PRTG Traffic Grapher is the legacy network monitoring software developed by Paessler AG that laid the groundwork for today’s industry-standard PRTG Network Monitor. Originally created as a Windows-based alternative to Linux’s MRTG (Multi Router Traffic Grapher), it was designed specifically to track and graph bandwidth and data traffic utilizing SNMP, packet sniffing, and NetFlow protocols.
While Paessler officially discontinued development and support for the standalone “Traffic Grapher” line (ending with Version 6) to focus entirely on its comprehensive PRTG Network Monitor suite, the principles outlined in its classic deployment guides remain fundamental to modern IT monitoring. Core Components of PRTG Traffic Grapher
A complete blueprint of how the classic Traffic Grapher architecture functions involves three core mechanisms:
Data Collection (Sensors): The basic monitoring building blocks. A single sensor tracks one specific metric (such as incoming traffic on a single router port).
The Storage Engine: Records real-time bandwidth metrics and passes them into an internal database to maintain historical logs.
The Visualizer: Automatically generates 24-hour, 8-day, 4-week, and 12-month interval graphs to help admins identify network saturation, spikes, and unusual patterns. The 3 Core Traffic Tracking Methods
The definitive guide to utilizing this framework highlights three primary protocols for capturing traffic data:
SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol): The most lightweight method. It polls network switches and routers at regular intervals to extract bandwidth counters from individual ports.
Packet Sniffing: Inspects all data packets passing through a local network card (NIC) or a mirrored switch port. It categorizes network consumption by application layer protocols (e.g., HTTP, FTP).
NetFlow / xFlow: Collects IP traffic statistics exported directly from Cisco routers or compatible network hardware. This allows granular tracking of who is using the bandwidth and what data is being sent where. Practical Implementation Steps
To replicate the workflow described in comprehensive PRTG deployment documentation, administrators follow a streamlined four-step path:
[1. Installation] ──> [2. Auto-Discovery] ──> [3. Sensor Mapping] ──> [4. Thresholds & Alerts] PRTG Traffic Grapher Version 6 Released – Paessler Blog
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