Tired of being limited to Windows-only monitoring? The PRTG Multi-Platform Probe changes everything.
For years, PRTG users faced a frustrating limitation: remote probes only ran on Windows. If you managed Linux servers, Raspberry Pi devices, or Docker containers, you needed workarounds or you simply couldn't monitor them with PRTG's native capabilities. That changed with the PRTG Multi-Platform Probe, a lightweight remote probe that extends Paessler PRTG monitoring to non-Windows platforms.
This guide walks you through the complete setup process, from installing the NATS server to getting your first monitoring results. You'll learn exactly how to deploy multi-platform probes across Ubuntu, Debian, RedHat, Docker, and more.
What you'll learn:
Who this guide is for: Systems Engineers and Network Engineers managing multi-platform environments.
Time required: 30-45 minutes
Skill level: Intermediate Linux knowledge (comfortable with command line and basic networking)
The PRTG Multi-Platform Probe is a lightweight remote probe that extends PRTG Network Monitor's capabilities to non-Windows platforms like Linux, Raspberry Pi, Docker, and NAS systems.
Think of it as PRTG's answer to cross-platform monitoring. While classic remote probes only run on Windows platforms, the multi-platform probe breaks free from that limitation. You can deploy PRTG monitoring on Ubuntu servers, Debian systems, RedHat Enterprise Linux, Docker containers, Raspberry Pi devices, and even NAS systems. All managed from your central PRTG core server.
If you're new to PRTG probes, you can learn more about PRTG probes and their use cases to understand how they fit into distributed monitoring architectures.
The multi-platform probe uses a three-component architecture:
Your probe scans the network and collects monitoring results. It sends this data to the NATS server using TLS-encrypted communication. The NATS server forwards everything to your PRTG core server, where you see it all in your familiar PRTG web interface.
Monitor non-Windows systems natively. No more workarounds or third-party tools. Install the probe directly on Linux systems and start monitoring immediately.
Deploy anywhere. Ubuntu, Debian, RedHat, Docker containers, Raspberry Pi. If it runs Linux or supports containers, you can run the multi-platform probe.
The probe system buffers up to 500,000 monitoring results locally during connection loss. When connectivity returns, all buffered data transmits to PRTG. You don't lose monitoring history.
Everything's managed through your PRTG core server. Same centralized visibility and control you're used to, just extended to non-Windows platforms.
Before you install your first multi-platform probe, make sure you have these requirements covered.
PRTG Core Server: Version 24.1.93 or later. Earlier versions required a separate probe adapter installation, but the latest version has it integrated.
NATS Server System: A Windows system supported by NATS to run the Paessler-provided installer. You can manually install NATS on Linux, but the Windows installer is simpler.
Multi-Platform Probe System:
Hardware minimums: 1 CPU core (2+ recommended), 512MB RAM minimum (1GB+ recommended), less than 1GB disk space.
NATS server hostname: Must be a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) like nats.example.com. Don't use IP addresses. TLS certificates require FQDNs.
NATS username and password: Create unique credentials for NATS authentication. These are NOT your PRTG username and password.
PRTG access key: You'll configure this in the PRTG web interface. It authenticates probe connections.
Valid TLS certificate: The NATS server requires a TLS certificate for secure communication.
Make sure your firewall allows communication between the probe, NATS server, and PRTG core server. The default NATS port is 4222. You'll also need the IP addresses of systems you want to monitor.
Plan for 30-45 minutes to complete the entire setup.
Why this step matters: The NATS server is your communication bridge. Without it, multi-platform probes can't send monitoring data to PRTG.
Important: If you're using PRTG Hosted Monitor, skip this step. NATS is pre-configured for you. Jump to Step 3.
The installer creates a Windows service called PRTGNatsServerService that starts automatically.
Create a NATS username. This is NOT your PRTG username. Something like nats-monitoring works well.
Generate a strong password. Again, this is NOT your PRTG password. Use a unique password for NATS.
Document these credentials securely. You'll need them in Step 3.
The NATS server requires a valid TLS certificate. There's no way around this.
Use a hostname (FQDN), not an IP address. Your NATS server must have a fully qualified domain name like nats.example.com. TLS certificates don't work properly with IP addresses.
