LINESERVE
Get Started
All guides
Monitoring

SNMP Exporter Installation Guide

Install the Prometheus SNMP Exporter on Linux via binary and a systemd service, creating a dedicated user, deploying snmp.yml, and exposing metrics on port 9116.

Stephen NdegwaPublished Last updated 19 min read
Share

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

What is SNMP?

SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) is an Internet Standard protocol for collecting and organizing information about managed devices on IP networks. It’s widely used for monitoring network equipment like:

  • Routers and switches
  • Firewalls
  • Load balancers
  • Servers
  • Printers
  • UPS devices
  • Environmental sensors

Architecture Overview

[SNMP Devices] <--SNMP--> [SNMP Exporter] <--HTTP--> [Prometheus]

The SNMP Exporter:

  1. Receives scrape requests from Prometheus with target information
  2. Queries SNMP devices using configured modules
  3. Translates SNMP responses into Prometheus metrics
  4. Returns metrics to Prometheus in the expected format

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)

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

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.

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

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

Installation Method 6: macOS Installation

# 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

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 Filessnmp_exporter"
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path "C:Program Filessnmp_exporterconfig"

Step 3: Copy Files

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

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 Filessnmp_exportersnmp_exporter.exe"

# Set arguments
.nssm.exe set SNMPExporter AppParameters "--config.file=C:Program Filessnmp_exporterconfigsnmp.yml"

# Set startup directory
.nssm.exe set SNMPExporter AppDirectory "C:Program Filessnmp_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

Understanding the Configuration File

The snmp.yml file contains modules that define how to query different types of devices. Each module specifies:

  • Walk parameters: Which OIDs to query
  • Lookups: How to translate SNMP responses
  • Overrides: Custom metric transformations
  • Auth settings: SNMP version and credentials

Basic Configuration Structure

# Example module for generic device
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
 metrics:
 - name: ifOperStatus
 oid: 1.3.6.1.2.1.2.2.1.8
 type: gauge
 help: The current operational state of the interface
 indexes:
 - labelname: ifIndex
 type: gauge
 lookups:
 - labels:
 - ifIndex
 labelname: ifDescr
 oid: 1.3.6.1.2.1.2.2.1.2
 type: DisplayString

Common Pre-built Modules

The default snmp.yml includes modules for:

  • if_mib – Standard interface statistics
  • cisco_ios – Cisco IOS devices
  • paloalto_fw – Palo Alto firewalls
  • apc_ups – APC UPS devices
  • synology – Synology NAS devices
  • ddwrt – DD-WRT routers
  • mikrotik – MikroTik routers

Configuring Authentication

SNMPv2c (Community String)

Most common for older devices:

auths:
 public_v2:
 community: public
 security_level: noAuthNoPriv
 auth_protocol: MD5
 priv_protocol: DES
 version: 2

More secure with authentication and encryption:

auths:
 secure_v3:
 security_level: authPriv
 username: snmpuser
 password: authpassword
 auth_protocol: SHA
 priv_protocol: AES
 priv_password: privpassword
 version: 3

Security levels:

  • noAuthNoPriv – No authentication, no encryption
  • authNoPriv – Authentication only
  • authPriv – Authentication and encryption (recommended)

Generating Custom Configuration

For specific devices or custom OIDs, you’ll need to generate a custom configuration using the SNMP Exporter Generator.

Step 1: Install Generator Dependencies

# Install Go (required)
# For Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install golang-go build-essential libsnmp-dev

# For macOS
brew install go net-snmp

Step 2: Clone Generator Repository

git clone https://github.com/prometheus/snmp_exporter.git
cd snmp_exporter/generator

Step 3: Install Generator Dependencies

go build
make mibs

Step 4: Create Generator Configuration

Create a generator.yml file:

modules:
 custom_module:
 walk:
 - sysUpTime
 - interfaces
 - ifXTable
 lookups:
 - source_indexes: [ifIndex]
 lookup: ifAlias
 - source_indexes: [ifIndex]
 lookup: ifDescr
 overrides:
 ifAlias:
 ignore: true
 ifDescr:
 ignore: true
 ifName:
 ignore: true
 ifType:
 type: EnumAsInfo

Step 5: Generate snmp.yml

export MIBDIRS=mibs
./generator generate

This creates a new snmp.yml file with your custom module.

