PRTG Manual: Packet Sniffer (Custom) Sensor

Sensor Name

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

Parent Tags

Shows Tags that this sensor inherits from its parent device, group, and probe. This setting is shown for your information only and cannot be changed here.

Tags

Enter one or more Tags , separated by spaces or commas. You can use tags to group sensors and use tag–filtered views later on. Tags are not case sensitive. We recommend that you use the default value.

You can add additional tags to the sensor if you like. Other tags are automatically inherited from objects further up in the device tree. These are visible above as Parent Tags .

Priority

Select a priority for the sensor. This setting determines where the sensor is placed in sensor lists. Top priority is at the top of a list. Choose from one star (low priority) to five stars (top priority).

Include Filter

Define if you want to filter any traffic. If you leave this field empty, the sensor includes all traffic. To include specific traffic only, define filters using a special syntax. For detailed information, please see Filter Rules for xFlow and Packet Sniffer Sensors section.

Exclude Filter

First, the filters you define in the Include Filter field are considered. From this subset, you can explicitly exclude traffic, using the same syntax. For detailed information, please see Filter Rules for xFlow and Packet Sniffer Sensors section.

Channel Definition

Please enter a channel definition to divide the traffic into different channels. Write each definition in one line. For detailed information, please see Channel Defintions for xFlow and Packet Sniffer Sensors section. All traffic for which no channel is defined is accounted to the default channel named Other .

Extensive use of many filters can cause load problems on your probe system. We recommend defining specific, well-chosen filters for the data you really want to analyze. We recommend that you do not use more than 20 channels in graphs and tables, and not more than 100 channels in total. For performance reasons, it is better to add several sensors with less channels each.

Network Adapters

Define the network adapters that this sensor monitors. You see a list of names with all adapters available on the probe system. To select an adapter, set a check mark symbol in front of the respective name. You can also select and deselect all items by using the check box in the table head.

Log Stream Data to Disk (for Debugging)

Define if the probe will write a log file of the stream and packet data to the data folder (see Data Storage ). Choose between:

• None (recommended) : Do not write additional log files. Recommended for normal use cases.
• Only for the 'Other' channel : Only write log files of data that is not filtered otherwise and therefore accounted to the default Other channel.
• All stream data : Write log files for all data received.

Use with caution! Enabling this option might create huge data files. Please use for a short time and for debugging purposes only.

Primary Channel

Select a channel from the list to define it as the primary channel. In the device tree, the last value of the primary channel will always be displayed below the sensor's name. The available options depend on what channels are available for this sensor.

You can set another primary channel later by clicking the pin symbol of a channel in the sensor's Overview tab.

Graph Type

Define how different channels will be shown for this sensor.

• Show channels independently (default) : Show an own graph for each channel.
• Stack channels on top of each other : Stack channels on top of each other to create a multi-channel graph. This will generate an easy-to-read graph that visualizes the different components of your total traffic.
  This option cannot be used in combination with manual Vertical Axis Scaling (available in the Sensor Channels Settings settings).

Stack Unit

This setting is only available if stacked graphs are selected above. Choose a unit from the list. All channels with this unit will be stacked on top of each other. By default, you cannot exclude single channels from stacking if they use the selected unit. However, there is an advanced procedure to do so.

Primary Toplist

Define which will be your primary toplist. It will be shown in maps when adding a toplist object. Choose from:

• Top Talkers
• Top Connections
• Top Protocols
• [Any custom toplists you have added]

Scanning Interval

Select a scanning interval (seconds, minutes, or hours) from the list. The scanning interval determines the time the sensor waits between two scans. You can change the available intervals in the system administration on PRTG on premises installations.

If a Sensor Query Fails

Define the number of scanning intervals that a sensor has time reach and check a device again in case a sensor query fails. The sensor can try to re-reach and check a device several times, depending on the option you select here, before it will be set to a Down status. This helps you avoid false alarms if the monitored device has only temporary issues. For previous scanning intervals with failed requests, the sensor will show a Warning status. Choose between:

• Set sensor to "down" immediately : The sensor will show an error immediately after the first failed request.
• Set sensor to "warning" for 1 interval, then set to "down" (recommended) : After the first failed request, the sensor will show a yellow warning status. If the following request also fails, the sensor will show an error.
• Set sensor to "warning" for 2 intervals, then set to "down" : Show an error status only after three continuously failed requests.
• Set sensor to "warning" for 3 intervals, then set to "down" : Show an error status only after four continuously failed requests.
• Set sensor to "warning" for 4 intervals, then set to "down" : Show an error status only after five continuously failed requests.
• Set sensor to "warning" for 5 intervals, then set to "down" : Show an error status only after six continuously failed requests.

