SNMP protocol over WLAN

Question

Do SNMP specification support WLAN network monitoring. My Network is heterogeneous in nature, with range of devices like Servers, Desktops, Mobiles, TV with various operating systems and connected via every kind of networking technology LAN, WAN(i have thought about it), WLAN. Initial estimate for number of devices is 10K but will extent to 50K in future.

Can some one please suggest, will SNMP help me in monitoring such a network. Any suggestion for open source, which could help me start building Such tool.

Answer 1

Most networking devices support SNMP, including many WLAN accesspoints. However, your question is not possible to answer in the format of StackOverflow. SNMP is a "decentralized" protocol, where each device vendor can decide exactly which functionality should be implemented by the device. The vendor publishes a MIB (Management Information Base) module, describing what variables can be monitored. Each device can implement any number of MIB modules, including ones published as Internet standards.

Certainly, SNMP will be a central part in any enterprise-level Network Management solution, but for such a large network, what you need is probably a good technical consultant (or better yet, hire someone with network management experience). Or, reserve a few weeks and prepare to do some extensive learning. ;-) The RFCs that define SNMP are a good start, for example "Introduction to community-based SNMP": http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc1901.txt