“I work in modern Siemens environments using S7-1200 and S7-1500 PLCs. We already use PRTG for IT and network monitoring, but for these newer PLCs we still lack deep, built-in diagnostic visibility.

Today, we mostly rely on ping, generic SNMP, or OPC UA workarounds. That tells us whether the PLC is reachable, but not what is actually happening inside the controller.

In real production environments, when a line stops or behaves unstable, we still have to open TIA Portal to check CPU state, diagnostic buffer, or hardware faults. This delays root cause analysis.

What I would like from PRTG for S7-1200/1500 is deeper diagnostic monitoring using the most suitable interface (S7 protocol, REST API, SNMP, or a combination depending on firmware capabilities).

CPU / Operating State

RUN / STOP / STARTUP state

Detailed fault status

Timestamp of last restart

Restart reason (power loss, manual stop, firmware update, etc.)

Performance & Stability

OB1 cycle time (current, min, max, average)

CPU utilization

Memory usage

Communication load

Trend monitoring for cycle time and CPU load

Diagnostics & Hardware Health

Diagnostic buffer (last X entries)

Module / rack diagnostics

Power supply state

Redundancy state (if applicable)

Clear status channels (OK / Warning / Error)

Alerting & Reporting

Alert if PLC switches to STOP

Alert if restart frequency increases

Alert if cycle time exceeds threshold

Historical graphs for troubleshooting and audits

The goal is not just reachability monitoring, but real operational insight into the health and stability of modern Siemens PLCs directly in PRTG, without needing engineering tools for first-level diagnostics.”