<%NUMBERING1%>.<%NUMBERING2%>.<%NUMBERING3%> PRTG Manual: Remote Probe Setup Using Installer

In section Install a PRTG Remote Probe, we accompany your remote probe installation using the Remote Probe Installer. Here you find further information about necessary settings for a successful core probe connection and debugging tips.

• Step 1: Prepare the Core Server
• Step 2: Download and Install Remote Probe
• Step 3: Approve New Probe and Start Monitoring
• Debugging Probe Connection Problems

For a semi-automatic installation of a Remote Probe directly from the device tree in PRTG's web interface, see the section Remote Probe Quick Setup.

Step 1: Prepare the Core Server

Because your remote probe needs to connect to your PRTG core server, your PRTG core server must accept incoming remote probe connections. So please prepare your PRTG core server first. Edit the relevant settings in System Administration—Core & Probes. From the main menu bar in the PRTG web interface, select Setup | System Administration | Core & Probes and look at the Probe Connection Settings.

By default, a core server accepts connections from the Local Probe only (this is, IP address 127.0.0.1). This setting is the most secure setting, but it does not allow any remote probe to connect to your PRTG core server.

To accept remote probes, choose one of the following settings in section Probe Connection IPs:

• All IPs available on this computer: Any IP on your core server system accepts incoming probe connections.
• Specify IPs: Specify selected IP addresses that accept incoming connections.

Please also check the following settings for your remote probe connection:

• In the Allow IPs field, enter the IP address of the computer you want to install a remote probe on. To make things easier, you can also enter the word any which will set the core server to accept remote probes connecting from any IP address.
  If you use any, make sure you write the word in lower case only! Any other variations will not be valid!
   
  Do you run PRTG in a cluster? Then mind this important note.
   
• Make sure the IP address of the computer on which you want to install your remote probe is not listed in the Deny IPs field. Delete this IP address if necessary.
• Make sure the global ID (GID) of the computer on which you want to install your remote probe is not listed In the Deny GIDs field. This can be the case if a probe connection from this computer has been denied before. Delete the GID of this computer if necessary.
  What is a global ID (GID)? It is the ID that PRTG attributes to every device that you include in your monitoring.

When you are done, click Save to save your settings. If you click Cancel, all changes to the core and probe settings will be discarded.

If you change this setting, PRTG needs to restart the core server to apply your changes. After clicking the Save button, a dialog box appears which asks you to confirm the required core server restart. Click OK to trigger the restart and follow the instructions on the screen. During the restart all the users of the PRTG web interface, of the Enterprise Console, or of PRTG Apps for Mobile Network Monitoring will be disconnected and reconnected.

For further information about the core probe connection settings, see also the System Administration—Core & Probes section.

To edit the core probe connection settings you can also use the PRTG Administration Tool on your core server.

If you use the Clustering feature of PRTG and you want to run remote probes outside your local network, you have to make sure your cluster nodes and the addresses they use are reachable from the outside! Check your cluster node settings under System Administration—Cluster before installing a remote probe outside your local network. Enter addresses (DNS names or IPs) which are valid for both cluster nodes to reach each other and for remote probes to reach all cluster nodes individually. Remote probes outside your LAN cannot connect to your cluster nodes if they use local addresses.

If you already have a remote probe installed outside your LAN and the probe is disconnected because of this, please follow these steps:

1. Uninstall the current remote probe.
2. Update the cluster node settings with addresses that are reachable from outside your LAN.
3. Restart your PRTG core servers.
4. Install the remote probe again. It will then obtain the IP address or DNS name entries that it can reach.

Please see also section Failover Cluster Configuration—Remote Probes in Cluster.

Step 2: Download and Install the Remote Probe

On the computer on which you want to install your remote probe, log in to the PRTG web interface, download the setup file, and install it. For more detailed instructions, please follow the steps described in Install a PRTG Remote Probe.

The PRTG core system already includes a local probe service. This is why you cannot additionally install a remote probe on that system.