The TLS certificate's Subject Alternative Names (SANs) must include your NATS server hostname. If there's a mismatch, probe connections will fail.
Need help creating a TLS certificate? Check out Paessler's TLS certificate guide for step-by-step instructions.
After installation:
Don't use an IP address for the NATS hostname. TLS requires a proper hostname.
Don't reuse your PRTG credentials. NATS authentication is separate from PRTG authentication.
Don't skip the TLS certificate. The multi-platform probe won't connect without valid TLS.
Document your NATS configuration:
You'll need all of this in Step 3.
Why this step matters: Your PRTG core server needs to know about the NATS server and must be configured to accept multi-platform probe connections.
Best practice: Use one access key per probe. This makes it easier to identify which probe is connecting and improves security.
Document this access key securely.
The certificate authority handling setting here must match what you'll configure on the probe in Step 3.
PRTG must restart to apply these changes. All users will be temporarily disconnected (2-5 minutes).
After PRTG restarts, verify the status shows Enabled in Multi-Platform Probe Connection Settings.
The multi-platform probe opens up new possibilities for extending PRTG monitoring to Linux systems without requiring Windows infrastructure. Why this step matters: This is where you deploy the actual monitoring probe on your Linux system.
Add the Paessler Repository:
curl -s https://packagecloud.io/install/repositories/paessler/prtg/script.deb.sh | sudo bashThis adds the official Paessler package repository. Your package manager will notify you when updates are available.
Update Package List:
sudo apt-get updateInstall the Multi-Platform Probe:
sudo apt-get install prtgmpprobeThe installer launches a configuration wizard automatically.
The wizard asks for several pieces of information. Have your documentation from Steps 1 and 2 ready.
Access Key: Enter the access key from Step 2. Must match exactly (case-sensitive).
NATS Server Hostname (FQDN): Enter the full hostname (e.g., nats.example.com). Do NOT use an IP address. TLS requires a fully qualified domain name.
NATS Server Port: Default is 4222.
NATS Username and Password: Enter credentials from Step 1 (NOT your PRTG credentials).
CA Certificate: Choose system trust store or custom certificate at /etc/paessler/mpprobe/certs. This must match your PRTG Certificate Authority Handling setting.
sudo systemctl status prtg.mpprobe.serviceYou should see active (running). If not:
sudo systemctl start prtg.mpprobe.serviceSwitch to your PRTG web interface:
Why not auto-discover? The multi-platform probe has limited auto-discovery capabilities. Manual device creation works better.
Unit file does not exist error: Run sudo dpkg-reconfigure prtgmpprobe to reconfigure.
Probe not appearing: Verify access key matches exactly, check probe service is running, review logs with sudo journalctl -u prtg.mpprobe.service.
Connection failed: Usually caused by using an IP address instead of FQDN, certificate validation failures, or incorrect NATS credentials.
As one user shared after getting their probe working: "That did the trick! Probe service started, can now see packets flowing between the probe and the NATS server."
Why use Docker? Platform-independent deployment, easy scaling, and simplified management in container environments.
docker pull paessler/prtgmpprobe:latestdocker run -d \
--name prtg-mpprobe \
-e PRTG_ACCESS_KEY=your-access-key \
-e NATS_HOSTNAME=nats.example.com \
-e NATS_PORT=4222 \
-e NATS_USERNAME=your-nats-user \
-e NATS_PASSWORD=your-nats-password \
paessler/prtgmpprobe:latestReplace the placeholder values with your actual configuration.
For custom certificates, mount your certificate directory:
-v /path/to/certs:/etc/paessler/mpprobe/certsCheck the container is running:
docker ps | grep prtg-mpprobeView logs:
docker logs prtg-mpprobeApprove the probe in PRTG web interface just like the Linux installation.
The container needs network access to your NATS server. Consider mounting a volume for persistent buffered data. Add a restart policy for automatic recovery:
--restart unless-stoppedThe multi-platform probe supports SNMP, SSH, HTTP, and custom script sensors for network, system, and application monitoring.
Network: SNMP sensors (v1, v2c, v3), Ping sensors, Port sensors, HTTP/HTTPS sensors
System: SSH Script sensors, Script v2 sensors, CPU and memory monitoring, Disk space monitoring
Application: Database sensors (MySQL, PostgreSQL), Web service monitoring, API endpoint monitoring
Protocols: SNMP, SSH, HTTP/HTTPS, MQTT, OPC UA, Modbus TCP
For a complete list of available PRTG sensors and their compatibility across different probe types, check the PRTG manual.
