What it does
LibreNMS is a network monitoring system that can discover devices through protocols including CDP, FDP, LLDP, OSPF, BGP, SNMP, and ARP. It graphs device and port data, provides customizable alerting, and exposes an API for managing and retrieving monitoring information. The project is self-hosted and GPLv3-licensed.
Prepare the server before adding devices
The installation guide expects a Linux server with a supported distribution, a database, PHP, and a web server; it recommends NGINX and documents the Web installer. The current guide lists PHP 8.4 as the minimum supported version and 8.5 as recommended. Configure SNMP on the monitored device, finish the web setup, then add the first device so LibreNMS can begin discovery and graphing.
This is a self-hosted network monitor, not a hosted status-page service. Operators maintain the Linux host, application dependencies, database, and polling configuration. The official repository's license page states GPLv3 and notes exceptions for bundled third-party packages.
Strengths
- The official overview lists automatic discovery through common network protocols, including SNMP and LLDP.
- It combines device and port graphs, customizable alerts, and an API for monitoring data.
- The installation guide documents a supported Linux setup and a first-device workflow.
Watch out for
- The installation requires a Linux host and a web, PHP, database, and SNMP stack that the operator maintains.
- Device visibility depends on suitable SNMP or other supported discovery access being configured.
Best for
- Network administrators who need discovery, port graphs, and alerts across SNMP-managed equipment.
- Teams comfortable maintaining their own Linux-based network-monitoring server.
Sources
- LibreNMS (Oct 25, 2026)
- Installing LibreNMS - LibreNMS Docs (Oct 25, 2026)
- LICENSE.txt | librenms/librenms (Oct 25, 2026)