SNMP Exporter Installation Guide

Introduction

This guide provides step-by-step instructions for installing the Prometheus SNMP Exporter on various platforms. The SNMP Exporter allows Prometheus to monitor network devices like routers, switches, firewalls, and other SNMP-enabled infrastructure.

Official Repository: SNMP Exporter on GitHub

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What You’ll Need

Before starting the installation, ensure you have:

• A Linux, macOS, or Windows system
• Root or sudo access (for Linux/macOS)
• Internet connection for downloading packages
• Basic command-line knowledge
• A working Prometheus installation (see Prometheus installation guide)

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Installation Method 1: Binary Installation (Linux)

This is the recommended method for production environments.

Step 1: Create User and Directories

First, create a dedicated user for the SNMP Exporter:

# Create snmp_exporter user (no login shell)
sudo useradd --no-create-home --shell /bin/false snmp_exporter

# Create configuration directory
sudo mkdir -p /etc/snmp_exporter

# Set proper ownership
sudo chown snmp_exporter:snmp_exporter /etc/snmp_exporter

Step 2: Download the Latest Release

Visit the releases page to find the latest version.

# Set version (check GitHub for the latest)
VERSION="0.26.0"

# Download for Linux AMD64
cd /tmp
wget https://github.com/prometheus/snmp_exporter/releases/download/v${VERSION}/snmp_exporter-${VERSION}.linux-amd64.tar.gz

# Verify the download
ls -lh snmp_exporter-${VERSION}.linux-amd64.tar.gz

Step 3: Extract and Install

# Extract the archive
tar xvfz snmp_exporter-${VERSION}.linux-amd64.tar.gz

# Navigate to the extracted directory
cd snmp_exporter-${VERSION}.linux-amd64

# Copy the binary to system path
sudo cp snmp_exporter /usr/local/bin/

# Set proper ownership and permissions
sudo chown snmp_exporter:snmp_exporter /usr/local/bin/snmp_exporter
sudo chmod 755 /usr/local/bin/snmp_exporter

# Verify installation
/usr/local/bin/snmp_exporter --version

Step 4: Install Configuration File

# Copy default configuration
sudo cp snmp.yml /etc/snmp_exporter/

# Set proper ownership
sudo chown snmp_exporter:snmp_exporter /etc/snmp_exporter/snmp.yml
sudo chmod 644 /etc/snmp_exporter/snmp.yml

# Verify configuration file
sudo ls -l /etc/snmp_exporter/

Step 5: Create Systemd Service

Create a systemd service file for automatic startup and management:

sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/snmp_exporter.service

Add the following configuration:

[Unit]
Description=Prometheus SNMP Exporter
Documentation=https://github.com/prometheus/snmp_exporter
Wants=network-online.target
After=network-online.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=snmp_exporter
Group=snmp_exporter
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/snmp_exporter \
    --config.file=/etc/snmp_exporter/snmp.yml \
    --web.listen-address=:9116

Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=5

# Security hardening
NoNewPrivileges=true
PrivateTmp=true
ProtectHome=true
ProtectSystem=strict
ReadWritePaths=/etc/snmp_exporter

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Save and exit (Ctrl+X, Y, Enter).

Step 6: Start and Enable the Service

# Reload systemd to recognize the new service
sudo systemctl daemon-reload

# Start the SNMP Exporter
sudo systemctl start snmp_exporter

# Enable automatic start on boot
sudo systemctl enable snmp_exporter

# Check the service status
sudo systemctl status snmp_exporter

You should see output indicating the service is active and running.

Step 7: Verify Installation

# Check if the exporter is listening on port 9116
sudo netstat -tulpn | grep 9116

# Or using ss command
sudo ss -tulpn | grep 9116

# Test the exporter endpoint
curl http://localhost:9116/metrics

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Installation Method 2: Binary Installation (Ubuntu/Debian)

For Debian-based systems, you can also use this streamlined approach:

Quick Installation Script

#!/bin/bash

# Set version
VERSION="0.26.0"

# Update package list
sudo apt-get update

# Install required tools
sudo apt-get install -y wget tar

# Create user and directories
sudo useradd --no-create-home --shell /bin/false snmp_exporter
sudo mkdir -p /etc/snmp_exporter

# Download and extract
cd /tmp
wget https://github.com/prometheus/snmp_exporter/releases/download/v${VERSION}/snmp_exporter-${VERSION}.linux-amd64.tar.gz
tar xvfz snmp_exporter-${VERSION}.linux-amd64.tar.gz
cd snmp_exporter-${VERSION}.linux-amd64

