SNMP Status Monitoring

Last Updated: April 07, 2026

Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) A Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) collects and organizes information about managed devices on IP networks and modifys that information to change device behavior. Devices that typically support SNMP include cable modems, routers, switches, servers, computers, printers, and more. is an application layer protocol that Vasion Print uses to collect information about printers and show it in the Admin Console and reports. This configuration is required if you are setting up SNMP Alerts to receive notifications when a printer is low on a resource or an error occurs.

Key Points

Review the following key points:

  • Setting up SNMP with a Service Client requires a Service Client. The Service Client queries printers that exist in both the Admin Console and its network.
    • Vasion Print supports SNMP v1/v2 and SNMP v3.
    • The SNMP service can run on only one Service Client.
  • You can set up SNMP without a Service Client. The Client reports SNMP data for the printers that are installed on the device and also exist in the Admin Console.
    • We do not recommend this option in environments that have many users and printers because it can significantly increase network traffic.
    • Devices report on only the printers that they have installed.
    • This configuration is limited to SNMP v1/v2.
    • The other SNMP settings, except alerts, are unavailable.
  • View SNMP data on the printer's Status tab, Printer Info tab, and in reports.

Select only one SNMP option. Turning on both options can cause errors and inaccuracies that affect reporting.

SNMP General Settings

You use SNMP settings for SNMP status monitoring and alerts. The following is an overview of the SNMP settings in Tools then Settings then General:

SNMP Status Monitoring
Have each workstation report SNMP data to PrinterLogic for installed printers.
Turn on this option only if you are not using a Service Client to collect SNMP data from your printers.
Use a service client to collect SNMP information.
Turn on this option to designate a Service Client in the Admin Console to channel the SNMP data collected from your printers. The Service Client queries all printers in the Vasion Print tree structure and provides logging. Selecting this option makes the SNMP settings below available.
Service Client Name:
Use the dropdown menu to select the Service Client that you want to collect SNMP data.

Admin Console showing General settings and SNMP Settings section.

SNMP Settings
By default, SNMP monitoring for each printer is:
Select one of the following:
On
This option turns on SNMP status monitoring on each printer. This is the recommended setting.
Off
This option turns off SNMP status monitoring.
Under normal conditions:
Enter a different number in the minutes field.
Monitor printers and servies every (x) minutes (minimum: 5).
Set the time interval in minutes to gather SNMP information under normal operating conditions.
Under error conditions:
Enter a different number in the minutes field.
Monitor printers and servies every (x) minutes (minimum: 5).
Set the time interval in minutes to gather SNMP information under error conditions.

Admin Console showing General settings and SNMP Settings.

SNMP v1/v2
Community Public (Get) Name:
Use this field to provide the access name to the printer to retrieve SNMP information. This field is applicable only if you select Use Global in the Settings section of the Status tab. The default is public.
Community Private (Set) Name:
Use this field to provide the access name to write SNMP settings to the printer. This field is applicable only if you select Use Global in the Settings section of the Status tab. The default is private.

Admin Console showing General settings and SNMP v1/v2 settings.

SNMP v3
Use SNMP V3 When Supported:
Select the Enabled checkbox if a printer supports SNMP v3, which includes both encryption and authentication security options. You can set SNMP to require both encryption and authentication, no encryption but with authentication, or neither.
Username:
Enter a value to use if you select one of the authentication options in the Security Level: field. When the system asks for a username, you enter the value that you set in this field.
Security Level:
Use the dropdown menu to determine the type of security to use in the SNMP connection. Options include the following:
noAuthNoPriv
No authentication or privacy.
authNoPriv
Authentication but no privacy.
authPriv
Authentication and privacy.
Authentication Protocol
This field is the hashing algorithm used to store your authentication key. Options include MD5 and SHA. If you select a security level that includes authentication, then you need to add an authentication protocol.
Authentication Key:
This field is similar to a password for the authentication protocol.
Privacy Protocol:
This field is the encryption algorithm used to secure communication between the device and Vasion Print. Options include DES and AES. If you select a security level that includes privacy, then you need to add a privacy protocol.
Privacy Key:
This field is similar to a password for the privacy protocol.
Context Name:
This field is a collection of management information accessible by an SNMP entity. If you define management information under a certain context by an SNMP v3 entity, then any management app can access that information by giving it a context name. The context name is an octet string, which has at least one management information.
Context Engine ID:
Enter a context engine ID to uniquely identify an SNMP entity that might recognize an instance of a context with a particular context name. Most of the SNMP v3 entities use their SNMP engine ID as their context ID.

Admin Console showing General settings and SNMP v3 settings.

SNMP Alerts
These options apply to printer objects that you configure to use the default settings in the Alerts tab:
Enable e-mail alerts
This option sends alerts to specific email addresses.
By default, SNMP alerts for each printer is:
Set the default for printers by selecting one of the following:
On
Select this option to turn on alerts for all printers.
Off
Select this option to turn off alerts for all printers.

Admin Console showing General settings and SNMP Alerts settings.

After you configure the SNMP settings, the printer's Status tab, Printer Info tab, and printer reports populate with the information received during the SNMP query. You can also use the Alerts feature, which relies on SNMP traffic.

The topics that follow further discuss SNMP configurations.