How to Get Started with PRTG Network Monitor: A Step-by-Step Tutorial on Entering a License Key
Prtg Licence Key: Everything You Need to Know
If you are looking for a powerful and easy-to-use network monitoring tool, you might have heard of PRTG Network Monitor. This software can help you keep an eye on all your systems, devices, traffic, and applications in your IT infrastructure. But before you can start monitoring, you need a license key to activate the software. In this article, we will explain what PRTG Network Monitor is, why you need a license key, what types of licenses are available, how to enter a license key, how to upgrade or renew a license, and what alternatives to PRTG Network Monitor are out there.
Prtg Licence Key
What is PRTG Network Monitor and what does it do?
PRTG Network Monitor is a proprietary network monitoring software by Paessler AG. It is best suited for small & medium IT infrastructures and offers extensive features for monitoring OT & IoT environments as well.
PRTG Network Monitor can monitor:
Uptimes, downtimes, and slow servers
System health of hardware devices
Network devices and bandwidth
Applications
Virtual servers
Service level agreements (SLAs)
System usage (for example CPU load, free memory, and free disk space)
Database performance and table values
Email servers
Physical network environments
Cloud services
PRTG Network Monitor can also:
Classify network traffic and content by source or destination
Measure Quality of Service (QoS) and Voice over IP (VoIP) parameters
Collect system information for hardware
Detect unusual activity between network components and warn about potential security issues
Detect unusual behavior by devices or users
Assess the real usage of network and hardware
Fail-safe monitor a cluster
Why do you need a license key to use PRTG?
A license key for PRTG Network Monitor consists of the License Name and a License Key. The license key is a string that consists of 10 blocks with six characters each. Your License Information. You have received the License Name (PRTG Network Monitor only) and the License Key from Paessler via email or in a license document in the Paessler shop.
You need a license key to activate the software and use its full functionality. Without a valid license key, you can only use the trial edition or the freeware edition of PRTG Network Monitor, which have limited features and sensors.
Types of PRTG Licenses
PRTG licenses count by sensors. A sensor is an aspect that you can monitor on a device, such as a port, a service, or a CPU load. The number of sensors you need depends on the size and complexity of your network. Three different license editions are available:
Trial Edition
The Trial Edition is intended for evaluation purposes:
Allows you to use an unlimited number of sensors.
Supports all available sensors.
For PRTG Network Monitor, you must request a trial license key. Click the Free Download button on the Paessler website to see the license details and the key - For PRTG Hosted Monitor, you do not need a trial license key. You can sign up for a free 30-day trial account on the Paessler website.
Expires after 30 days.
Freeware Edition
The Freeware Edition is intended for personal and non-commercial use:
Allows you to use up to 100 sensors.
Supports all available sensors.
For PRTG Network Monitor, you do not need a license key. The software automatically switches to the Freeware Edition after the trial period expires.
For PRTG Hosted Monitor, you do not need a license key. You can sign up for a free account on the Paessler website.
Does not expire.
Commercial Edition
The Commercial Edition is intended for professional and commercial use:
Allows you to use from 500 to unlimited sensors, depending on the license tier.
Supports all available sensors.
For PRTG Network Monitor, you need a valid license key. You can purchase a license from the Paessler website or from a reseller.
For PRTG Hosted Monitor, you need a valid subscription. You can purchase a subscription from the Paessler website or from a reseller.
Includes one year of maintenance, which gives you access to software updates and technical support. You can renew your maintenance plan annually for a fee.
Enterprise Edition
The Enterprise Edition is intended for large-scale and distributed monitoring:
Allows you to use unlimited sensors on multiple servers (PRTG Network Monitor) or multiple instances (PRTG Hosted Monitor).
Supports all available sensors.
For PRTG Network Monitor, you need a valid license key for each server. You can purchase a license from the Paessler website or from a reseller.
For PRTG Hosted Monitor, you need a valid subscription for each instance. You can purchase a subscription from the Paessler website or from a reseller.
Includes one year of maintenance, which gives you access to software updates and technical support. You can renew your maintenance plan annually for a fee.
How to Enter a License Key
To enter a license key for PRTG Network Monitor, follow these steps:
Step 1: Log in to the PRTG web interface
The PRTG web interface is the feature-complete access to PRTG Network Monitor via your web browser. You can log in with any user account that has administrative rights. The default user name is prtgadmin and the default password is prtgadmin.
Step 2: Go to Setup > License
In the main menu bar, click Setup and select License from the menu. This will open the License page where you can see your current license information and enter a new license key.
Step 3: Enter your license name and license key
In the License Name field, enter the name that is associated with your license key. In the License Key field, enter the license key that you have received from Paessler via email or in a license document in the Paessler shop. Make sure that you enter the license key exactly as it appears, including hyphens and capitalization.
Step 4: Click Save and Restart Core Server
After entering your license name and license key, click the Save and Restart Core Server button at the bottom of the page. This will save your changes and restart the core server of PRTG Network Monitor. The core server is responsible for data collection, data storage, alerting, reporting, and user management. Restarting the core server may take several minutes, depending on the size of your installation. During this time, you will not be able to access the web interface or receive any notifications.
How to Upgrade or Renew a License
If you want to upgrade or renew your license for PRTG Network Monitor, you have two options:
How to upgrade to a higher license edition
If you want to upgrade to a higher license edition, such as from Freeware Edition to Commercial Edition or from Commercial Edition to Enterprise Edition, you need to purchase an upgrade from the Paessler website or from a reseller. You will receive a new license key that reflects your new license edition and sensor limit. To activate your upgrade, follow the same steps as entering a new license key ( see above). You do not need to uninstall or reinstall the software.
