Which protocol is widely used for network management and defaults to port 161?

Which protocol is widely used for network management and defaults to port 161?

• A. TLS/SSL Inspection
• B. Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)
• C. NIDS/NIPS
• D. SIEM

Answer: (B)

The concept here is a protocol built for monitoring and managing network devices. This protocol is designed so a central management system can query devices to gather status and performance data, and it can receive alerts when something goes wrong. It uses UDP as its transport and has a well-known default port for requests: port 161. Devices run an agent that listens on this port, and the management system polls the agent to retrieve information like interface status and utilization. If the device needs to alert the manager, it sends a trap to port 162. Because this approach is widely supported across routers, switches, servers, and other gear, it’s the standard choice for network management workflows. The other items refer to different security concepts rather than a general network-management protocol tied to port 161. TLS/SSL inspection focuses on decrypting encrypted traffic for inspection, NIDS/NIPS are systems that detect and prevent intrusions, and SIEM collects and analyzes security events. None of these revolve around the default port 161 for managing devices.

The concept here is a protocol built for monitoring and managing network devices. This protocol is designed so a central management system can query devices to gather status and performance data, and it can receive alerts when something goes wrong. It uses UDP as its transport and has a well-known default port for requests: port 161. Devices run an agent that listens on this port, and the management system polls the agent to retrieve information like interface status and utilization. If the device needs to alert the manager, it sends a trap to port 162. Because this approach is widely supported across routers, switches, servers, and other gear, it’s the standard choice for network management workflows.

The other items refer to different security concepts rather than a general network-management protocol tied to port 161. TLS/SSL inspection focuses on decrypting encrypted traffic for inspection, NIDS/NIPS are systems that detect and prevent intrusions, and SIEM collects and analyzes security events. None of these revolve around the default port 161 for managing devices.