PRTG Manual: PRTG Administration Tool on PRTG Core Server Systems

TCP Port for PRTG Web Server

Specify how the PRTG web server accepts incoming web page requests:

• Secure HTTPS server (default port 443, recommended, mandatory for internet access): Use a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)/Transport Layer Security (TLS) secured HTTPS connection on port 443.
  This setting is required if you want to access the PRTG web interface via the internet.
   
  Although the connection is secure, you see an SSL certificate warning in your browser when you log in to the PRTG web interface because the default certificate is unknown to your browser. For more information, see the Knowledge Base: Why does my browser show an SSL certificate warning when I open the PRTG web interface?. You can install a different SSL certificate for PRTG. For more information, see section How to use your own SSL certificate with the PRTG web server.
   
  If port 80 is available, PRTG reserves it as well. If port 80 is not available, PRTG tries port 8080 as fallback. If this port is also not available, PRTG searches from port 8081 upwards for a free port. PRTG sends a ticket that shows you the currently used port number and switches back to port 80 as soon as it is available again. When users try to connect on port 80 via HTTP, they are redirected to port 443 via HTTPS. You can change this behavior via a registry setting. If port 443 is not available, PRTG tries port 8443 as fallback. If this port is also not available, PRTG searches from port 8444 upwards for a free port. PRTG sends a ticket that shows you the currently used port number and switches back to port 443 as soon as it is available again.
• Unsecure HTTP server (default port 80): Use the PRTG web server without SSL/TLS on port 80.
  This setting is not recommended for WAN connections.
   
  If you use the PRTG web server via the internet without connection security, attackers could potentially spy on credentials that you enter in PRTG. We strongly recommend that you use this option only in a LAN.
• Custom configuration: Specify a custom port for the PRTG web server and the security of the connection. This option is intended for systems that already have a web server on the standard port.
  If PRTG always uses a fallback port after a server restart, check for other programs that use the same port as PRTG. For example, the Microsoft Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) web server also uses port 80 (port 443 for secure connections) by default and blocks it. We recommend that you disable such programs and services on startup.

Custom configuration: Connection security

This setting is only visible if you select Custom configuration above.

Specify if you want to use connection security:

• Use HTTPS (secured with SSL/TLS): Use an SSL/TLS secured HTTPS connection on the port that you define as PRTG Web Server Port.
  Although the connection is secure, you see an SSL certificate warning in your browser when you log in to the PRTG web interface, because the default certificate is unknown to your browser. You can install a different SSL certificate for PRTG later. For more information, see the Paessler website: How to use your own SSL certificate with the PRTG web server.
• Do not use connection security: Use the PRTG web server without SSL/TLS on the port that you define as PRTG Web Server Port.
  We recommend that you do not use this setting for WAN connections.
   
  If you use the PRTG web server without connection security on the internet, attackers could potentially spy on credentials that you enter in PRTG. We strongly recommend that you use this setting in a LAN only.

Custom configuration: Web server port

This setting is only visible if you select Custom configuration above.

Enter the TCP port number (between 1 and 65535) that you want the PRTG web server to run on.

Enter the TCP port number (between 1 and 65535) that you want the PRTG web server to run on. Enter an integer.

If you use a secure connection and port 80 is free, PRTG also reserves it. When users try to connect on port 80 via HTTP, they are redirected to the custom port via HTTPS. You can change this behavior via a registry setting.

If the port that you define for secure connections is not available, PRTG tries port 8443 as fallback. If this port is also not available, PRTG searches from port 8444 upwards for a free port. PRTG sends a ticket that shows you the currently used port and switches back to the original port as soon as it is available again.

IP Address for PRTG Web Server

The PRTG web server provides access via the PRTG web interface and the PRTG app for desktop. Once you specify an IP address, you use it to log in to the PRTG web interface in your browser. Specify on which IP address the PRTG web server runs:

• Localhost, 127.0.0.1 (PRTG is not accessible from other computers): Use 127.0.0.1 only. The PRTG web interface and the PRTG app for desktop are only accessible from the PRTG core server system.
  Either the selected port or at least one port in the range from 8080 to 8089 must be available on 127.0.0.1.
   
  If you run PRTG on localhost, do not use the DNS name http://localhost to log in to the PRTG web server. This might considerably slow down the PRTG web interface. Use your local IP address or http://127.0.0.1 instead.
• All IP addresses available on this computer (recommended): Use all IP addresses that are available on the PRTG core server system and enable access to the PRTG web server for all of these IP addresses.
  The selected Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) port for the PRTG web server must be available on all selected IP addresses.
• Specify IP addresses: Select specific IP addresses on which the PRTG web server runs. The list is specific to your setup. Enable check boxes in front of every IP address that you want the PRTG web server to be available at. You can also select all IP addresses by clicking the Select all IP addresses button or deselect all addresses by clicking the Deselect all IP addresses button.
  Either the selected port or at least one port in the range from 8080 to 8089 must be available on the specified IP address.

