Cisco switch monitoring with PRTG

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.

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.

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.