PRTG BGP Neighbor State Monitor via Telnet

A production-ready Python script for monitoring BGP neighbor states on network devices via Telnet, designed for PRTG Network Monitor's EXE/XML Advanced sensor.

Description

This script connects to a Cisco-like CLI device via Telnet, authenticates, runs the show ip bgp neigh <neighbor> command, parses the output to check if the BGP state is "Established", and reports the status to PRTG in XML format.

Features

• Telnet connection with robust authentication handling
• Supports username/password or password-only login
• Parses BGP state from command output
• Outputs PRTG-compatible XML for EXE/XML Advanced sensors
• Configurable timeouts, ports, and prompts
• Debug mode for troubleshooting
• Compiled to standalone EXE for easy deployment

Requirements

• Python 3.6+ (for development)
• For compiled EXE: Windows with the provided bgp_telnet_prtg.exe
• Network access to the target device on the specified port

Installation

Option 1: Using Python Script

1. Ensure Python 3 is installed.
2. Download bgp_telnet_prtg.py.
3. Run directly: python bgp_telnet_prtg.py [options]

Option 2: Using Compiled EXE

1. Download bgp_telnet_prtg.exe from the releases.
2. Place it in PRTG's custom sensors directory (e.g., C:\Program Files (x86)\PRTG Network Monitor\Custom Sensors\EXEXML\).
3. Configure PRTG sensor as described below.

Usage

Command Line Options

python bgp_telnet_prtg.py --host <IP> --password <PASS> --neighbor <IP> [options]

• --host (required): Target device IP or hostname
• --port (optional): Telnet port (default: 23)
• --password (required): Password for authentication
• --neighbor (required): BGP neighbor IP to check
• --username (optional): Username if required
• --timeout (optional): Connection timeout in seconds (default: 10)
• --prompt (optional): Device prompt substring (default: "#")
• --debug (flag): Enable debug output to stderr

Examples

Check BGP neighbor on a device:

python bgp_telnet_prtg.py --host 192.168.1.1 --password mypass --neighbor 10.0.0.1 --prompt ">"

With username:

python bgp_telnet_prtg.py --host 192.168.1.1 --username admin --password mypass --neighbor 10.0.0.1 --port 23

PRTG Configuration

1. In PRTG, add a new sensor: "EXE/XML Custom"
2. Set "EXE File": bgp_telnet_prtg.exe
3. Set "Parameters": --host %host --password %password --neighbor %neighbor --port %port --prompt ">"
4. Define parameters in PRTG (e.g., %host, %password, etc.)
5. The sensor will report:
   • Value 1: BGP Established (Up)
   • Error: BGP not established (Down)

Output Format

Success (BGP Established)

<prtg>
  <result>
    <channel>BGP Neighbor State</channel>
    <value>1</value>
    <unit>Custom</unit>
    <customunit>state</customunit>
  </result>
  <text>OK - BGP Established (neighbor 10.0.0.1)</text>
</prtg>

Failure

<prtg>
  <error>1</error>
  <text>CRITICAL - BGP state is Idle (neighbor 10.0.0.1)</text>
</prtg>

Troubleshooting

• Timeout errors: Increase --timeout or check network connectivity.
• Prompt not found: Verify the --prompt matches the device's prompt (e.g., ">" for Quagga).
• Authentication failure: Ensure correct username/password and device configuration.
• BGP state not found: Check if the command output contains "BGP state = ...".
• Enable --debug for detailed logs.

Development

To modify the script:

1. Edit bgp_telnet_prtg.py.
2. Test with Python.
3. Compile to EXE: pyinstaller --onefile bgp_telnet_prtg.py

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

Contributing

1. Fork the repository.
2. Create a feature branch.
3. Submit a pull request with description.

Changelog

• v1.0: Initial release with basic Telnet BGP monitoring.