Configuring Prometheus

Basic Configuration

Add SNMP Exporter targets to your prometheus.yml:

scrape_configs:
 - job_name: 'snmp'
 static_configs:
 - targets:
 - 192.168.1.1 # Router
 - 192.168.1.2 # Switch
 - 192.168.1.3 # Firewall
 metrics_path: /snmp
 params:
 module: [if_mib] # Use the if_mib module
 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

Advanced Configuration with Multiple Modules

scrape_configs:
 # Cisco devices
 - job_name: 'snmp-cisco'
 static_configs:
 - targets:
 - 192.168.1.10 # Core Router
 - 192.168.1.11 # Distribution Switch
 metrics_path: /snmp
 params:
 module: [cisco_ios]
 relabel_configs:
 - source_labels: [__address__]
 target_label: __param_target
 - source_labels: [__param_target]
 target_label: instance
 - target_label: __address__
 replacement: snmp-exporter:9116

 # UPS devices
 - job_name: 'snmp-ups'
 static_configs:
 - targets:
 - 192.168.1.20
 metrics_path: /snmp
 params:
 module: [apc_ups]
 relabel_configs:
 - source_labels: [__address__]
 target_label: __param_target
 - source_labels: [__param_target]
 target_label: instance
 - target_label: __address__
 replacement: snmp-exporter:9116

Using File-based Service Discovery

Create a snmp_targets.yml file:

- targets:
 - 192.168.1.1
 - 192.168.1.2
 labels:
 module: cisco_ios
 location: datacenter1
 
- targets:
 - 192.168.2.1
 labels:
 module: if_mib
 location: office

Update prometheus.yml:

scrape_configs:
 - job_name: 'snmp'
 file_sd_configs:
 - files:
 - /etc/prometheus/snmp_targets.yml
 metrics_path: /snmp
 params:
 module: [if_mib]
 relabel_configs:
 - source_labels: [__address__]
 target_label: __param_target
 - source_labels: [__param_target]
 target_label: instance
 - source_labels: [module]
 target_label: __param_module
 - target_label: __address__
 replacement: localhost:9116

Reload Prometheus Configuration

# Binary installation
sudo systemctl reload prometheus

# Docker installation
docker exec prometheus kill -HUP 1

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 then 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])

Common Use Cases and Queries

Interface Monitoring

Interface status:

ifOperStatus{job="snmp"}

Inbound traffic rate (bits per second):

rate(ifHCInOctets{job="snmp"}[5m]) * 8

Outbound traffic rate:

rate(ifHCOutOctets{job="snmp"}[5m]) * 8

Interface errors:

rate(ifInErrors{job="snmp"}[5m])

Interface utilization percentage:

(rate(ifHCInOctets{job="snmp"}[5m]) * 8 / ifHighSpeed * 100)

Device Health

System uptime:

sysUpTime{job="snmp"} / 100 / 60 / 60 / 24

CPU usage (Cisco):

cpmCPUTotal5minRev{job="snmp"}

Memory usage (Cisco):

(ciscoMemoryPoolUsed / (ciscoMemoryPoolUsed + ciscoMemoryPoolFree)) * 100

Environmental Monitoring

Temperature sensors:

entSensorValue{entSensorType="8"}

Fan status:

entSensorValue{entSensorType="9"}

Power supply status:

entSensorValue{entSensorType="11"}

Alerting Rules

Create an snmp_alerts.yml file:

groups:
 - name: snmp_alerts
 interval: 30s
 rules:
 # Interface Down Alert
 - alert: InterfaceDown
 expr: ifOperStatus{ifAdminStatus="1"} == 2
 for: 5m
 labels:
 severity: warning
 annotations:
 summary: "Interface {{ $labels.ifDescr }} is down"
 description: "Interface {{ $labels.ifDescr }} on {{ $labels.instance }} has been down for more than 5 minutes"