Regardless of the setting that you select, one port in the range from 8080 to 8180 must be available on the specified IP address so that PRTG can create reports. The report engine tries to connect to the PRTG core server on one of these ports.

If PRTG does not find a network adapter on startup, it switches this setting to Localhost, 127.0.0.1 (PRTG is not accessible from other computers). This setting remains even if a network adapter is available later on. If you disable or remove the network adapter on the PRTG core server system, check this setting.

Select System Language

Select the language. The default language is English.

This setting defines the language of the PRTG web interface and the PRTG Administration Tool.

List of available languages:

• Deutsch (German)
• English
• Español (Spanish)
• Français (French)
• Nederlands (Dutch)
• Português (Portuguese)
• Pyсский (Russian)
• 日本語 (Japanese)
• 简体中文 (Simplified Chinese)

Probe Connection Management

Define how PRTG handles incoming connections from probes:

• Accept connections from the local probe only (default, does not allow remote probes): Only accept connections from the local probe. If you select this option, you cannot use remote probes.
• Accept connections from remote probes on all IP addresses: Accept incoming connections from remote probes, no matter on which IP address of the PRTG core server they come in.
• Accept connections from remote probes on selected IP addresses only: Accept incoming connections from remote probes on the selected IP address(es) of the PRTG core server. In the list, select the IP addresses by enabling a check box in front of the desired IP addresses.

You can also change this setting under Setup | System Administration | Core & Probes in the PRTG web interface.

Local Storage of Data Files and Monitoring Database

Select the directory where PRTG stores configuration and monitoring data. Click to choose a different folder on the system.

Before you change the path, make sure you stop both the PRTG core server service and the PRTG probe service and copy all data to the new location.

The directory name must include only ANSI characters. PRTG does not support data paths with non-ANSI characters.

Click Revert to default folder to reset this setting to the default.

Cluster Settings

Depending on the cluster settings, different options are available.

• Cluster Mode: Shows the cluster mode of the PRTG core server. Possible values are Standalone (no cluster mode), Cluster Mode: Master Node, or Cluster Mode: Failover Node.

This setting is for your information only. You cannot change it.

• Cluster Port: This setting is only visible if PRTG runs in cluster mode.
• Cluster Access Key: This setting is only visible if PRTG runs in cluster mode.
• Cluster NodeID: This setting is only visible if PRTG runs in cluster mode.

This setting is for your information only. You cannot change it.

Cluster Mode Actions

Depending on the cluster settings, you see different active buttons.

• Create a Cluster
• Join a Cluster
• Change Cluster Settings
• Revert to Standalone

For details, see section Cluster Mode Actions below.

Master Heartbeat

This section is only visible if PRTG runs in cluster mode. The current master node can execute an external executable file on a regular basis. We call this a heartbeat.

You can use this, for example, to report the IP address of the current master node to a dynamic Domain Name System (DNS) provider, so that a DNS name is always redirected to the current master node in case the primary master node fails and a failover node (with a different IP address) becomes the current master node.

• No heartbeat: Do not execute a file on a regular basis.
• Run an external executable file every 5 minutes: Click to browse for the file that you want to execute. This can be, for example, a command-line tool or a batch file. PRTG executes it on the current master node only, in a fixed interval of five minutes. You cannot change the interval.

Make sure that the selected file is available under the same (local) path on all failover nodes. In case one of your failover nodes becomes the current master node, PRTG can only execute the heartbeat reliably if the executable file exists on all of your failover nodes.

Email Address

Enter a valid email address for the PRTG System Administrator user account. By default, PRTG sends notifications and important messages to this address.

Login Name

Enter a login name for the PRTG System Administrator user account. You use it when you log in to the PRTG web interface or the PRTG app for desktop.

The default login name is prtgadmin.

Password

Click Generate new password and confirm to generate a new password for the PRTG System Administrator user account. Click Save & Close to set the new password. You use it when you log in to the PRTG web interface or the PRTG app for desktop.

The default password is prtgadmin.

Probe Name

Enter a meaningful name to identify the local probe. By default, PRTG shows this name in the device tree, as well as in alarms, logs, notifications, reports, maps, libraries, and tickets. Enter a string.

