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Linux

banshee/linux-collection/linux/snmp/

interfaces

Network interfaces of a Linux host by SNMP: link state, throughput, utilisation, errors, drops and IPv4 addresses.

  • linux
  • snmp
  • network
  • interface
  • net-snmp

by banshee1 installation2 versions

v2Latest

Published on October 28, 2026. One naming convention across collections; documentation completed.

Network interfaces of a Linux host, by SNMP

Returns, for each interface, its link state, negotiated speed, MTU, inbound and outbound traffic, usage, packets, errors, drops and IPv4 addresses. Eleven watches are offered, each adjustable on the probe.

Versions

Generic: IF-MIB and IP-MIB are served the same way by net-snmp on any Linux.

How it works

The collector reads ifTable and ifXTable (IF-MIB), and ipAddrTable (IP-MIB) for the addresses. An interface is named by ifName (eth0, ens192, bond0).

  • The link state is ifOperStatus in words (up, down, lowerlayerdown…); an interface the administrator has disabled reads disabled, so it does not pass for a link down.
  • Throughput, packets, errors and drops come from the 64-bit counters, over the interval between two runs: on the first run they are not returned; they come on the next one. An interface without 64-bit counters returns its state only.
  • Utilisation is throughput against the negotiated speed (ifHighSpeed); an interface without a negotiated speed (down, or virtual) has none.
  • Two interfaces with the same name each keep their own: the second carries its index (eth0 #12).
  • The default selection leaves out the loopback and container interfaces: everything except lo, docker* and veth*. It can be changed on the probe.

Prerequisites

  • snmpd (net-snmp) running on the host, listening on an address the poller reaches (UDP 161), with the firewall open to the poller only.
  • The view granted to the poller includes interfaces (.1.3.6.1.2.1.2), ifXTable (.1.3.6.1.2.1.31) and ipAddrTable (.1.3.6.1.2.1.4.20).
  • Read-only access, SNMPv2c or SNMPv3, set on the host or one of its folders (protocol:snmp:* variables).
# /etc/snmp/snmpd.conf
agentaddress udp:161
view   banshee included .1.3.6.1.2.1.2
view   banshee included .1.3.6.1.2.1.31
view   banshee included .1.3.6.1.2.1.4.20
rocommunity <community> 192.0.2.10 -V banshee
# or: rouser <user> priv -V banshee

Outputs

NameLabelUnitPer instance
linkLink state—yes, per interface
speedNegotiated speedMbit/syes, per interface
mtuMTU—yes, per interface
traffic-inInbound trafficbit/syes, per interface
traffic-outOutbound trafficbit/syes, per interface
trafficTotal trafficbit/syes, per interface
in-percentInbound usage%yes, per interface
out-percentOutbound usage%yes, per interface
packetsPacketspackets/syes, per interface
errorsErrorserrors/syes, per interface
dropsDropspackets/syes, per interface
drop-percentShare of packets dropped%yes, per interface
addressesIPv4 addresses—yes, per interface

Watches

NameTitleKindDefaultsChecked by default
link-downLink downstate, on linkcritical on down, lowerlayerdownyes
speed-degradedNegotiated speed degradedcustomwarning below the expected speed, 1000 Mbit/sno
saturation-inInbound saturationabove a threshold, on in-percentwarning above 70 %, critical above 90 %, for 5 minyes
saturation-outOutbound saturationabove a threshold, on out-percentwarning above 70 %, critical above 90 %, for 5 minyes
errorsErrorscustomwarning beyond 1 error/min, critical beyond 0.1 % of trafficyes
dropsPackets droppedabove a threshold, on drop-percentwarning above 0.5 %, critical above 2 %yes
traffic-unusualUnusual traffichabit, on trafficsensitivity normal, floor 10,000,000 bit/sno
muteSilent interfacesilence, on packetswarning after 10 minno
missingInterface missingexpected instances, on linkno interface named: it raises nothing until names are set on the probeno
mtuUnexpected MTUexpected value, on mtuwarning when not 1500no
no-addressNo IPv4 address leftbelow a threshold, on addressescritical below 1no

Limits

  • Neither duplex nor link changes are read: IF-MIB does not carry them. The linux/ssh/interfaces collector reads them, and the members of a bond.
  • IPv6 addresses are not counted: ipAddrTable lists IPv4 only.
  • A virtual interface (bridge, bond, VLAN) often has no negotiated speed: its utilisation is not returned.