# Install binary and config
sudo cp snmp_exporter /usr/local/bin/
sudo cp snmp.yml /etc/snmp_exporter/
sudo chown snmp_exporter:snmp_exporter /usr/local/bin/snmp_exporter
sudo chown -R snmp_exporter:snmp_exporter /etc/snmp_exporter

# Create systemd service (paste the service file content from above)
# Then run:
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl start snmp_exporter
sudo systemctl enable snmp_exporter
sudo systemctl status snmp_exporter

echo "SNMP Exporter installation complete!"

---

Installation Method 3: Binary Installation (CentOS/RHEL)

Step 1: Install Prerequisites

# Update system packages
sudo yum update -y

# Install required tools
sudo yum install -y wget tar

Step 2: Download and Install

# Set version
VERSION="0.26.0"

# Create user and directories
sudo useradd --no-create-home --shell /bin/false snmp_exporter
sudo mkdir -p /etc/snmp_exporter

# Download for Linux AMD64
cd /tmp
wget https://github.com/prometheus/snmp_exporter/releases/download/v${VERSION}/snmp_exporter-${VERSION}.linux-amd64.tar.gz

# Extract
tar xvfz snmp_exporter-${VERSION}.linux-amd64.tar.gz
cd snmp_exporter-${VERSION}.linux-amd64

# Install binary and configuration
sudo cp snmp_exporter /usr/local/bin/
sudo cp snmp.yml /etc/snmp_exporter/
sudo chown snmp_exporter:snmp_exporter /usr/local/bin/snmp_exporter
sudo chown -R snmp_exporter:snmp_exporter /etc/snmp_exporter

Step 3: Configure Firewall

# Allow SNMP Exporter port
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=9116/tcp
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

# Verify
sudo firewall-cmd --list-ports

Step 4: Create and Start Service

Follow Step 5 and Step 6 from the Linux installation above to create and start the systemd service.

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Installation Method 4: Docker Installation

Docker provides the fastest way to get started with SNMP Exporter.

Prerequisites

Install Docker by following the official Docker installation guide.

Step 1: Create Configuration Directory

# Create directory for configuration
mkdir -p ~/snmp_exporter
cd ~/snmp_exporter

Step 2: Download Configuration File

# Download the default snmp.yml
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/prometheus/snmp_exporter/main/snmp.yml

# Or create a minimal configuration
cat > snmp.yml <<EOF
# Minimal SNMP Exporter configuration
auths:
  public_v2:
    community: public
    security_level: noAuthNoPriv
    version: 2

modules:
  if_mib:
    walk:
      - 1.3.6.1.2.1.2.2.1.2  # ifDescr
      - 1.3.6.1.2.1.2.2.1.5  # ifSpeed
      - 1.3.6.1.2.1.2.2.1.8  # ifOperStatus
EOF

Step 3: Run Docker Container

docker run -d \
  --name snmp-exporter \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  -p 9116:9116 \
  -v $(pwd)/snmp.yml:/etc/snmp_exporter/snmp.yml:ro \
  prom/snmp-exporter:latest \
  --config.file=/etc/snmp_exporter/snmp.yml

Step 4: Verify Docker Container

# Check if container is running
docker ps | grep snmp-exporter

# View logs
docker logs snmp-exporter

# Follow logs in real-time
docker logs -f snmp-exporter

# Test the exporter
curl http://localhost:9116/metrics

Docker Container Management

# Stop the container
docker stop snmp-exporter

# Start the container
docker start snmp-exporter

# Restart the container
docker restart snmp-exporter

# Remove the container
docker rm -f snmp-exporter

# Update to latest image
docker pull prom/snmp-exporter:latest
docker rm -f snmp-exporter
# Then re-run the docker run command from Step 3

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Installation Method 5: Docker Compose

For easier management and integration with other services.