Sensors that monitor via Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) always wait at least one scanning interval until they show an error. It is not possible to set a WMI sensor to "down" immediately, so the first option will not apply to these sensor types. All other options can apply.

If a sensor has defined error limits for channels, it will always show a Down status immediately, so no "wait" option will apply.
 

If a channel uses lookup values, it will always show a Down status immediately, so no "wait" options will apply.

Inheritance for schedules, dependencies, and maintenance windows cannot be interrupted. The corresponding settings from the parent objects will always be active. However, you can define additional settings here. They will be active at the same time as the parent objects' settings.

Schedule

Select a schedule from the list. Schedules can be used to monitor for a certain time span (days, hours) every week. With the period list option it is also possible to pause monitoring for a specific time span. You can create new schedules and edit existing ones in the account settings.

Schedules are generally inherited. New schedules will be added to existing ones, so all schedules are active at the same time.

Maintenance Window

Specify if you want to set up a one-time maintenance window. During a "maintenance window" period, this object and all child objects will not be monitored. They will be in a paused state instead. Choose between:

• Not set (monitor continuously) : No maintenance window will be set and monitoring will always be active.
• Set up a one-time maintenance window : Pause monitoring within a maintenance window. You can define a time span for a monitoring pause below and change it even for a currently running maintenance window.

To terminate a current maintenance window before the defined end date, change the time entry in Maintenance Ends field to a date in the past.

Maintenance Begins

This field is only visible if you enabled the maintenance window above. Use the date time picker to enter the start date and time of the maintenance window.

Maintenance Ends

This field is only visible if you enabled the maintenance window above. Use the date time picker to enter the end date and time of the maintenance window.

Dependency Type

Define a dependency type. Dependencies can be used to pause monitoring for an object depending on the status of another. You can choose between:

• Use parent : Pause the current sensor if the device, where it is created on, is in Down status, or is paused by another dependency.
• Select object : Pause the current sensor if the device, where it is created on, is in Down status, or is paused by another dependency. Additionally, pause the current sensor if a specific other object in the device tree is in Down status, or is paused by another dependency. Select below.
• Master object for parent : Make this sensor the master object for its parent device. The sensor will influence the behavior of the device, where it is created on: If the sensor is in Down status, the device will be paused. For example, it is a good idea to make a Ping sensor the master object for its parent device to pause monitoring for all other sensors on the device in case the device cannot even be pinged. Additionally, the sensor will be paused if the parent group of its parent device is in Down status, or if it is paused by another dependency.

Testing your dependencies is easy! Simply choose Simulate Error Status from the context menu of an object that other objects depend on. A few seconds later all dependent objects should be paused. You can check all dependencies in your PRTG installation by selecting Devices | Dependencies from the main menu bar.

Dependency

This field is only visible if the Select object option is enabled above. Click on the reading-glasses and use the object selector to choose an object on which the current sensor will depend.

Dependency Delay (Sec.)

Define a time span in seconds for a dependency delay. After the master object for this dependency goes back to Up status, PRTG will start monitoring the depending objects after this extra delayed. This can help to avoid false alarms, for example, after a server restart, by giving systems more time for all services to start up. Please enter an integer value.

This setting is not available if you choose this sensor to Use parent or to be the Master object for parent . In this case, please define delays in the parent Device Settings or in the superior Group Settings .

User Group Access

Define which user group(s) will have access to the object you're editing. A table with user groups and types of access rights is shown: It contains all user groups from your setup. For each user group you can choose from the following access rights:

• Inherited : Use the access rights settings of the parent object.
• None : Users in this group cannot see or edit the object. The object neither shows up in lists nor in the device tree. Exception: If a child object is visible to the user, the object is visible in the device tree, though not accessible.
• Read : Users in this group can see the object and review its monitoring results.
• Write : Users in this group can see the object, review its monitoring results, and edit the object's settings. They cannot edit access rights settings.
• Full : Users in this group can see the object, review its monitoring results, edit the object's settings, and edit access rights settings.

You can create new user groups in the System Administration—User Groups settings. To automatically set all objects further down in the hierarchy to inherit this object's access rights, set a check mark for the Revert children's access rights to inherited option.

For more details on access rights, please see the section User Access Rights .

Channel Unit Types

For each type of sensor channel, define the unit in which data is displayed. If defined on probe, group, or device level, these settings can be inherited to all sensors underneath. You can set units for the following channel types (if available):

• Bandwidth
• Memory
• Disk
• File
• Custom

Custom channel types can be set on sensor level only.