Networks & Sites
A collector only monitors the networks you assign to it. This keeps each collector focused on the equipment it can actually reach, and it’s the boundary that controls what a collector is allowed to scan and connect to.
Assign networks to a collector
Section titled “Assign networks to a collector”- Go to Configure → Collectors and open the collector.
- Add one or more networks — IP ranges in CIDR form, such as
10.0.0.0/24or192.168.10.0/23. - Save.
The collector immediately begins watching devices within those ranges: reachability checks, metric polling, and discovery scans all stay inside the networks you assigned.
Organise by site
Section titled “Organise by site”When you monitor more than one location, give each site its own collector and assign that site’s networks to it. This keeps things tidy and ensures traffic stays local to each site.
| Site | Collector | Assigned networks (example) |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | hq-collector |
10.0.0.0/16 |
| Branch — Boston | bos-collector |
10.20.0.0/16 |
| Branch — Austin | aus-collector |
10.30.0.0/16 |
You can select the current site from the site picker at the top of GridNMS to focus dashboards, inventory, and events on one location.
Which collector handles a device?
Section titled “Which collector handles a device?”GridNMS decides automatically:
- If a device is explicitly assigned to a collector, that collector handles it.
- Otherwise, the collector whose assigned networks contain the device’s IP address handles it.
So in most cases you just assign networks and let GridNMS route the work.
- Overlapping ranges across collectors can make routing ambiguous — keep assignments distinct per site.
- Adding a new subnet later? Just add its CIDR to the appropriate collector — no reinstall needed.