 # High Interface Utilization
 - alert: HighInterfaceUtilization
 expr: (rate(ifHCInOctets[5m]) * 8 / ifHighSpeed * 100) > 80
 for: 10m
 labels:
 severity: warning
 annotations:
 summary: "High bandwidth usage on {{ $labels.ifDescr }}"
 description: "Interface {{ $labels.ifDescr }} on {{ $labels.instance }} is using {{ $value }}% bandwidth"

 # High CPU Usage
 - alert: HighCPUUsage
 expr: cpmCPUTotal5minRev > 80
 for: 15m
 labels:
 severity: warning
 annotations:
 summary: "High CPU usage on {{ $labels.instance }}"
 description: "CPU usage on {{ $labels.instance }} is {{ $value }}%"

 # High Memory Usage
 - alert: HighMemoryUsage
 expr: (ciscoMemoryPoolUsed / (ciscoMemoryPoolUsed + ciscoMemoryPoolFree)) * 100 > 90
 for: 10m
 labels:
 severity: critical
 annotations:
 summary: "High memory usage on {{ $labels.instance }}"
 description: "Memory usage on {{ $labels.instance }} is {{ $value }}%"

 # Device Unreachable
 - alert: SNMPDeviceDown
 expr: up{job="snmp"} == 0
 for: 5m
 labels:
 severity: critical
 annotations:
 summary: "SNMP device {{ $labels.instance }} is unreachable"
 description: "Unable to scrape SNMP metrics from {{ $labels.instance }}"

 # High Interface Errors
 - alert: HighInterfaceErrors
 expr: rate(ifInErrors[5m]) > 10
 for: 5m
 labels:
 severity: warning
 annotations:
 summary: "High error rate on {{ $labels.ifDescr }}"
 description: "Interface {{ $labels.ifDescr }} on {{ $labels.instance }} has {{ $value }} errors/sec"

Add the rules file to your prometheus.yml:

rule_files:
 - "snmp_alerts.yml"

Grafana Dashboards

Install Grafana

Follow the official Grafana installation guide.

Add Prometheus Data Source

  1. Open Grafana (default: http://localhost:3000)
  2. Go to Configuration > Data Sources
  3. Click Add data source
  4. Select Prometheus
  5. Set URL: http://localhost:9090
  6. Click Save & Test

Import Pre-built Dashboards

Popular SNMP dashboards from Grafana.com:

  • Dashboard ID 11169 – SNMP Interface Stats
  • Dashboard ID 11566 – SNMP Device Details
  • Dashboard ID 11169 – Network Interfaces

To import:

  1. Go to Dashboards > Import
  2. Enter dashboard ID
  3. Select Prometheus data source
  4. Click Import

Create Custom Dashboard

Example panel for interface traffic:

Panel Title: Interface Traffic

Query A (Inbound):

rate(ifHCInOctets{job="snmp"}[5m]) * 8

Query B (Outbound):

rate(ifHCOutOctets{job="snmp"}[5m]) * 8 * -1

Visualization: Time series graph Unit: bits/sec (bps)

Advanced Configuration

Custom OID Monitoring

To monitor specific OIDs not in standard modules:

custom_oids:
 walk:
 - 1.3.6.1.4.1.9.9.109.1.1.1.1.7 # Custom Cisco OID
 metrics:
 - name: customMetric
 oid: 1.3.6.1.4.1.9.9.109.1.1.1.1.7
 type: gauge
 help: Custom metric description

Using Multiple Auth Profiles

# In Prometheus configuration
scrape_configs:
 - job_name: 'snmp-public'
 static_configs:
 - targets: ['192.168.1.1']
 params:
 module: [if_mib]
 auth: [public_v2]
 # ... relabel configs ...

