Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)

SNMP operates on port 161 (managed device) and 162 (SNMP manager device). SNMP was designed to allow network/system administrators to manage network appliances such as routers, switches, firewalls, and servers over an IP-based network environment. This allows administrators to monitor and manage the network posture by observing the network performance, detecting and resolving network related issues, and planning for future network growth.

SNMP is made up of three components:

• SNMP Manager (installed on the client computer)
• SNMP Agent (configured on the managed device such as the switch and router)
• Management Information Base (MIB)

The following diagram is a simple topology outlining where are each components of the SNMP protocol exist on the network. As mentioned, the SNMP manager is an application of the administrator's computer and the SNMP agent is running on the network appliance such as the router: