The Brief History of SNMP#NET
A brief look at the development and evolution of SNMP#NET, a .NET library for SNMP.
Introduction
SNMP#NET (SnmpSharpNet) is a .NET library developed to simplify the creation of SNMP-based applications. Originally launched during a period when open-source libraries for SNMP in .NET were rare, it became an important tool for developers, though it ultimately saw a decline in updates and support. In this post, we’ll explore the history of SNMP#NET from its early days to its current state.
Early Days
The SNMP#NET library was introduced around 2008 by Milan Sinadinovic, targeting the .NET Framework for network management and monitoring applications. At that time, SNMP libraries were limited, especially for the .NET ecosystem, with #SNMP as the only other open-source option. Unlike #SNMP, SNMP#NET initially offered more features, including early support for SNMP v3 and robust documentation. This motivated developers and provided a competitive alternative, inspiring projects like #SNMP to keep up and improve.
Development and Key Features
In its prime, SNMP#NET offered support for SNMP versions 1, 2c, and 3, including operations like Get, Get-Next, Get-Bulk, and Set. It also supported Trap, Inform, and Report messages, essential for real-time network monitoring. For SNMP v3, the library provided several security mechanisms, including *MD5 and SHA-1 for authentication and DES, AES-128, AES-192, AES-256, and Triple-DES for encryption/privacy, aligning well with enterprise security needs at the time.
Idle Period
While other projects like #SNMP evolved with updates for newer .NET platforms, improved performance, and additional support for MIB compiler/browser and agent functionalities, SNMP#NET experienced a period of stagnation. After its upgrade to .NET Framework 4.0, updates became infrequent, and the project seemed largely abandoned by its creator. The last official release was version 0.9.4 in April 2014.
Community Forks and Qingxiao’s Efforts
A developer named Qingxiao forked the project on GitHub and released versions 0.9.5 and 0.9.6. These updates included minor bug fixes and improvements, but the library still lacked modernization, such as support for .NET Core and optimizations for newer socket implementations introduced in later .NET releases. The NuGet package also remained limited, targeting only .NET Framework 4.0 without any multi-platform support.
There are other forks and NuGet packages derived from Milan’s original codebase, but none of them attempted to take over the ecosystem and drive the project forward.
Conclusion
The history of SNMP#NET is a story of early promise and gradual neglect. Once a valuable tool in the .NET ecosystem for SNMP, it has since become outdated, lacking updates for compatibility with the latest .NET advancements. Despite efforts to revive it, SNMP#NET has not kept pace with industry standards or modern SNMP implementations, leading to its current state.
You are welcome to migrate to #SNMP for your SNMP needs, which offers better support, performance, and compatibility with the latest .NET platforms, ensuring that your network management applications remain robust and up-to-date.