The version numbers of core and probe services must match. By default, PRTG updates probes automatically when a new version is installed on the PRTG core server. To update your remote probe manually, open a web browser on your remote computer and download the remote probe installer as described in this manual section.

Step 3: Approve the New Probe and Start Monitoring

Remember to log in to the PRTG web interface to acknowledge your new remote probe!

If you successfully installed the remote probe from a PRTG on demand installation, you will see the following dialog box.

When you deny or remove a remote probe, PRTG will automatically add this device's global ID (GID) to the Deny GIDs list in System Administration—Core & Probes. Future probe connections from this device will be denied automatically.

Denying the remote probe in the PRTG device tree does not uninstall the probe, but only denies access to the core server. The probe will continue to run on the target system until you uninstall it manually.

For unwanted probe connections, you can click Deny new probe.

When you deny or remove a remote probe, PRTG will automatically add this device's global ID (GID) to the Deny GIDs list in System Administration—Core & Probes. Future probe connections from this device will be denied automatically.

Once approved, PRTG automatically creates a set of sensors for the probe to ensure you can detect bottle-necks on the probe system immediately. We recommend that you keep these sensors. You can now create groups, devices, and sensors for monitoring via the new probe.

Furthermore, when a new probe connects to the core server for the first time, PRTG creates a new ToDo ticket.

Debugging Probe Connection Problems

If you have trouble with your core probe connection, make sure that you meet the following requirements:

• The IP address of the computer on which you want to install a remote probe is not listed in the Deny IPs field.
• The default port 23560 for probe connections is not blocked by firewall rules on your core server's side. If you need to set a different port (not recommended), see the More section for details.

Furthermore, you can also take a look at the probe's log files. The probe process writes log files with a file name in the format PRTG Probe Log (x).log. Open the one with the most recent date.

For a correct connection the probe log should look similar to this:

11.08.2012 16:15:15 PRTG Probe Server V12.3.2.5101
11.08.2012 16:15:15 Starting Probe on "WINXPVMWARE"
11.08.2012 16:15:15 Data Path: C:\documents and settings\All Users\a[...]
11.08.2012 16:15:15 Local IP: 0.0.0.0
11.08.2012 16:15:15 Core Server IP and Port: 10.0.2.167:23560
11.08.2012 16:15:15 Probe ID: -1
11.08.2012 16:17:01 Connected to 10.0.2.167:23560
11.08.2012 16:17:06 Login OK: Welcome to PRTG

 

If the connection fails, for example due to an incorrect Access Key, or due to incorrect IP settings (see Step 2), you will see:

11.08.2012 16:31:02 Try to connect...
11.08.2012 16:31:02 Connected to 10.0.2.167:23560
11.08.2012 16:31:07 Login NOT OK: Access key not correct!

 

If you need to adjust any probe settings for the connection to the core server, use the PRTG Administration Tool on your probe system.

In the Connection to PRTG Core Server tab, you can then edit the following settings:

• Server: Enter the IP address or DNS name of the core server the remote probe will connect to. If Network Address Translation (NAT) is used, this has to be the IP address that is externally visible, because the remote probe will connect from outside your network.
• Probe Access Key and Confirm Access Key: Enter the access key that the probe will send to the core server. This access key has to be defined on the PRTG core server. Make sure the key phrases match exactly.

Remember to always click Save & Close to confirm your settings and to (re)start the probe service.

For more detailed information about these settings, see the PRTG Administration Tool section.

More

Knowledge Base: How can I customize PRTG's ports for core-probe-connections?

• https://kb.paessler.com/en/topic/65084

 

 

 

Advanced Topics

• Active Directory Integration
• Application Programming Interface (API) Definition
• Filter Rules for xFlow, IPFIX, and Packet Sniffer Sensors
• Channel Definitions for xFlow, IPFIX, and Packet Sniffer Sensors
• Define IP Ranges
• Define Lookups
• Regular Expressions
• Add Remote Probe
• Failover Cluster Configuration
• Data Storage
• Using Your Own SSL Certificate
• Calculating Percentiles