 - job_name: 'snmp-secure'
 static_configs:
 - targets: ['192.168.1.10']
 params:
 module: [cisco_ios]
 auth: [secure_v3]
 # ... relabel configs ...

Performance Tuning

Adjust timeout and concurrency in SNMP Exporter startup:

/usr/local/bin/snmp_exporter 
 --config.file=/etc/snmp_exporter/snmp.yml 
 --web.listen-address=:9116 
 --log.level=info

For high-volume monitoring, consider:

  • Increasing scrape interval in Prometheus
  • Using multiple SNMP Exporter instances
  • Optimizing modules to walk only necessary OIDs

Device-Specific Guides

Cisco Devices

Enable SNMP on Cisco IOS:

configure terminal
snmp-server community public RO
snmp-server location Datacenter-1
snmp-server contact [email protected]
exit
write memory

SNMPv3 configuration:

configure terminal
snmp-server group snmpv3group v3 priv
snmp-server user snmpv3user snmpv3group v3 auth sha authpass priv aes 128 privpass
exit
write memory

Recommended module: cisco_ios

Palo Alto Firewalls

Enable SNMP:

Device > Setup > Operations > SNMP Setup
- Enable SNMP
- Add community string
- Add allowed hosts

Recommended module: paloalto_fw

Key metrics:

  • panSessionActive – Active sessions
  • panSessionThroughput – Throughput
  • panGPGWUtilizationPct – Gateway utilization

MikroTik Routers

Enable SNMP:

/snmp set enabled=yes [email protected] location=Office
/snmp community set public addresses=192.168.1.0/24

Recommended module: mikrotik

Synology NAS

Enable SNMP:

  1. Control Panel > Terminal & SNMP
  2. Enable SNMP service
  3. Set community string

Recommended module: synology

Key metrics:

  • Disk health and status
  • System temperature
  • RAID status
  • Volume space

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

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)

Operational Troubleshooting

Issue 1: SNMP Exporter Returns No Metrics

Check SNMP connectivity:

snmpwalk -v2c -c public 192.168.1.1 system

Verify firewall rules:

# Allow SNMP (UDP 161)
sudo ufw allow 161/udp

Check community string/credentials:

  • Verify the community string is correct
  • Ensure SNMPv3 credentials match device configuration

Test directly:

curl 'http://localhost:9116/snmp?target=192.168.1.1&module=if_mib'

Issue 2: Timeout Errors

Increase timeout in Prometheus:

scrape_configs:
 - job_name: 'snmp'
 scrape_interval: 60s
 scrape_timeout: 30s # Increased from default 10s

Optimize SNMP module:

  • Remove unnecessary OIDs from walk
  • Use more specific OIDs instead of walking entire trees

Issue 3: High Memory Usage

Reduce module complexity:

  • Limit the number of OIDs walked
  • Use specific OID queries instead of bulk walks

Increase scrape interval:

scrape_configs:
 - job_name: 'snmp'
 scrape_interval: 120s # Scrape every 2 minutes

Issue 4: Authentication Failures (SNMPv3)

Verify credentials on device:

# On Cisco devices
show snmp user

Test with snmpwalk:

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

Check security level:

  • Ensure security_level matches device configuration
  • Verify auth and priv protocols are supported by device

Issue 5: Missing Metrics

Check if OID exists on device:

snmpwalk -v2c -c public 192.168.1.1 1.3.6.1.2.1.2.2.1.2

Verify module configuration:

  • Ensure the module includes the desired OIDs
  • Check for overrides that might ignore metrics

Enable debug logging:

# Binary installation - edit service file
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/snmp_exporter 
 --config.file=/etc/snmp_exporter/snmp.yml 
 --log.level=debug

