Set Up Printer Monitoring — Complete Guide
Everything you need to get your first printer monitored: install the Gateway agent, claim the printer, configure billing, and start receiving alerts.
Overview
Printer Monitoring in Plenix tracks toner levels, page counts, and device health across your entire managed print fleet. Before any printer data appears in the platform, there is one prerequisite: the Plenix Gateway agent must be installed on a device on the same network as the printer.
This guide covers the complete setup from scratch.
Step 1 — Install the Plenix Gateway Agent
The Gateway agent is a lightweight Windows service that acts as a bridge between your printers (which use SNMP) and the Plenix cloud. It must run on a Windows PC, server, or VM that is on the same local network as the printers you want to monitor.
Important: Without the Gateway agent, Plenix cannot communicate with printers. The Gateway is not the same as the RMM agent — it is a separate installation for print and network monitoring.
Requirements
- Windows 10 / Windows Server 2016 or later
- Network access to the printer(s) on the same subnet (or routable via VLAN)
- Outbound internet access on port 443 from the device running the agent
Installation steps
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Go to Monitoring → Devices (or RMM → Devices) and click Download Gateway Agent in the top-right corner.
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Run the downloaded installer on the target Windows device. Accept the UAC prompt — the installer registers the agent as a Windows service.
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During setup, enter your tenant token (shown on the download page) to link this gateway to your Plenix account.
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Click Install. The service starts automatically. Within 1–2 minutes, the gateway appears as Online in RMM → Gateway Agents.
Tip: Install the gateway on a device that stays on 24/7 — a server, NAS device, or always-on workstation. If the gateway goes offline, printer data collection pauses until it reconnects.
Step 2 — Add a Printer
Once the gateway is online, you can claim printers on the network.
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Go to Printer Monitoring → Printers and click + Add Printer.
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Enter a name — be descriptive (e.g. "Reception — HP LaserJet M402n" or "Floor 2 — Ricoh MP C3004").
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Enter the printer's IP address. If the printer uses DHCP, assign it a static IP or DHCP reservation first — a changing IP breaks monitoring.
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Select the client this printer belongs to (from your CRM).
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Select the Gateway — choose the gateway agent you just installed from the dropdown.
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SNMP settings:
- Version: V2c for most printers (manufactured after ~2008). Use V3 for enterprise environments with stricter security policies.
- Community string: Defaults to
public. Check your printer's network/SNMP settings if this doesn't work.
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Click Test Connection. If SNMP is reachable via the gateway, you will see the printer make/model and current toner levels appear in the test result. A failed test usually means:
- Wrong IP address
- SNMP disabled on the printer (enable via its web admin panel)
- Firewall blocking UDP port 161 between the gateway device and the printer
- Wrong community string
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Click Save Printer once the test succeeds.
After adding
The printer appears on the fleet dashboard within 1–2 minutes. Page count data and toner levels begin updating on the configured poll interval (default: every 15 minutes).
Step 3 — Configure Toner Alerts
Receive proactive notifications before cartridges run out.
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Open the printer record and go to the Alerts tab.
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Click + Add Toner Alert.
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Set the threshold percentage — when toner drops below this level, an alert fires. A common setting is 20% (order soon) with a second alert at 5% (urgent).
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Select alert recipients — email addresses to notify.
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Optional: Auto-create a Service Desk ticket when the alert fires — useful if you want the toner replacement to go through your standard ticket workflow.
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Click Save Alert.
You can also configure global default toner thresholds under Printer Monitoring → Settings → Default Thresholds, which apply automatically to all new printers.
Step 4 — Set Up Page Count Billing
If you bill clients based on their print volume, configure billing rates on each printer.
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Open the printer record and go to the Billing tab.
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Toggle Enable automatic billing on.
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Enter the cost per mono page (black & white) and cost per colour page.
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Set the billing cycle — monthly, quarterly, or a custom interval.
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Select the customer to invoice and the invoice template to use.
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Set a minimum charge (optional) — a base amount billed even if page count is low.
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Click Save Billing Settings.
When the billing cycle completes, Plenix calculates total pages printed in the period, generates a billing line item, and adds it to a new or existing invoice for that client automatically.
Step 5 — View the Fleet Dashboard
Go to Printer Monitoring → Fleet Overview for a bird's-eye view of all printers:
- Status summary — Online / Offline / Warning / Error counts
- Toner alerts — printers approaching empty, sorted by urgency
- Page count summary — fleet total for the current month vs last month
- Recent alerts — last 10 events with timestamps
Use the filter bar to narrow to a specific client, site, or printer model.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Printer not found after add | Wrong IP or SNMP disabled | Confirm IP, enable SNMP in printer web admin |
| Toner shows as unknown | SNMP OID not supported | Try SNMP v2c; some older printers need vendor MIBs |
| Page count not updating | Gateway offline | Check gateway service status in Windows Services |
| Billing not generating | Billing cycle not reached yet | Check cycle start date; you can trigger manually from Billing tab |
Where to go next
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