SNMP v3

Implementations of the SNMPv3 specifications are being developed by various vendors and research departments, with some network devices on the market being SNMPv3 aware at this time.

The biggest difference between SNMPv3 and earlier versions are the security implementations. Security has been the biggest weakness of SNMP's early versions, and this has been acknowledged by engineers and network administrators.

That's because authentication in SNMP Versions 1 and 2 is a password - or known as a community string - that is sent in clear text between a network manager, SNMP management software and the SNMP agent that is polling the network device. Any data sent in clear text over a network is vulnerable to packet sniffing and interception.

But in SNMPv3, each message contains security parameters which are encrypted as an octet string to prevent packet sniffing and a resulting security breach.

SNMPv3 provides secure access to devices by a combination of authenticating and encrypting packets over the network. The security features provided in SNMPv3 are 1) message integrity that ensures a packet has not been modified in-transit; 2) authentication, which determines if the message is from a valid source on the network; and 3) encrypting the contents of a packet prevent it from being sniffed and read by an unauthorized source.

SNMPv3 also provides for what are known as security models and security levels. A security model is an authentication strategy that is set up for a user and the group in which the user resides. A security level is the permitted level of security within a security model. A combination of a security model and a security level will determine which security mechanism is employed when handling an SNMP packet.

Ipswitch WhatsUp Gold’s network management software provides the monitoring flexibility and comprehensive coverage you need. It extends full support for industry standard SNMP v1-3 and WMI based infrastructure monitoring covering most network devices - routers, switches, servers, firewalls - and systems infrastructure (e.g. Unix, Linux hosts) and all Windows based systems, both physical and virtual.

In addition to its dynamic monitoring tools, WhatsUp Gold provides you with a complete set of web-based SNMP network tools to simplify configuration and management: SNMP MIB Explorer; SNMP MIB Manager; SNMP MIB Walker; AutoMIB; and customizable SNMP monitors.

The SNMP MIB Explorer lists and validates all MIBs available ensuring that the correct SNMP parameters are used. The SNMP MIB Manager instantly validates and identifies any errors in any MIB. The SNMP MIB Walker evaluates device support and SNMP objects that can be monitored. AutoMIB supports Multi-SNMP variable probing and trending. And customizable SNMP monitors give the ability to build custom SNMP monitors on the fly.