SNMPv3 Setup

SNMP has been around for many years and even though the acronym stands for simple network management protocol, it is quite complex and takes significant time to understand exactly how to get the best from it. It is well worth investing the time though as it is a very powerful way to monitor your network and once you master it's configuration, you'll be setting up custom items for all sorts of reasons. The widely used SNMPv2 is only implemented with basic passwords or 'communities'. I've jokingly heard it referred to as 'Security Not My Problem'. Not a major issue on secure networks but obviously less than ideal if you are running SNMP over insecure networks. Not only because the password is sent in plain text but also all of the data returned! This is where SNMPv3 comes in to play. This version provides both authentication and privacy.