Help with SNMP Classifications

[metuckness]

Hi,

I am in the process of learning SNMP and setting it up on a 3750X switch stack I have. I was hoping I could get a clear definition of the differences between SNMP READ access and SNMP WRITE access when granting a monitoring software access to the switch stacks SNMP groups.

I created the following SNMP v3 on my 3750X Switch Stack:

Read Only Group: ROGROUP

Read/Write Group: RWGROUP

User1: USER1 (changed for examples)

User2: USER2 (and appropriate passwords)

Read View: MYVIEWRO

Write View: MYVIEWRW

Encryption AES 128 (and assigned an encryption password)

I am going to setup some sensors using PRTG, but I am still not wrapping my brain around Read Only vs Read/Write when it comes to SNMP. Why would you grant anything other than Read access?

Can I get some clear info on this if you wouldn't mind? I appreciate it!

[Marvin Rhoads]

You're correct that the vast majority of SNMP use cases only require RO access. However, some tools insist on having RW access due to poor implementation.

PRTG should work fine with an SNMP RO account. I use it that way with ASA firewalls (which don't have SNMP RW support).

[metuckness]

Hi Marvin, thanks for that info but can you also let me know what a Read/Write example would be for SNMP?

Thanks!

[Marvin Rhoads]

You're welcome.

Please have a look at the document I posted here several months ago describing some use cases I had for using snmpset (requires RW):

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