Features of PRTG Traffic Grapher

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Base Features

  • Reliable network monitoring used by more than 100.000 users every day
  • Supports data acquisition via SNMP, packet sniffing (for LANs and WLANs) or Netflow protocol
  • Classifies network traffic by IP address, protocol and other parameters
  • Works with most switches, routers, firewalls, and other network devices
  • Easy installation with a few clicks on Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista
  • Monitoring engine is capable of monitoring up to several thousand sensors
  • A Freeware Edition is available for smaller networks and SOHOs

Supported Data Acquisition Methods

Depending on your infrastructure you can choose between four different network monitoring methods supported by our bandwidth meter software:

  • SNMP: Simple Network Management Protocol is the basic method of gathering bandwidth and network usage data. It can be used to monitor bandwidth usage of routers and switches port-by-port as well as device readings like memory, CPU load etc. Supports SNMP Version 1, 2c and 3. More details...
  • LAN Packet Sniffing: The Packet Sniffer inspects all network data packets passing the system's network card and is able to classify network traffic by IP address, protocol and other parameters
  • WLAN Packet Sniffing: Using a specialized WLAN USB dongle hardware (available from the manufacturer's website cacetech.com) PRTG is able to inspect all network data packets travelling in your WLAN network in order to classify network traffic by IP address, protocol and other parameters
  • Netflow: The Netflow protocol is supported by most Cisco routers to measure bandwidth usage. Although being the most complex type to set up it is also the most powerful method suitable for high traffic networks and can also classify network traffic by IP address, protocol and other parameters.
  • Latency: Monitoring performance of a data line or a device by measuring PING times
  • Note: Only with packet sniffer and netflow based monitoring it is possible to measure the traffic by IP address, and/or protocol. SNMP based traffic measurement is port-based only.

Windows and Web Based User Interface

  • Network and bandwidth monitoring data can be accessed via a Windows GUI and a web based front end
  • Intuitive Windows user interface for data retrieval and configuration
  • Integrated web server for remote access (no external web server necessary)
  • Results are shown in various graphs and tables
    • live data for last 5-60 minutes
    • 1-60 minute averages for up to 48h
    • hourly averages for up to 60 days
    • daily averages for up to 365 days
    • Top Talkers, Top Protocols, Top Connections
  • Graphs are always generated on-the-fly for live reporting

Monitoring Database

  • Internal database for fast and efficient storage of historic data
  • Optional export of monitoring results into CSV files for custom reporting
  • Database offers optional zipped backup and purging of old data

Internal Web Server

  • Easy to use navigation allows to drill into the live monitoring results
  • Fully "skinable" web interface using HTML templates (several default skins included)
  • Web server supports public (anyone can view the data) as well as authenticated access (username/password necessary) for multiple users

Reports

  • Configurable reports (graphs and data tables) in HTML, Excel, TIF, RTF, or PDF format
  • Daily, monthly, and yearly reports can be exported via email or saved to file
  • x% percentile calculation for any percentile value, any interval, and any time frame
  • Includes a billing system for bandwidth based billing

Notifications

  • For each sensor individual email notifications can be configured that notify about
    • Errors (e.g. device is not reachable)
    • Reaching traffic limits (e.g. more than x MB transferred per day or month)
    • Reaching traffic or usage thresholds (e.g. more than 700kbit bandwidth for more than one hour)

 

SNMP Related Features

PRTG collects the required data and information from the SNMP capable devices (i.e. any given OID Object ID). SNMP Versions 1 (base standard), 2C (64 bit counters) and 3 (authentication and encryption) are supported as well as 32-bit and 64-bit counters.

The SNMP sensors can be set up while applying four different procedures.

  1. Monitoring of Standard Traffic Data
    PRTG automatically searches for all interfaces of a device that shed light on inbound and outbound bandwidths, Unicast/Non-Unicast packages, or failures. The system subsequently provides a list with the identified ports by means of which the desired sensors can be easily set up via mouse-click.
  2. SNMP Helper for Monitoring Windows Data
    Windows via SNMP delivers a multitude of monitoring data. By means of Paessler SNMP Helper corresponding lists for easy access to several thousand performance counters on Windows based machines can be generated and based on them the sensors for monitoring the specific systems parameters can be set up with only one single click. 
  3. Convenient Monitoring of Proprietary Data
    Manufacturers of SNMP capable devices usually deliver access information (OIDs) to the data required for monitoring in the form of so-called MIB files. For this purpose, Paessler has developed the MIB Importer that comfortably and easily converts these files into so-called "OID-libraries“ for PRTG. Since MIB files are very often faultily implemented the MIB Importer has been designed to be even more fault tolerant in the current version in order to process even more MIB files. Sensors interesting to the administrator can be selected by mouse click from the created OID Libraries. The MIB Importer can be downloaded free of charge.
    Additionally, a multitude of preconfigured OID libraries are already included in the delivery of PRTG (for example for Cisco routers, Dell servers, CPU loads, disk usages, printer page counts, environmental monitoring, and many more).
  4. Direct Creation of a Sensor in Case of Known OID
    If  a particular address (OID) of SNMP data is known, this can be manually entered in PRTG thus creating a sensor.

Other System Features

  • Runs as an "nt service" on Windows 2000/XP/2003 to ensure that monitoring runs all the time (you do not have to be logged into your machine to keep monitoring running)
  • Extensive filtering can be applied for Netflow and Packet Sniffing based monitoring
  • Sensors can be "tagged" for easy navigation in long sensor lists
  • Easy setup of the same set of sensors for several devices usind Device Templates
  • Monitoring and notifications can be paused using user defined schedules