Cisco switch monitoring with PRTG
Monitor uptime, traffic, ports, and your entire network
- Keep an eye on your Cisco switches’ health & performance
- Be alerted via custom notifications in real time
- Troubleshoot issues in your Cisco network before they become business critical
PRTG Cisco switch monitoring: What you’ll find on this page
PRTG makes Cisco switch monitoring as easy as it gets
Custom alerts and data visualization let you quickly identify and prevent switch health and performance issues.
3 reasons to choose PRTG as your Cisco switch monitoring tool
Monitor your entire network
Cisco switch monitoring with Paessler PRTG lets you monitor CPU usage, temperature, uptime, data traffic, switch ports, and more. But PRTG's network monitoring functionality goes beyond that to monitor all your network devices – regardless of the manufacturer – from one central dashboard.
Enjoy a quick & easy setup
You can install and set up PRTG within minutes – with our automatic network discovery, PRTG even creates your first monitoring setup for you, which you can then tailor to your needs. What’s more: PRTG comes with 100 free monitoring sensors for life, including native Cisco sensors.
Faster troubleshooting
PRTG promptly identifies errors and quickly alerts you based on thresholds via custom notifications in the event of problems. It uses easy-to-understand network topology maps to show you which Cisco switch is to blame so you can immediately take action and prevent more serious problems from arising.
What Cisco switch monitoring looks like in PRTG
Diagnose network issues by continuously tracking your Cisco routers, switches, and network devices from other manufacturers. Show traffic stats, uptime, availability, and other key metrics in real time. Visualize monitoring data in clear graphs and dashboards to identify problems more easily. Gain the overview you need to troubleshoot all kinds of issues with your Cisco hardware.
Preconfigured Cisco network monitoring sensors included with PRTG
Cisco switch traffic monitoring
The SNMP Traffic sensor monitors the incoming and outgoing traffic on your Cisco switch using SNMP. This sensor lets you keep a constant eye on your data flow so you can identify and troubleshoot issues before they become emergencies.
Cisco switch uptime monitoring
The SNMP Uptime v2 sensor monitors the uptime of your switches. Our Ping v2 sensor is also useful for monitoring the uptime and availability of your Cisco network devices, including servers, routers, and firewalls.
Cisco switch port monitoring
PRTG comes with NetFlow sensors for monitoring the traffic that flows through individual ports. Simply verify the NetFlow version supported by your Cisco switch and choose the appropriate sensor (NetFlow v5 or NetFlow v9).
Start monitoring Cisco switches with PRTG and see how it can make your network more reliable and your job easier.
Cisco switch monitoring software: PRTG vs. the competition
Do you want a network management tool only for Cisco switches or also other manufacturers? Do you need to monitor hardware parameters, or also performance and traffic? Are you worried about budget? See how PRTG compares to the competition.
All-in-one monitoring for Cisco & more
Other software often charges you extra for adding features. PRTG comes with everything you need: a notification system, reporting, and more than 250 preconfigured sensor types, including those for Cisco devices as well as all other major manufacturers.
One tool for your entire network
Many competitors let you monitor only one specific aspect in your network. However, PRTG keeps an eye on everything: devices, applications, bandwidth, and more. And that’s important, because just one malfunctioning switch can cause disruptions and require hours of troubleshooting.
Flexible subscription licensing model
Don’t get roped into buying more than you need – and don’t get stuck with a limited tool. With PRTG, you can start small and upgrade as needed with our flexible licensing model. Each PRTG license comes with just the amount of sensors you want. You pay only for what you need, nothing more.
Free trial & free edition
Try PRTG for free with no strings attached – and continue using the free edition of PRTG as long as you want, with 100 sensors free for life. If you have a small network or simply wish to monitor a few Cisco devices, 100 sensors are usually sufficient.
In-depth comparisons
Dig deeper into comparisons and see how PRTG outperforms SolarWinds, Nagios, ManageEngine, and others in terms of features, convenience, scope, capabilities, and pricing. See product comparisons
Your Cisco switch monitor at a glance – even on the go
Set up PRTG in minutes and use it on almost any mobile device.
Find the root cause of the problem with our PRTG Cisco switch monitoring solution
Real-time notifications mean faster troubleshooting so that you can act before more serious issues occur.
PRTG is compatible with all major vendors, products, and systems
Create innovative solutions with Paessler’s partners
Partnering with innovative vendors, Paessler unleashes synergies to create
new and additional benefits for joined customers.