Step 1: Create Project Directory

mkdir -p ~/snmp-monitoring
cd ~/snmp-monitoring

Step 2: Create Configuration File

# Download or create snmp.yml
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/prometheus/snmp_exporter/main/snmp.yml

Step 3: Create Docker Compose File

nano docker-compose.yml

Add the following content:

version: '3.8'

services:
  snmp-exporter:
    image: prom/snmp-exporter:latest
    container_name: snmp-exporter
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "9116:9116"
    volumes:
      - ./snmp.yml:/etc/snmp_exporter/snmp.yml:ro
    command:
      - '--config.file=/etc/snmp_exporter/snmp.yml'
      - '--log.level=info'
    networks:
      - monitoring

networks:
  monitoring:
    driver: bridge

Step 4: Start Services

# Start in detached mode
docker-compose up -d

# View logs
docker-compose logs -f

# Check status
docker-compose ps

Step 5: Manage Services

# Stop services
docker-compose stop

# Start services
docker-compose start

# Restart services
docker-compose restart

# Stop and remove containers
docker-compose down

# Stop and remove containers including volumes
docker-compose down -v

# Update to latest images
docker-compose pull
docker-compose up -d

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Installation Method 6: macOS Installation

Using Homebrew (Recommended)

# Install Homebrew if not already installed
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

# Install SNMP Exporter (if available in tap)
# Note: May not be in official Homebrew, use binary method below if unavailable
brew install snmp_exporter

Binary Installation for macOS

# Set version
VERSION="0.26.0"

# Download for macOS AMD64
cd /tmp
curl -LO https://github.com/prometheus/snmp_exporter/releases/download/v${VERSION}/snmp_exporter-${VERSION}.darwin-amd64.tar.gz

# Extract
tar xvfz snmp_exporter-${VERSION}.darwin-amd64.tar.gz
cd snmp_exporter-${VERSION}.darwin-amd64

# Create directories
sudo mkdir -p /usr/local/etc/snmp_exporter
sudo mkdir -p /usr/local/var/log/snmp_exporter

# Install binary
sudo cp snmp_exporter /usr/local/bin/
sudo cp snmp.yml /usr/local/etc/snmp_exporter/

# Verify installation
snmp_exporter --version

Create LaunchAgent (macOS Service)

# Create LaunchAgent plist
sudo nano /Library/LaunchDaemons/io.prometheus.snmp_exporter.plist

Add the following content:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
    <key>Label</key>
    <string>io.prometheus.snmp_exporter</string>
    <key>ProgramArguments</key>
    <array>
        <string>/usr/local/bin/snmp_exporter</string>
        <string>--config.file=/usr/local/etc/snmp_exporter/snmp.yml</string>
    </array>
    <key>RunAtLoad</key>
    <true/>
    <key>KeepAlive</key>
    <true/>
    <key>StandardErrorPath</key>
    <string>/usr/local/var/log/snmp_exporter/error.log</string>
    <key>StandardOutPath</key>
    <string>/usr/local/var/log/snmp_exporter/output.log</string>
</dict>
</plist>

Start the Service

# Load the service
sudo launchctl load /Library/LaunchDaemons/io.prometheus.snmp_exporter.plist

# Start the service
sudo launchctl start io.prometheus.snmp_exporter

# Check status
sudo launchctl list | grep snmp_exporter

# View logs
tail -f /usr/local/var/log/snmp_exporter/output.log

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Installation Method 7: Windows Installation

Step 1: Download Binary

1. Visit the releases page
2. Download the Windows binary: snmp_exporter-{VERSION}.windows-amd64.tar.gz
3. Extract the archive using 7-Zip or Windows built-in extraction

Step 2: Create Installation Directory

# Open PowerShell as Administrator
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path "C:\Program Files\snmp_exporter"
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path "C:\Program Files\snmp_exporter\config"

Step 3: Copy Files

# Copy binary and config
Copy-Item -Path ".\snmp_exporter.exe" -Destination "C:\Program Files\snmp_exporter\"
Copy-Item -Path ".\snmp.yml" -Destination "C:\Program Files\snmp_exporter\config\"

Step 4: Create Windows Service

Using NSSM (Non-Sucking Service Manager):

# Download NSSM from https://nssm.cc/download
# Extract and navigate to nssm directory

# Install service
.\nssm.exe install SNMPExporter "C:\Program Files\snmp_exporter\snmp_exporter.exe"

# Set arguments
.\nssm.exe set SNMPExporter AppParameters "--config.file=C:\Program Files\snmp_exporter\config\snmp.yml"

# Set startup directory
.\nssm.exe set SNMPExporter AppDirectory "C:\Program Files\snmp_exporter"

# Start service
.\nssm.exe start SNMPExporter

Step 5: Configure Firewall

# Allow inbound traffic on port 9116
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "SNMP Exporter" -Direction Inbound -LocalPort 9116 -Protocol TCP -Action Allow

