></a>
##### user.priv_proto

The encryption algorithm for SNMPv3 messages that require privacy (`user.priv_proto`):

| String value | Int value | Description                                                             |
|:------------:|:---------:|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|     none     |     1     | no message encryption                                                   |
|     des      |     2     | ES encryption (CBC-DES)                                                 |
|     aes      |     3     | 128-bit AES encryption (CFB-AES-128)                                    |
|    aes192    |     4     | 192-bit AES encryption (CFB-AES-192) with "Blumenthal" key localization |
|    aes256    |     5     | 256-bit AES encryption (CFB-AES-256) with "Blumenthal" key localization |
|   aes192c    |     6     | 192-bit AES encryption (CFB-AES-192) with "Reeder" key localization     |
|   aes256c    |     7     | 256-bit AES encryption (CFB-AES-256) with "Reeder" key localization     |



</details>


#### via UI

Configure the **snmp** collector from the Netdata web interface:

1. Go to **Nodes**.
2. Select the node **where you want the snmp data-collection job to run** and click the :gear: (**Configure this node**). That node will run the data collection.
3. The **Collectors → Jobs** view opens by default.
4. In the Search box, type _snmp_ (or scroll the list) to locate the **snmp** collector.
5. Click the **+** next to the **snmp** collector to add a new job.
6. Fill in the job fields, then click **Test** to verify the configuration and **Submit** to save.
    - **Test** runs the job with the provided settings and shows whether data can be collected.
    - If it fails, an error message appears with details (for example, connection refused, timeout, or command execution errors), so you can adjust and retest.


#### via File

The configuration file name for this integration is `go.d/snmp.conf`.

The file format is YAML. Generally, the structure is:

```yaml
update_every: 1
autodetection_retry: 0
jobs:
  - name: some_name1
  - name: some_name2
```
You can edit the configuration file using the [`edit-config`](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/docs/netdata-agent/configuration/README.md#edit-configuration-files) script from the
Netdata [config directory](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/docs/netdata-agent/configuration/README.md#locate-your-config-directory).

```bash
cd /etc/netdata 2>/dev/null || cd /opt/netdata/etc/netdata
sudo ./edit-config go.d/snmp.conf
```

##### Examples

###### SNMPv1/2

In this example:

- the SNMP device is `192.0.2.1`.
- the SNMP version is `2`.
- the SNMP community is `public`.
- we will update the values every 10 seconds.

Profiles are auto-selected at runtime


<details open><summary>Config</summary>

```yaml
jobs:
  - name: switch
    update_every: 10
    hostname: 192.0.2.1
    community: public
    options:
      version: 2

```
</details>

###### SNMPv3

To use SNMPv3:

- use `user` instead of `community`.
- set `options.version` to 3.


<details open><summary>Config</summary>

```yaml
jobs:
  - name: switch
    update_every: 10
    hostname: 192.0.2.1
    options:
      version: 3
    user:
      name: username
      level: authPriv
      auth_proto: sha256
      auth_key: auth_protocol_passphrase
      priv_proto: aes256
      priv_key: priv_protocol_passphrase

```
</details>

###### SNMPv3 with multiple devices

This example monitors multiple SNMP devices that share the same SNMPv3 credentials.

It uses [YAML anchors](https://yaml.org/spec/1.2.2/#3222-anchors-and-aliases) to define the
full job once (`&snmp_v3_job`) and then reuse it with `<<: *snmp_v3_job`,
overriding only `name` and `hostname` for each additional device.


<details open><summary>Config</summary>

```yaml
jobs:
  - &snmp_v3_job
    name: switch1
    update_every: 10
    hostname: 192.0.2.1
    options:
      version: 3
    user:
      name: username
      level: authPriv
      auth_proto: sha256
      auth_key: auth_protocol_passphrase
      priv_proto: aes256
      priv_key: priv_protocol_passphrase

  - <<: *snmp_v3_job
    name: switch2
    hostname: 192.0.2.2

  - <<: *snmp_v3_job
    name: switch3
    hostname: 192.0.2.3

```
</details>



## Alerts

There are no alerts configured by default for this integration.


## Metrics

Metrics and charts are **defined by the matched SNMP profile(s)** at runtime. They differ by vendor/model/OS and may include, for example, interface counters, optics, CPU/memory, temperature, VLANs, and more. Use the **Metrics** tab on the device’s dashboard to see exactly what is collected for that device.

:::tip

To understand the structure of these profiles (metrics, tags, virtual metrics, etc.), see **[SNMP Profile Format](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/src/go/plugin/go.d/collector/snmp/profile-format.md)**.