How to renew your maintenance plan
If you want to renew your maintenance plan, which gives you access to software updates and technical support, you need to purchase a renewal from the Paessler website or from a reseller. You will receive a confirmation email that your maintenance plan has been extended. You do not need to enter a new license key or restart the core server. You can check your maintenance expiration date on the License page in the web interface.
Alternatives to PRTG Network Monitor
PRTG Network Monitor is a popular and reliable network monitoring tool, but it is not the only one on the market. Depending on your needs and preferences, you might want to consider some alternatives, such as:
SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor (NPM)
SolarWinds NPM is a comprehensive and scalable network monitoring software that can monitor the performance and availability of routers, switches, firewalls, servers, and other network devices. It can also monitor wireless networks, cloud services, virtualization, and application performance. Some of its features include:
Network Insight for Cisco ASA, Cisco Nexus, F5 BIG-IP, and Palo Alto Networks devices
NetPath for hop-by-hop analysis of network paths
PerfStack for cross-stack data correlation
Network Configuration Manager for automated device configuration and compliance
Orion Maps for dynamic network topology visualization
Customizable dashboards and reports
SolarWinds NPM offers a 30-day free trial and various license tiers based on the number of elements (nodes, interfaces, or volumes) you want to monitor. The pricing starts from $2,995 for up to 100 elements.
Auvik
Auvik is a cloud-based network management software that can monitor and manage your entire network infrastructure from a single dashboard. It can also automate tasks such as network discovery, mapping, backup, configuration, and troubleshooting. Some of its features include:
Real-time network inventory and documentation
Network topology mapping and traffic analysis
Network device configuration backup and restore
Remote access to network devices via SSH or Telnet
Alerts and notifications for network issues
Integrations with other IT tools such as ConnectWise, Autotask, Slack, and Zapier
Auvik offers a 14-day free trial and various pricing plans based on the number of devices you want to manage. The pricing starts from $450 per month for up to 50 devices.
Nagios XI
Nagios XI is an enterprise-class network monitoring software that can monitor the status and performance of network devices, servers, applications, services, and processes. It can also provide alerts, reports, graphs, and dashboards for network analysis and management. Some of its features include:
Auto-discovery of network components and dependencies
Advanced network visualization with NagVis
Bulk modification tool for mass configuration changes
Capacity planning tool for future resource requirements
Audit log for tracking user actions and changes
Extensibility with thousands of community-developed add-ons
Nagios XI offers a 60-day free trial and various license options based on the number of hosts (devices) you want to monitor. The pricing starts from $1,995 for up to 100 hosts.
Conclusion
PRTG Network Monitor is a powerful and easy-to-use network monitoring tool that can help you keep an eye on all your systems, devices, traffic, and applications in your IT infrastructure. To use PRTG Network Monitor, you need a valid license key that matches your license edition and sensor limit. You can choose from different types of licenses depending on your needs and budget. You can also upgrade or renew your license at any time. If you are looking for alternatives to PRTG Network Monitor, you might want to check out SolarWinds NPM, Auvik, or Nagios XI.
If you want to learn more about PRTG Network Monitor or download a free trial version, visit the Paessler website. You can also contact their sales team or find a reseller near you.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are the system requirements for PRTG Network Monitor?
The system requirements for PRTG Network Monitor depend on the size of your network and the number of sensors you want to use. The minimum requirements are: - Windows Server 2019, 2016, or 2012 R2 - 4 CPU cores - 8 GB RAM - 250 GB disk space For more details, see the PRTG Manual: System Requirements. How can I get technical support for PRTG Network Monitor?
If you have a valid maintenance plan, you can get technical support from Paessler via email or phone. You can also use the online support resources, such as the knowledge base, the video tutorials, the webinars, the forums, and the blogs. For more details, see the PRTG Manual: Contact Support.
How can I monitor remote networks with PRTG Network Monitor?
If you want to monitor remote networks with PRTG Network Monitor, you have two options: - Use PRTG Hosted Monitor, which is a cloud-based version of PRTG Network Monitor that runs on Paessler's servers. You can access it from any web browser and monitor your remote networks without installing any software on your premises. - Use remote probes, which are agents that you install on devices in your remote networks. They collect data from the devices and send it to the core server of PRTG Network Monitor via a secure connection. You can manage and view the data from the web interface of PRTG Network Monitor.
How can I customize the dashboards and reports of PRTG Network Monitor?
PRTG Network Monitor allows you to customize the dashboards and reports of your network monitoring data according to your preferences and needs. You can: - Create custom maps that show your network topology, status, and performance using various objects, such as graphs, tables, gauges, icons, and texts. - Create custom reports that show your network data in different formats, such as PDF, HTML, CSV, or XML. You can also schedule reports to be generated and delivered automatically via email or FTP. - Create custom sensors that monitor specific aspects of your network that are not covered by the built-in sensors. You can use scripts, files, or HTTP requests to define the sensor logic and output.
How can I integrate PRTG Network Monitor with other IT tools?
PRTG Network Monitor supports various methods and protocols for integrating with other IT tools, such as: - SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol), which is a standard protocol for exchanging network management information between devices. - API (Application Programming Interface), which is a set of commands and functions that allow applications to communicate with each other. - Syslog (System Logging Protocol), which is a standard protocol for sending log messages from devices to a central server. - Notifications (Emails, SMS, Push Notifications), which are messages that inform you about network events or issues. - Webhooks (HTTP Callbacks), which are HTTP requests that are triggered by network events or issues and sent to a specified URL. dcd2dc6462