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Post-Installation Configuration

Basic Configuration File

The default snmp.yml includes many pre-configured modules. Here’s a minimal example:

auths:
  public_v2:
    community: public
    security_level: noAuthNoPriv
    version: 2

modules:
  if_mib:
    walk:
      - 1.3.6.1.2.1.2.2.1.2   # ifDescr
      - 1.3.6.1.2.1.2.2.1.5   # ifSpeed
      - 1.3.6.1.2.1.2.2.1.8   # ifOperStatus
      - 1.3.6.1.2.1.31.1.1.1.6  # ifHCInOctets
      - 1.3.6.1.2.1.31.1.1.1.10 # ifHCOutOctets

Configure Prometheus

Add the following to your prometheus.yml:

scrape_configs:
  - job_name: 'snmp'
    static_configs:
      - targets:
        - 192.168.1.1  # SNMP device IP
    metrics_path: /snmp
    params:
      module: [if_mib]
    relabel_configs:
      - source_labels: [__address__]
        target_label: __param_target
      - source_labels: [__param_target]
        target_label: instance
      - target_label: __address__
        replacement: localhost:9116  # SNMP Exporter address

Reload Prometheus

# Binary installation
sudo systemctl reload prometheus

# Docker installation
docker exec prometheus kill -HUP 1

# Or restart
docker restart prometheus

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Verification and Testing

Test SNMP Connectivity

Before using the exporter, verify SNMP access to your devices:

# Install snmpwalk (if not already installed)
# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt-get install snmp snmp-mibs-downloader

# CentOS/RHEL
sudo yum install net-snmp-utils

# macOS
brew install net-snmp

# Test SNMP v2c
snmpwalk -v2c -c public 192.168.1.1 system

# Test SNMP v3
snmpwalk -v3 -l authPriv -u username -a SHA -A authpass -x AES -X privpass 192.168.1.1 system

Test SNMP Exporter

# Query the exporter directly
curl 'http://localhost:9116/snmp?target=192.168.1.1&module=if_mib'

# You should see Prometheus-formatted metrics

Check Prometheus Targets

1. Open Prometheus web UI: http://localhost:9090
2. Navigate to Status → Targets
3. Verify your SNMP targets show as “UP”
4. Check “Last Scrape” time

Run Test Queries in Prometheus

# Check if metrics are being collected
up{job="snmp"}

# View interface status
ifOperStatus

# Check interface traffic (if available)
rate(ifHCInOctets[5m])

---

Service Management Commands

Linux (systemd)

# Start service
sudo systemctl start snmp_exporter

# Stop service
sudo systemctl stop snmp_exporter

# Restart service
sudo systemctl restart snmp_exporter

# Check status
sudo systemctl status snmp_exporter

# Enable auto-start on boot
sudo systemctl enable snmp_exporter

# Disable auto-start
sudo systemctl disable snmp_exporter

# View logs
sudo journalctl -u snmp_exporter -f

# View recent logs
sudo journalctl -u snmp_exporter -n 100

# Reload configuration (send SIGHUP)
sudo systemctl reload snmp_exporter

Docker

# Start container
docker start snmp-exporter

# Stop container
docker stop snmp-exporter

# Restart container
docker restart snmp-exporter

# View logs
docker logs -f snmp-exporter

# Execute commands inside container
docker exec snmp-exporter snmp_exporter --version

# Update container
docker pull prom/snmp-exporter:latest
docker stop snmp-exporter
docker rm snmp-exporter
# Re-run docker run command

macOS

# Start service
sudo launchctl start io.prometheus.snmp_exporter

# Stop service
sudo launchctl stop io.prometheus.snmp_exporter

# Unload service
sudo launchctl unload /Library/LaunchDaemons/io.prometheus.snmp_exporter.plist

# Load service
sudo launchctl load /Library/LaunchDaemons/io.prometheus.snmp_exporter.plist

# View logs
tail -f /usr/local/var/log/snmp_exporter/output.log

Windows

# Start service
Start-Service SNMPExporter

# Stop service
Stop-Service SNMPExporter

# Restart service
Restart-Service SNMPExporter

# Check status
Get-Service SNMPExporter

# Using NSSM
nssm start SNMPExporter
nssm stop SNMPExporter
nssm restart SNMPExporter
nssm status SNMPExporter

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Troubleshooting Installation

Issue: Service Won’t Start

Check logs:

