Atera allows you to monitor network devices without installing an agent on them by checking the connectivity of specific TCP ports (e.g., 25, 80, 443). This feature is ideal for monitoring servers, firewalls, routers, printers, or any other device that can respond over a TCP port.

Frequently asked questions

Q: What is a TCP device in Atera?

A: A TCP device is any networked device (such as a printer, firewall, switch, or server) that is monitored by checking the connectivity of one or more TCP ports.
Unlike agent-installed endpoints, TCP devices do not require the Atera agent. Instead, they rely on a Windows agent installed on another device within the same network — this device is known as the monitoring agent.

The monitoring agent periodically attempts to establish a connection to the specified ports on the TCP device. If the connection is successful, the device is shown as Online; if the connection fails, it appears as Offline in Atera.

• TCP Device

Q: How does monitoring work?

A: Monitoring operates via a designated Windows agent within the customer’s network.
Here’s how it functions:

1. The monitoring agent attempts to open a TCP connection to the ports you’ve specified for the device.
2. If the connection is successful, the TCP device’s status is marked as Online.
3. If the connection fails (timeout or refused connection), the device is flagged as Offline.
4. Atera can then trigger alerts according to your threshold profile settings for that customer.

You can view real-time device status, alert history, and port configurations directly from the device console in Atera.

Q: How do I add a TCP device?

A: To add a TCP device for monitoring:

1. In Atera, go to New > Monitored device > TCP.
2. Enter the hostname or IP address of the device you wish to monitor.
3. Specify the TCP ports you want to check (for example, 25 for SMTP, 80 for HTTP, 443 for HTTPS).
4. Assign the device to a Customer.
5. Select a monitoring agent — a Windows device in the same network that will perform the checks.
6. Click Add to create and begin monitoring.

Note: The selected monitoring agent must be online for TCP checks to run successfully.

• Add a TCP device 

Q: What does TCP monitoring actually measure?

A: TCP monitoring verifies port accessibility — whether or not a TCP port on a device is reachable.
It does not measure:

• Service responsiveness or application health
• CPU, memory, or other hardware metrics
• Software inventory or patch status

If you need richer insights, consider using agent-installed endpoints or SNMP monitoring, which provide detailed performance and asset data.

• Install an Agent
• SNMP devices

Q: Can TCP monitoring replace ICMP (ping) checks?

A: No.
TCP monitoring relies on port-based connectivity, while ICMP (ping) checks use network-layer responses.
If you need to verify general network reachability (e.g., simple “is it online?” pings), use Generic devices instead of TCP devices.
 

Q: What are the common causes of false “Offline” or “Online” readings?

A: Common causes include:

• Firewalls blocking monitored ports between the monitoring agent and the device.
• Closed or disabled ports on the target device.
• The monitoring agent being offline, outdated, or unresponsive.
• Duplicate IP or port configurations, where another network device responds unexpectedly.

To resolve, confirm port access from the monitoring agent and verify that both devices are reachable on the same network.

• Firewall settings

Q: How can I troubleshoot when a TCP device shows as offline?

A: Follow these steps:

1. Check the monitoring agent:
   Ensure the agent device is online and up to date in Atera. If it’s unresponsive, reassign the TCP device to another online agent.

2. Test port accessibility manually:
   From the monitoring agent, use:

   • PowerShell: 

     Test-NetConnection <IP or hostname> -Port <port number>

   • Command Prompt: 

     telnet <IP or hostname> <port number>

   If the test fails, the issue lies in network routing, firewalls, or the target device configuration.

3. Check firewall settings:
   Make sure the monitored ports are open and not restricted by inbound or outbound rules.
4. Reassign or update the agent:
   If problems persist, update the monitoring agent to the latest version or choose another Windows agent within the same network.
    

Q: Can I change or reassign the monitoring agent for a TCP device?

A: Yes.
From the device console, you can reassign the monitoring agent to another device within the same network.
This is particularly useful if the original agent is offline or being decommissioned.
The newly assigned agent will immediately begin monitoring the TCP ports once it comes online.

Q: Where can I view alerts or device history?

A: Alert history and status information are accessible directly in the TCP device console.
When a device goes offline, Atera creates an alert based on your configured threshold profiles.
You can:

• Review alert history within the device’s page.
• Acknowledge or close alerts manually.
• Configure notification rules to be alerted by email or other channels.

If you see frequent or false alerts, verify port availability and firewall configurations.
 

Q: Can I monitor multiple ports or devices at once?

A: Yes.
A single TCP device entry can include multiple ports (e.g., 25, 80, 443). Each port is checked separately and aggregated into the device’s online/offline status.

However, bulk adding or auto-enabling TCP monitoring for all devices is not currently supported.
This is intentional — mass enabling could create excessive network load and unnecessary alerts.

Q: Can I see which applications are using specific ports?

A: No, Atera’s TCP monitoring only confirms whether ports are reachable, not which process or service is bound to them.
If you want to identify which applications use particular ports, you can use a PowerShell script via IT Automation, such as:

Get-NetTCPConnection | Select-Object LocalAddress, LocalPort, State, OwningProcess

This will return details about open connections and associated process IDs on the monitoring agent.
 

Q: How can I export TCP device data or include it in reports?

A: You can export TCP device data in several ways:

• Advanced Reports: Generate and export TCP device uptime, status history, and alert logs.
• API Access: Use Atera’s API to retrieve TCP device information programmatically.
• Basic Exports: Only agent-managed devices are included in basic CSV exports; TCP/SNMP/HTTP devices require advanced reporting.
   
• Advanced reports
• API 
• Operational reports: Auditor

Q: Are there limitations to TCP device monitoring?

A: Yes.

• TCP monitoring checks only port connectivity, not full device performance or health.
• TCP/SNMP/HTTP devices do not generate detailed hardware/software inventory reports.
• Monitoring accuracy depends on network reachability between the monitoring agent and the device.
• TCP devices are not included in some standard asset or auditor reports unless you have advanced reporting enabled.
   

Q: Is TCP device monitoring included in my Atera plan?

A: Yes. TCP monitoring is a standard feature of your Atera subscription. There are no additional costs for using it.

Summary of best practices

• Always ensure your monitoring agents are online and updated.
• Open required TCP ports in network firewalls.
• Use Test-NetConnection to confirm connectivity before creating new devices.
• Avoid enabling TCP checks for every device by default—only monitor essential endpoints.
• For richer insights (inventory, performance, patching), use agent-installed endpoints or SNMP devices alongside TCP monitoring.