With the combination of PRTG and Insys, the monitoring specialist Paessler and the industrial gateway manufacturer INSYS icom offer a practical possibility to merge IT and OT.
INSYS icom
“Excellent tool for detailed monitoring. Alarms and notifications work greatly. Equipment addition is straight forward and server initial setup is very easy. ...feel safe to purchase it if you intend to monitor a large networking landscape.”
Infrastructure and Operations Engineer in the Communications Industry, firm size 10B - 30B USD
PRTG makes Cisco switch monitoring as easy as it gets
Custom alerts and data visualization let you quickly identify and prevent switch health and performance issues.
Monitor Cisco switches: FAQ
What is a switch?
A switch is a device used in computer networks to connect multiple devices together, enabling them to communicate with each other. It operates at the data link layer of the OSI model and uses MAC addresses to forward data packets to the appropriate destination device.
Unlike hubs, network switches can intelligently direct traffic only to the intended recipient, which improves network efficiency and reduces collisions.
What is Cisco switch monitoring?
Cisco switch monitoring refers to the process of continuously observing and analyzing the performance, health, and status of Cisco switches within a network infrastructure. It involves tracking key metrics such as network traffic, bandwidth usage, packet loss, error rates, and device temperature to ensure optimal network operation.
Cisco switch monitoring tools such as Paessler PRTG are commonly used to collect and analyze data from switches, providing administrators with insights into network performance and potential issues.
Which Cisco switches can I monitor with PRTG?
PRTG supports monitoring a wide range of Cisco switches. Some examples include:
- Cisco Catalyst Series: These switches are designed for enterprise networks and come in various models such as Catalyst 9000, Catalyst 8000, Catalyst 6000, and Catalyst 3000 series.
- Cisco Nexus Series: Nexus switches are typically used in data center environments, providing high performance, scalability, and flexibility. Examples include Nexus 9000, Nexus 7000, and Nexus 3000 series.
- Cisco Meraki Series: Meraki switches are cloud-managed and suitable for small to medium-sized businesses, offering easy deployment, management, and monitoring through a centralized dashboard.
PRTG's network monitoring tools offer comprehensive monitoring capabilities for Cisco switches, allowing you to track key performance metrics, detect issues, and ensure the smooth operation of your network infrastructure.
Why should I monitor my Cisco switches?
Monitoring Cisco switches is essential for maintaining network reliability, performance, and security. By continuously monitoring switch activity, you can identify and address issues such as network congestion, hardware failures, or security breaches promptly, minimizing downtime and potential disruptions to operations.
Monitoring is also important for proactive capacity planning, ensuring that the network can accommodate growing traffic demands and new devices. Additionally, it helps to optimize resource utilization and identify trends that can inform future network upgrades or optimizations.
What is a sensor in PRTG?
In PRTG, “sensors” are the basic monitoring elements. One sensor usually monitors one measured value in your network, for example the traffic of a switch port, the CPU load of a server, or the free space on a disk drive.
On average, you need about 5-10 sensors per device or one sensor per switch port.
PRTG: The multi-tool for sysadmins
Adapt PRTG individually and dynamically to your needs and rely on a strong API:- HTTP API: Access monitoring data and manipulate monitoring objects via HTTP requests
- Custom sensors: Create your own PRTG sensors for customized monitoring
- Custom notifications: Create your own notifications and send action triggers to external systems
- REST Custom sensor: Monitor almost everything that provides data in XML or JSON format
Paessler conducted trials in over 600 IT departments worldwide to tune its network monitoring software closer to the needs of sysadmins. We asked: would you recommend PRTG?
Over 95% of our customers say yes!
The result of the survey: over 95% of the participants would recommend PRTG – or already have.
Paessler PRTG is used by companies of all sizes. Sysadmins love PRTG because it makes their job a whole lot easier. Bandwidth, servers, virtual environments, websites, VoIP services – PRTG keeps an eye on your entire network. Everyone has different monitoring needs. That’s why we let you try PRTG for free.Still not convinced?
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Start monitoring Cisco switches with PRTG and see how it can make your network more reliable and your job easier.
PRTG |
Network Monitoring Software - Version 24.4.102.1351 (November 12th, 2024) |
Hosting |
Download for Windows and cloud-based version PRTG Hosted Monitor available |
Languages |
English, German, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Dutch, Russian, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese |
Pricing |
Up to 100 sensors for free (Price List) |
Unified Monitoring |
Network devices, bandwidth, servers, applications, virtual environments, remote systems, IoT, and more |
Supported Vendors & Applications |