Auto-discovery is limited compared to Windows probes. You'll add most devices and sensors manually.
Packet sniffing and NetFlow sensors aren't available yet. Windows-specific sensors like WMI require a Windows probe.
Paessler continuously expands sensor support. Check the PRTG knowledge base for the latest compatibility information.
PRTG Hosted Monitor is Paessler's cloud-based monitoring solution that eliminates the need for on-premises Windows servers while providing full PRTG functionality. PRTG Hosted Monitor has the NATS server pre-configured. You only need to enable Multi-Platform Probe connections and install the probe on your target system.
No NATS server management. Paessler handles the infrastructure for you. No Windows server required, no certificate management, no updates to worry about.
Verify the access key matches exactly (case-sensitive). Check the probe service is running with sudo systemctl status prtg.mpprobe.service. Confirm NATS server is running in Task Manager. Review probe logs: sudo journalctl -u prtg.mpprobe.service.
Reddit user solution: Use sudo dpkg-reconfigure prtgmpprobe to run through the configuration again.
Verify you're using FQDN, not IP address. Check certificate SANs include NATS hostname. Confirm CA certificate handling matches between PRTG and probe. Validate certificate isn't expired.
Verify NATS server is running in Task Manager. Confirm firewall allows NATS port (4222). Test network connectivity with ping nats.example.com. Check NATS username and password are correct.
This is expected behavior. The multi-platform probe has limited auto-discovery. Use manual device creation instead. Navigate to your probe, click Add Device, and enter details manually.
As one user noted: "Before you get disappointed, note that the auto-discovery feature is not yet supported by the MP Probe."
Remote Linux Servers: Branch office with Ubuntu servers and no Windows infrastructure. Deploy a probe on existing Linux systems. No additional licensing costs.
Raspberry Pi Edge Monitoring: IoT devices at a remote facility. Install probe on Raspberry Pi 4. Low-cost (under $100), low-power monitoring solution.
NAS Monitoring: Synology or QNAP systems across multiple sites. Deploy probe directly on NAS devices. Monitor storage health from inside the system.
Docker Microservices: Kubernetes cluster with containerized applications. Deploy probe as sidecar container. Native container monitoring that scales with your infrastructure.
Firewall-Separated Networks: Secure network segment with strict firewall rules. Install probe inside the secure zone. Minimal firewall changes required (one encrypted NATS connection).
Yes, it's compatible with PRTG Network Monitor, PRTG Enterprise Monitor, and PRTG Hosted Monitor. You need version 24.1.93 or later.
For the Paessler installer, yes. Advanced users can manually install NATS on Linux. PRTG Hosted Monitor users don't need to install NATS at all.
Multiple probes are supported, limited only by your license and server resources. Use one access key per probe for better security and management.
The probe buffers up to 500,000 monitoring results locally. When NATS reconnects, all buffered data transmits to PRTG. Don't restart the probe during NATS downtime or you'll lose buffered data.
Yes, using network-based sensors like SNMP or HTTP. For Windows-specific monitoring (WMI, Windows services), a Windows probe offers more options.
For Ubuntu/Debian: sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade prtgmpprobe. For Docker: Pull the latest image and restart the container. Multi-platform probes don't auto-update when you update PRTG core server.
You've successfully set up your PRTG Multi-Platform Probe!
Start simple. Add one device you know is accessible to verify everything works.
Add sensors gradually. Verify each one works before moving to the next. For additional technical details, limitations, and updates, refer to the Multi-Platform Probe knowledge base article maintained by Paessler support.
Set up SSH Script sensors for custom monitoring. Configure Script v2 sensors for complex scenarios. Integrate with your existing PRTG maps and dashboards.
The complete technical reference is in the PRTG manual.
The multi-platform probe opens up comprehensive, cross-platform infrastructure monitoring. You're no longer limited to Windows-only environments. Monitor Linux servers, Docker containers, Raspberry Pi devices, NAS systems, and more from your central PRTG core server.
Start with one probe and a handful of devices. As you get comfortable, expand to cover your entire infrastructure.