How to enable SNMP on a Cisco IOS device

Auvik uses SNMP to collect inventory, performance, and monitoring information from Cisco IOS and IOS XE devices.

These instructions configure SNMPv1/v2c using a read-only community string.

Note: SNMPv3 is recommended for environments that require authentication and encryption. However, SNMPv2c remains widely used and is fully supported by Auvik.

Before You Begin

Ensure that:

• You have administrative access to the device.
• You can access the device using SSH, Telnet, or the console port.
• The Auvik collector can communicate with the device.
• Any firewalls or access control lists allow SNMP traffic (UDP 161).

Configure SNMP

1. Connect to the device using SSH, Telnet, or the console.
2. Enter privileged EXEC mode:

enable

If prompted, enter the enable password.

3. Enter global configuration mode:

configure terminal

4. Configure a read-only SNMP community:

snmp-server community <community_string> RO

Replace:

<community_string>

with the community string you want Auvik to use.

Example:

snmp-server community auvik-readonly RO

Recommendation: Use a unique community string rather than common values such as public or private.

5. If the device uses the default VRF, configure SNMP access within that VRF:

snmp-server vrf default

Note: This command may not be required on all Cisco platforms. It is commonly used when management services operate within a VRF-aware environment.

6. Exit configuration mode:

end

7. Save the configuration:

write memory

or

copy running-config startup-config

Verify the Configuration

To verify the SNMP configuration:

show running-config | include snmp

Confirm that the SNMP community string appears in the output.

You can also verify SNMP statistics:

show snmp

This command displays SNMP status and request counters.

Add the Credential to Auvik

If you configured a custom community string:

1. Navigate to Discovery > SNMP Credentials.
2. Click Add SNMP Credentials.
3. Enter the community string.
4. Save the credential.

Auvik will attempt to authenticate during the next discovery cycle.

Optional: Restrict SNMP Access

For additional security, consider restricting SNMP access to only the Auvik collector.

Example:

access-list 10 permit <collector-ip>
snmp-server community <community_string> RO 10

This limits SNMP polling to the specified source IP address.

Optional: Configure SNMPv3

For enhanced security, Cisco IOS supports SNMPv3 with:

• Authentication
• Encryption
• User-based access control

If your organization requires encrypted management traffic, consider using SNMPv3 instead of SNMPv2c.

Troubleshooting

If Auvik cannot discover or monitor the device:

Verify Connectivity

Confirm:

• The device is reachable from the collector.
• UDP port 161 is open.
• Routing exists between the collector and the device.

Verify the Community String

Confirm the configured community string exactly matches the credential configured in Auvik.

Verify SNMP Is Responding

Use an SNMP walk or SNMP test utility from the collector or a management workstation.

Verify ACLs

If access lists are configured, ensure the collector IP address is permitted.

Verify VRF Configuration

In VRF-enabled environments, verify SNMP traffic is accessible through the correct VRF.

Additional Information

Once SNMP is successfully configured, Auvik can collect:

• Device inventory
• Interface statistics
• CPU and memory utilization
• Environmental information
• Device health and status

Depending on polling intervals, newly collected information may take several minutes to appear in Auvik.