:::

If `ping.enabled` is true, ICMP latency/packet-loss charts are also provided (or exclusively, when `ping_only: true`).



## Live Data

This collector exposes real-time functions for interactive troubleshooting in the Live tab.


### Network Interfaces

Provides detailed network interface traffic and status metrics from SNMP-enabled devices.

This function queries cached SNMP interface data collected during regular polling cycles and presents it in a sortable, filterable table. Each row represents a network interface on the monitored SNMP device, with comprehensive metrics for traffic analysis, error monitoring, and operational status tracking.

Use cases:
- Identify top bandwidth-consuming interfaces on routers, switches, and access points
- Monitor interface operational and administrative status for network health
- Investigate packet errors, discards, and unusual traffic patterns

Data is sourced from the IF-MIB (RFC 2863) interface counters and is cached from the last successful SNMP collection. No additional SNMP requests are triggered when calling this function.


| Aspect | Description |
|:-------|:------------|
| Name | `Snmp:interfaces` |
| Require Cloud | no |
| Performance | Uses cached SNMP data only, no additional SNMP requests are triggered:<br/>• Responses are instantaneous from memory cache<br/>• Large devices with many interfaces may return many rows |
| Security | Exposes interface names, operational status, and traffic counters only:<br/>• No packet payloads or authentication credentials are exposed<br/>• No device configuration details are exposed |
| Availability | Available when:<br/>• The collector has completed at least one data collection cycle<br/>• Interface data is cached from the last successful SNMP collection<br/>• Returns HTTP 503 if cache is not ready yet |

#### Prerequisites

No additional configuration is required.

#### Parameters

| Parameter | Type | Description | Required | Default | Options |
|:---------|:-----|:------------|:--------:|:--------|:--------|
| Type Group | select | Filter interfaces by their type classification group. Custom mapping categorizes IANA interface types into practical groups for easier filtering. | yes | ethernet | Ethernet (default), Aggregation, Virtual, Other |

#### Returns

Network interface metrics from cached SNMP data, including traffic rates, packet statistics, operational status, and error counters. Each row represents one physical or virtual interface.

| Column | Type | Unit | Visibility | Description |
|:-------|:-----|:-----|:-----------|:------------|
| Interface | string |  |  | Network interface name or identifier (e.g., eth0, GigabitEthernet1/0/1, Vlan100) |
| Type | string |  |  | IANA-assigned interface type from IF-MIB (e.g., ethernetCsmacd, ieee80211, softwareLoopback) |
| Type Group | string |  |  | Custom categorization mapping IANA interface types into practical groups: Ethernet (physical Ethernet interfaces), Aggregation (LAG/port-channels, bonds), Virtual (VLANs, loopbacks), or Other (all remaining types) |
| Admin Status | string |  |  | Administrative state configured on the interface: up (enabled for use), down (administratively disabled), or testing (currently in test mode). Different from operational status. |
| Oper Status | string |  |  | Current operational state of the interface: up (operational and passing traffic), down (not operational), testing (in test mode), unknown (status cannot be determined), dormant (waiting for external actions), notPresent (interface removed but configuration remains), or lowerLayerDown (interface down due to lower-layer issues) |
| Traffic In | float | bit/s |  | Inbound network traffic rate in bits per second. High values indicate heavy inbound data flow that may require capacity planning. |
| Traffic Out | float | bit/s |  | Outbound network traffic rate in bits per second. High values indicate heavy outbound data flow. Compare with Traffic In to identify asymmetric usage patterns. |
| Unicast In | float | packets/s | hidden | Rate of unicast packets (destined for a single recipient) received per second. Normal traffic pattern for point-to-point communications. |
| Unicast Out | float | packets/s | hidden | Rate of unicast packets (addressed to a single destination) transmitted per second. |
| Broadcast In | float | packets/s | hidden | Rate of broadcast packets (sent to all nodes on network) received per second. High values may indicate network storms, ARP flooding, or misconfigured devices. |
| Broadcast Out | float | packets/s | hidden | Rate of broadcast packets transmitted per second. Consistently high broadcast rates can degrade network performance. |
| Packets In | float | packets/s |  | Total inbound packet rate (sum of unicast, broadcast, and multicast) per second. Useful for overall interface load assessment. |
| Packets Out | float | packets/s |  | Total outbound packet rate (sum of unicast, broadcast, and multicast) per second. |
| Errors In | float | packets/s | hidden | Rate of inbound packets with errors that prevented delivery. Non-zero values indicate physical layer issues (cable problems, signal integrity) or buffer overruns. |
| Errors Out | float | packets/s | hidden | Rate of outbound packets with transmission errors. Non-zero values may indicate interface hardware issues, cabling problems, or duplex mismatches. |
| Discards In | float | packets/s |  | Rate of inbound packets deliberately discarded by the device (often due to resource constraints, security policies, or unrecognized frames). Unlike errors, the interface may have been functioning correctly but chose to drop the packet. |
| Discards Out | float | packets/s |  | Rate of outbound packets deliberately discarded. Can indicate output queue overflows, ACL drops, or security policy rejections. |
| Multicast In | float | packets/s | hidden | Rate of multicast packets (destined for a group) received per second. Common in video streaming, multicast applications, and routing protocols. |
| Multicast Out | float | packets/s | hidden | Rate of multicast packets transmitted per second. |



## Troubleshooting

### Debug Mode

**Important**: Debug mode is not supported for data collection jobs created via the UI using the Dyncfg feature.

To troubleshoot issues with the `snmp` collector, run the `go.d.plugin` with the debug option enabled. The output
should give you clues as to why the collector isn't working.

- Navigate to the `plugins.d` directory, usually at `/usr/libexec/netdata/plugins.d/`. If that's not the case on
  your system, open `netdata.conf` and look for the `plugins` setting under `[directories]`.

  ```bash
  cd /usr/libexec/netdata/plugins.d/
  ```

- Switch to the `netdata` user.

  ```bash
  sudo -u netdata -s
  ```

- Run the `go.d.plugin` to debug the collector:

  ```bash
  ./go.d.plugin -d -m snmp
  ```

  To debug a specific job:

  ```bash
  ./go.d.plugin -d -m snmp -j jobName
  ```

### Getting Logs

If you're encountering problems with the `snmp` collector, follow these steps to retrieve logs and identify potential issues:

- **Run the command** specific to your system (systemd, non-systemd, or Docker container).
- **Examine the output** for any warnings or error messages that might indicate issues.  These messages should provide clues about the root cause of the problem.

#### System with systemd

Use the following command to view logs generated since the last Netdata service restart:

```bash
journalctl _SYSTEMD_INVOCATION_ID="$(systemctl show --value --property=InvocationID netdata)" --namespace=netdata --grep snmp
```

#### System without systemd

Locate the collector log file, typically at `/var/log/netdata/collector.log`, and use `grep` to filter for collector's name:

```bash
grep snmp /var/log/netdata/collector.log
```

**Note**: This method shows logs from all restarts. Focus on the **latest entries** for troubleshooting current issues.

#### Docker Container

If your Netdata runs in a Docker container named "netdata" (replace if different), use this command:

```bash
docker logs netdata 2>&1 | grep snmp
```

### Debugging Gaps on Charts

If your SNMP charts show gaps, it means the collector could not finish metric collection before the next scheduled run. This usually happens when SNMP tables take longer to collect than your configured `update_every`.

These gaps do *not* mean the device stopped exporting SNMP metrics — only that the collector had to skip cycles.

**Step 1: Check the Logs**

[Look for messages](#getting-logs) like:

```text
level=warn msg="skipping data collection: previous run is still in progress for 4s (skipped 4 times in a row, interval 1s)" collector=snmp job=your_device
level=info msg="data collection resumed after 4.36s (skipped 4 times)" collector=snmp job=your_device
```

The “resumed after” message shows how long the previous collection actually took.  
For example, if a run needs ~4.4 seconds and `update_every` is 1 second, 4 cycles will be skipped.


**Step 2: Check Collection Timings**

Open **SNMP → Internal → Stats** in the dashboard.  
The **SNMP profile collection timings** chart shows how long each part of the SNMP polling takes.  
Table metrics are usually the slowest and often determine the total collection time.

**Step 3: Increase the data collection interval**

[Set `update_every`](#setup) to a value **higher than your slowest collection time**, with some extra buffer for network variability.

| Typical Collection Time | Recommended `update_every` |
|-------------------------|-----------------------------|
| < 2 seconds             | 2 seconds                  |
| 2–5 seconds             | 5 seconds                  |
| 5–10 seconds            | 10 seconds                 |
| > 10 seconds            | collection_time × 2        |

:::info

- **Rule of thumb:** `update_every` should be at least 2× your slowest table collection time.  
- The default `update_every: 10` works well in most environments.  
- Only reduce it if your device consistently responds fast enough.

:::

**Quick Checklist**
1. Do logs show “skipping data collection”?  
2. Does *Internal → Stats* show collection time > `update_every`?  
3. Increase `update_every` until skips disappear.