# Docker installation
docker run -d 
 --name snmp-exporter 
 -p 9116:9116 
 -v ~/snmp_exporter/snmp.yml:/etc/snmp_exporter/snmp.yml 
 prom/snmp-exporter:latest 
 --config.file=/etc/snmp_exporter/snmp.yml 
 --log.level=debug

Issue 6: Incorrect Metric Values

Check metric type:

  • Counters should use rate() or irate()
  • Gauges can be used directly

Verify index lookups:

  • Ensure ifIndex correctly maps to ifDescr
  • Check that lookups reference valid OIDs

Best Practices

Security

  1. Use SNMPv3 whenever possible for encryption and authentication
  2. Restrict SNMP access on devices using ACLs
  3. Use strong community strings if SNMPv2c is required
  4. Limit SNMP Exporter exposure – don’t expose port 9116 publicly
  5. Rotate credentials regularly
  6. Enable authentication in Prometheus if accessible remotely

Performance

  1. Optimize modules – only walk necessary OIDs
  2. Use appropriate scrape intervals – network devices don’t change rapidly
  3. Monitor exporter performance – watch for timeout errors
  4. Use multiple exporters for large-scale deployments
  5. Implement proper indexing in queries for better performance

Monitoring

  1. Set up alerts for critical metrics (interface down, high CPU, etc.)
  2. Monitor the exporter itself – track scrape duration and errors
  3. Document your modules – maintain clear documentation of custom configs
  4. Test configuration changes before deploying to production
  5. Keep modules updated with vendor MIB updates

Organization

  1. Use consistent labeling across all devices
  2. Group devices by type in Prometheus jobs
  3. Maintain separate modules for different device types
  4. Version control your configurations in Git
  5. Document device-specific quirks and workarounds

Migration and Scaling

Migrating from SNMP to SNMP Exporter

If you’re currently using native SNMP in Prometheus:

  1. Audit current SNMP targets and document OIDs being monitored
  2. Create or identify appropriate SNMP Exporter modules
  3. Test SNMP Exporter with a small subset of devices
  4. Update Prometheus configuration to use SNMP Exporter
  5. Verify metrics match previous values
  6. Migrate remaining devices in batches

Scaling SNMP Monitoring

For large deployments (100+ devices):

  1. Deploy multiple SNMP Exporters
    • Distribute devices across exporters by location or type
    • Use load balancing if needed
  2. Implement hierarchical monitoring
    • Regional Prometheus servers for initial scraping
    • Federation to central Prometheus for long-term storage
  3. Optimize scrape intervals
    • Less critical devices: 2-5 minutes
    • Critical infrastructure: 30-60 seconds
    • Adjust based on device capabilities
  4. Use service discovery
    • DNS-SD, Consul, or Kubernetes for dynamic environments
    • File-based SD for static environments

Example multi-exporter setup:

scrape_configs:
 # SNMP Exporter for datacenter 1
 - job_name: 'snmp-dc1'
 static_configs:
 - targets: ['dc1-device1', 'dc1-device2']
 relabel_configs:
 - target_label: __address__
 replacement: snmp-exporter-dc1:9116

 # SNMP Exporter for datacenter 2
 - job_name: 'snmp-dc2'
 static_configs:
 - targets: ['dc2-device1', 'dc2-device2']
 relabel_configs:
 - target_label: __address__
 replacement: snmp-exporter-dc2:9116

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 Filessnmp_exporter"

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

Additional Resources

Conclusion

The SNMP Exporter is a powerful tool for monitoring network infrastructure with Prometheus. By following this guide, you should now have:

  • A working SNMP Exporter installation
  • Configured modules for your devices
  • Integrated monitoring in Prometheus
  • Alerting rules for critical events
  • Grafana dashboards for visualization

Remember to:

  • Keep your configurations version-controlled
  • Document device-specific customizations
  • Regularly update the SNMP Exporter and modules
  • Monitor the health of the exporter itself
  • Follow security best practices for SNMP access

Happy Monitoring!

Back to guidesTalk to our team