Observability

Monitoring and Alerting on Interface CRC Errors for Cisco Devices in SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor

You can monitor Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) errors on Cisco switch and router interfaces using SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor (NPM) through SNMP polling. By collecting CRC error statistics per interface and configuring threshold-based alerts, network teams can proactively detect physical layer issues such as cabling problems, duplex mismatches, or faulty hardware.

First published date

3/2/2026 6:29 PM

Last published date

3/2/2026 6:29 PM

Overview

CRC errors are interface-level errors reported by network devices and are commonly exposed through standard IF-MIB or Cisco-specific MIBs. SolarWinds NPM can poll these values using SNMP and, when required, extend monitoring through the Universal Device Poller (UnDP). Alerts can then be configured to notify administrators when CRC error counts exceed defined thresholds, enabling faster troubleshooting and remediation.

Product section

Hybrid Cloud Observability

Resolution

Resolution

  1. Ensure SNMP is properly configured on the Cisco switch or router and that the device is successfully added and polled in SolarWinds NPM.

  2. Verify that interface statistics are being collected and that the relevant CRC error counters are available through standard IF-MIB or Cisco-specific MIBs.

  3. If CRC errors are not available by default, use the Universal Device Poller (UnDP) to poll the appropriate SNMP OIDs for interface CRC errors.

  4. Assign the created UnDP to the required Cisco device interfaces to begin collecting CRC error data.

  5. Confirm that CRC error values are visible for the interfaces in the SolarWinds Web Console.

  6. Navigate to Alerts & Activity in the SolarWinds Web Console and create a new alert.

  7. Select Interface as the alert entity type.

  8. Choose the metric related to CRC errors (for example, Interface CRC Errors or the UnDP metric).

  9. Define the threshold condition (for example, CRC error count greater than a specified value).

  10. Configure alert trigger frequency, reset conditions, and notification actions as required.

Once configured, SolarWinds NPM will continuously monitor interface CRC errors on Cisco devices and trigger alerts whenever the defined thresholds are exceeded.

Documentation:  Monitoring CRC (cyclic redundancy check) errors of network devices using Orion NPM, and Create an alert when the interface critical threshold is reached in NPM