If the name contains angle brackets (<>), PRTG replaces them with braces ({}) for security reasons. For more information, see the Knowledge Base: What security features does PRTG include?

Reconnect Time

Define the time that PRTG waits for the local probe to reconnect to the PRTG core server if the connection fails. Enter an integer.

Server (IPv4 Address or DNS Name)

The local probe connects to the PRTG core server via 127.0.0.1. You cannot change this.

GID

The probe GID is a unique identifier for the local probe. You cannot change the GID on the PRTG core server system.

Edit GID and Generate new GID are only available on the remote probe system. For more information, see section PRTG Administration Tool on Remote Probe Systems.

You can deny GIDs under Setup | System Administration | Core & Probes in the PRTG web interface.

Access Key

Access Key is only available on the remote probe system.

For more information, see section PRTG Administration Tool on Remote Probe Systems.

Confirm Access Key

Confirm Access Key is only available on the remote probe system.

For more information, see section PRTG Administration Tool on Remote Probe Systems.

Path

This setting is not available on the PRTG core server system. Please use Local Storage of Data Files and Monitoring Database on the PRTG Core Server tab instead.

IPv4: Outgoing IP for Monitoring Requests

Define the IP address for outgoing requests that use the IPv4 protocol. The list shows all available IP addresses on the system. Choose a specific IP address or select auto.

IPv6: Outgoing IP for Monitoring Requests

Define the IP address for outgoing requests that use the IPv6 protocol. The list shows all available IP addresses on the system. Choose a specific IP address or select auto.

For more information, see section IPv6 Support.

Restart Options

Define if you want to schedule an automatic restart:

• No scheduled restart of the system or PRTG services: Do not automatically perform a scheduled restart of services. We recommend that you manually restart the PRTG core server system every few weeks. You can also restart the PRTG core server service and PRTG probe service under Administrative Tools in the PRTG web interface.
• Scheduled restart of PRTG services: Restart the PRTG core server service on the PRTG core server system. If you select this option, the PRTG probe service restarts as well. Define a schedule under Restart Schedule.

This setting is not available on the hosted probe of a PRTG Hosted Monitor instance.

• Scheduled system restart (recommended): Define a schedule under Restart Schedule. We recommend that you restart every PRTG core server system once a month for best performance.

Restart Schedule

This setting is only visible if you select Scheduled restart of PRTG services or Scheduled system restart (recommended) above.

Choose how often you want to restart the PRTG core server service, PRTG probe service, or the PRTG core server system:

• Once per week: Select a day and a time below.
• Once per month (recommended): Select a day of the month and a time below.

Day

This setting is only visible if you select Scheduled restart of PRTG services or Scheduled system restart (recommended) above.

Select a day of the week (Monday to Sunday) or month (1st to 30th or Last). If you select Last, PRTG restarts the PRTG core server system on the last day of the month, regardless of how many days the month has.

If you select a date that does not exist in every month (for example, the 30th day in February), PRTG automatically restarts the PRTG core server system on the last day of this month.

Time

This setting is only visible if you select Scheduled restart of PRTG services or Scheduled system restart (recommended) above.

Select the time of the day when PRTG restarts the PRTG core server system.

You get a Windows warning message 10 minutes before the restart to inform you about the restart if you are logged in to PRTG. The actual restart time can differ by up to 30 minutes from the time you enter here.

Open Log Folder

Open the PRTG data directory to access all logs that PRTG creates.

Send Logs to Paessler

Open an assistant to send logs to the Paessler support team. See Send Logs to Paessler for details.

This feature is only available with the commercial edition of PRTG.

You can also send logs with the support bundle via Contact Support in the PRTG web interface.

Open Support Ticket

Open the Help Desk portal on the Paessler website in a browser window.

If you need help, we recommend that you use the Contact Support option in the PRTG web interface instead.

Name

Enter your name.

Email

Enter a valid email address. You can provide any email address but we recommend that you use the email address of your user account, which PRTG enters by default.

Ticket #

This field is optional. If you have already opened a ticket with the Paessler support team, provide the ticket number you received. Your files are then automatically associated with your ticket.

Enter the ticket number starting with PAE followed by four or more digits, for example, PAE12345. If you do not have a ticket number, leave this field empty.

Configuration

Define if you want to include the configuration file. PRTG removes all passwords from the configuration file before sending it to the Paessler support team.

If a configuration file is too large, some 32-bit systems might not be able to send the file with hidden passwords. In these cases, PRTG confirms that you still want to send the configuration file to the Paessler support team. The passwords are still encrypted.