snmpstatus

Fetch the values

$ snmpstatus -v [version] -c [community] [ip]

$ snmpstatus [[-h|--help]]

snmpstatus [COMMON OPTIONS] AGENT

COMMON OPTIONS: Standard Net-SNMP options for specifying SNMP version, authentication, and privacy settings.
AGENT: The target SNMP agent's hostname or IP address, optionally followed by a colon and port number (e.g., 192.168.1.1:161).

-v <1|2c|3>
    Specifies the SNMP protocol version to use.
1 for SNMPv1, 2c for SNMPv2c, and 3 for SNMPv3.

-c
    Sets the community string for SNMPv1 or SNMPv2c requests.
Typically 'public' or 'private'.

-u
    Defines the security name (username) for SNMPv3 authentication.

-l
    Sets the security level for SNMPv3.
Options are noAuthNoPriv, authNoPriv, or authPriv.

-A
    Provides the authentication passphrase for SNMPv3.

-X
    Provides the privacy (encryption) passphrase for SNMPv3.

-a
    Specifies the authentication protocol for SNMPv3.
Commonly MD5 or SHA.

-x
    Specifies the privacy protocol for SNMPv3.
Commonly DES or AES.

-t
    Sets the timeout in seconds for each SNMP request.

-r
    Sets the number of retries before giving up on an SNMP request.

AGENT
    The hostname or IP address of the target SNMP agent.
Can include a port (e.g., localhost:161).

snmpstatus is a command-line utility from the Net-SNMP suite, designed to quickly retrieve and display a summary of operational statistics from an SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) agent. It connects to a specified network device or server running an SNMP agent and queries standard MIB-II objects to provide information such as system uptime, network interface status, and input/output octets. Unlike more granular tools like snmpget or snmpwalk, snmpstatus aims to present a consolidated, human-readable overview of the agent's health and activity, making it an ideal tool for quick diagnostics and initial network monitoring checks. It simplifies the process of getting essential SNMP data without requiring specific OID knowledge.

Requires a running SNMP agent on the target system to function.
Network firewalls must allow UDP port 161 (or custom port) for SNMP communication.
Correct community strings (SNMPv1/v2c) or authentication/privacy credentials (SNMPv3) are essential.
Provides a high-level summary; for detailed MIB object querying, use snmpget or snmpwalk.
Output relies on standard MIB-II implementation; custom OIDs are not typically displayed by snmpstatus.

The output of snmpstatus typically includes:
- System Uptime: How long the system has been running.
- Network Interfaces: Summary of active interfaces, often showing total input/output octets and packet counts.
- IP Addressing: Basic IP address configuration.
- SNMP Counters: Statistics on SNMP messages received and sent, including errors or authentication failures.
This consolidated view quickly highlights the operational state and traffic levels of the monitored device.

- Timeout: Indicates the agent did not respond within the specified time, often due to network issues, firewall blocks, or the agent not running.
- No Such Name or Authorization Failed: Suggests incorrect community string or SNMPv3 credentials.
- No Agent Response: Similar to timeout, implies the target is unreachable or not running an SNMP service.
Troubleshooting usually involves verifying network connectivity, SNMP agent status, and credentials.

snmpstatus is an integral part of the Net-SNMP software suite, which originated from the UCD-SNMP project at the University of California, Davis. It has been a standard utility within the suite since its early days, evolving alongside the SNMP protocol itself (from SNMPv1 through SNMPv3). Its development has focused on providing a user-friendly, consolidated view of an SNMP agent's status, making it a persistent and valuable tool for network administrators and developers over decades.

snmpget(1), snmpwalk(1), snmpd(8), snmptranslate(1), snmpconf(1)