snmpgetnext

Request the next value from the SNMP agent

$ snmpgetnext -v [version] -c [community] [ip] [oid]

$ snmpgetnext -v [version] -c [community] -O f [ip] [oid]

$ snmpgetnext [[-h|--help]]

snmpgetnext [OPTIONS] AGENT OID [...OID]

OPTIONS
    Various options controlling SNMP version, authentication, timeouts, retries, and output format.

AGENT
    The hostname or IP address of the SNMP agent to query.

OID
    The object identifier to query. The tool retrieves the next object in the MIB after this OID.

The snmpgetnext command is a command-line tool used to retrieve the next object identifier (OID) in a Management Information Base (MIB) hierarchy from a network entity via Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP). Unlike snmpget, which requires the exact OID, snmpgetnext finds the lexicographically next OID after the provided one. This is useful for traversing MIB tables and discovering available information. It sends an SNMP GETNEXT request to the specified agent and prints the returned value. It's essential for network administrators to monitor devices and collect configuration information without knowing the precise OID names.

The output format can vary depending on the options used. Ensure the specified agent has the correct access permissions for the community string (SNMPv1/v2c) or user credentials (SNMPv3). snmpgetnext will only return the next OID within the MIB tree. If you reach the end of a branch, it will not automatically wrap to the beginning of the next branch.

When using snmpgetnext, especially with SNMPv1 or SNMPv2c, ensure that the community string is strong and that access to the device is properly restricted. SNMPv3 provides enhanced security through authentication and encryption. Avoid using default community strings (e.g., 'public', 'private') in production environments.

snmpgetnext can return errors if the agent is unreachable, the OID is invalid, or the agent denies access. Check the return code of the command in scripts, and implement error handling to deal with these situations. Common errors include timeouts, authentication failures, and no such name errors.

snmpgetnext is part of the net-snmp (formerly UCD-SNMP) suite of tools, which have been developed over decades to provide a robust SNMP implementation. It started as part of the UCD-SNMP project at the University of California, Davis, and has been further developed and maintained by the Net-SNMP project. Its primary usage is within system administration, network monitoring, and scripting to automate device management tasks.

snmpget(1), snmpset(1), snmpwalk(1), snmptable(1)