Professional server room temperature monitoring can be achieved without spending thousands of dollars on a dedicated system. This ultimate guide to server room temperature monitoring shows you how to get started with a professional solution using PRTG Network Monitor.
We start with a $49 setup that works just as well as the enterprise systems used by thousands of companies around the world that spend thousands more on hardware and software.
Proactive troubleshooting and equipment failure prevention depend heavily on monitoring server room temperatures. The ASHRAE data center design guidelines provide a range of ideal temperatures for computer room air-conditioning units, between 64.4°F and 80.6°F, or 18°C and 27°C. The complete monitoring platform of PRTG, including industrial OT sensors, offers enterprise-class temperature monitoring that can scale from a low-cost starter setup to a comprehensive data center deployment.
Server failures from overheating and overcooling costs businesses an average of $8,851 per minute of downtime. In other words, this server room temperature monitoring solution can pay for itself many times over by preventing one failure.
Using the free version of PRTG (100 sensors), our total cost is just $49. If that's not budget-friendly, we don't know what is!
You get to play with a Raspberry Pi, and even do some soldering if you're into that. If you'd rather not solder to the Enviro pHAT, there are solder-free headers available from Raspberry Pi focused retailers.
Alternative Setup: You can opt for a full Raspberry Pi, which increases the cost to about $30-35, but provides wired Ethernet connectivity benefits.
The Operational Technology (OT) sensors in PRTG provide advanced monitoring capabilities beyond basic temperature tracking. These sensors integrate seamlessly with industrial-grade monitoring equipment and offer:
The PRTG Sensor Hub has many community sensors for special temperature monitoring use-cases, in addition to the out-of-the-box support for temperature monitoring in a variety of scenarios that PRTG offers.
In addition to the standard environment monitoring sensors that come with PRTG (for example, the SNMP interSeptor Pro Environment sensor for professional environmental monitoring), PRTG itself includes more than 250 types of sensors. For example, if you are on a limited budget, the HTTP Push Data Advanced sensor is a great base for a custom temperature monitoring sensor.
This setup is straightforward: plug or solder the Enviro pHAT (environmental monitoring HAT - Hardware Attached on Top) onto the Pi, and connect it to the power supply.
The extensible architecture of PRTG supports various data ingestion methods. For custom implementations, the HTTP Push Data Advanced sensor can be used. Commercial temperature sensors can be monitored directly with the native SNMP sensors built into PRTG. For more widespread implementations, the multi-platform probe support in PRTG allows monitoring from Raspberry Pi systems using Ubuntu, Debian, or Raspberry Pi OS.
Choose the installation method that suits your Python workflow best:
curl https://get.pimoroni.com/envirophat| bashsudo apt-get install python3-envirophatsudo /home/pi/enviro_env/pip3 install envirophatimport time
import requests
from envirophat import weather, lightTime sets the script to sleep for 60 seconds after completing tasks, running in an endless loop from Pi boot. Requests handles data transmission to PRTG. Weather and light from envirophat measure the actual values.
prtg_host = 'IP_OF_THE_PRTG_PROBE'
prtg_host_port = '5050'
prtg_sensor_token = '1420F0AD-2249-428A-B176-089E113EA551'For HTTP Push Data Advanced Sensor, prtg_host should be the IP/hostname of the Remote Probe. Port monitoring settings and Token are configured in the HTTP Advanced Sensor interface.
temperature = weather.temperature()
pressure = round(weather.pressure(), 2)
light = light.light()
json_response = {
"prtg": {
"result": [
{
"channel": "temperature",
"float": 1,
"value": temperature
},
{
"channel": "pressure",
"float": 1,
"value": pressure
},
{
"channel": "ambient light",
"float": 1,
"value": light
}
]
}
}
return json_responsetry:
json_response = get_values()
json_string = str(json_response)
json_string = str.replace(json_string, '\'', '"')
prtg_request_URL = 'http://' + prtg_host + ':' + prtg_host_port + '/' + prtg_sensor_token + '?content=' + json_string
request = requests.get(prtg_request_URL)
except:
pass👉 The script uses a continuous loop to collect values and transmit them to PRTG via HTTP GET request. If PRTG is unreachable (during updates, for example), the script waits for the next cycle.
The Enviro pHAT includes a motion sensor for additional security monitoring. This can serve as a tampering or burglar alert, depending on your Pi/Enviro pHAT mounting configuration.
If the Enviro pHAT is mounted directly on the Pi, temperature readings may have an offset due to CPU proximity. In server rooms, this offset remains stable, allowing you to use a Factory Sensor in PRTG to subtract the difference. Alternatively, use cables to create distance between the Pi and Enviro pHAT.
Set intervals to 60 seconds for testing, or 5 minutes for production monitoring. Adjust based on your specific requirements and PRTG sensor limits.
For the complete script implementation, visit our Knowledge Base article.
For IoT integration and devices without IP addresses, the HTTP Push Data Advanced Sensor is an incredibly powerful tool. Learn more in the PRTG manual.
Implement professional server room temperature monitoring today with the comprehensive solution from PRTG. From budget-friendly DIY setups to enterprise-grade OT sensor integration, PRTG scales with your needs.
Download the free PRTG trial and get up to 100 sensors at no cost – perfect for small to medium server room implementations.