# Linux
sudo journalctl -u snmp_exporter -n 50 --no-pager

# Docker
docker logs snmp-exporter

Common causes:

• Configuration file syntax errors
• Port 9116 already in use
• Incorrect file permissions

Solutions:

# Check port usage
sudo netstat -tulpn | grep 9116
sudo lsof -i :9116

# Verify configuration syntax
/usr/local/bin/snmp_exporter --config.check --config.file=/etc/snmp_exporter/snmp.yml

# Check file permissions
ls -l /etc/snmp_exporter/snmp.yml
sudo chown snmp_exporter:snmp_exporter /etc/snmp_exporter/snmp.yml

Issue: Cannot Access Web Interface

Check if service is running:

# Linux
sudo systemctl status snmp_exporter

# Docker
docker ps | grep snmp-exporter

Verify port binding:

curl http://localhost:9116/metrics

Check firewall:

# Linux (UFW)
sudo ufw allow 9116/tcp

# Linux (firewalld)
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=9116/tcp
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

# macOS
# Usually no firewall configuration needed for localhost

Issue: Permission Denied Errors

# Fix ownership
sudo chown -R snmp_exporter:snmp_exporter /etc/snmp_exporter
sudo chown snmp_exporter:snmp_exporter /usr/local/bin/snmp_exporter

# Fix permissions
sudo chmod 755 /usr/local/bin/snmp_exporter
sudo chmod 644 /etc/snmp_exporter/snmp.yml

Issue: Module or Configuration Not Found

# Verify configuration file location
ls -l /etc/snmp_exporter/snmp.yml

# Check configuration syntax
/usr/local/bin/snmp_exporter --config.check --config.file=/etc/snmp_exporter/snmp.yml

# Download default configuration if missing
sudo wget -O /etc/snmp_exporter/snmp.yml https://raw.githubusercontent.com/prometheus/snmp_exporter/main/snmp.yml
sudo chown snmp_exporter:snmp_exporter /etc/snmp_exporter/snmp.yml

Issue: High Memory Usage

If the exporter is consuming too much memory:

# Restart the service
sudo systemctl restart snmp_exporter

# Check for large configuration files
du -h /etc/snmp_exporter/snmp.yml

# Monitor resource usage
top -p $(pgrep snmp_exporter)

---

Uninstallation

Linux (Binary Installation)

# Stop and disable service
sudo systemctl stop snmp_exporter
sudo systemctl disable snmp_exporter

# Remove service file
sudo rm /etc/systemd/system/snmp_exporter.service

# Reload systemd
sudo systemctl daemon-reload

# Remove binary and configuration
sudo rm /usr/local/bin/snmp_exporter
sudo rm -rf /etc/snmp_exporter

# Remove user
sudo userdel snmp_exporter

Docker

# Stop and remove container
docker stop snmp-exporter
docker rm snmp-exporter

# Remove image
docker rmi prom/snmp-exporter:latest

# Remove configuration
rm -rf ~/snmp_exporter

macOS

# Stop and unload service
sudo launchctl stop io.prometheus.snmp_exporter
sudo launchctl unload /Library/LaunchDaemons/io.prometheus.snmp_exporter.plist

# Remove files
sudo rm /Library/LaunchDaemons/io.prometheus.snmp_exporter.plist
sudo rm /usr/local/bin/snmp_exporter
sudo rm -rf /usr/local/etc/snmp_exporter
sudo rm -rf /usr/local/var/log/snmp_exporter

Windows

# Stop and remove service (using NSSM)
nssm stop SNMPExporter
nssm remove SNMPExporter confirm

# Remove files
Remove-Item -Recurse -Force "C:\Program Files\snmp_exporter"

# Remove firewall rule
Remove-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "SNMP Exporter"

---

Next Steps

After successful installation:

1. Configure Authentication – Set up SNMPv2c or SNMPv3 credentials
2. Add Device Targets – Configure Prometheus to scrape your network devices
3. Create Custom Modules – Generate configurations for specific devices
4. Set Up Alerting – Create alert rules for critical metrics
5. Install Grafana – Visualize your SNMP metrics with dashboards

Further Reading:

• SNMP Exporter Configuration Guide
• Prometheus Configuration
• SNMP Best Practices

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Conclusion

You now have SNMP Exporter installed and ready to monitor your network infrastructure. The exporter is running and waiting for Prometheus to scrape metrics from your SNMP-enabled devices.

Happy Monitoring! 📊