FAQ
Setup
Do I need one collector per printer?
No — one per site (one network). A single collector handles every printer it can reach on that LAN, whether that's three or three hundred.
Can the collector run on a customer's existing server?
Yes, and that's the usual choice. It's a single ~7 MB service with negligible CPU and only outbound HTTPS. A domain controller, file server, or the receptionist's always-on PC all work.
Does the customer need to open any firewall ports?
No inbound ports. The collector only makes outbound HTTPS (443) to app.meterbeam.com and local SNMP (UDP 161) to the printers.
What about printers on a different VLAN?
If the collector's host can route to them and UDP 161 is allowed, they're polled. If not, either put the collector on a host with an interface on that VLAN or have IT allow SNMP from the collector host. See Device discovery.
Is the installer safe? My antivirus flagged it.
The MSI and the agent binary are code-signed. If an endpoint product quarantines it, add an exclusion for C:\Program Files\MeterBeam\ and re-run the installer.
Devices & data
Which printer brands are supported?
Anything that speaks standard printer SNMP: Canon, HP, Xerox, Ricoh, Konica Minolta, Kyocera, Sharp, Toshiba, Brother, Lexmark, Epson, and more. Vendor-specific counters (color tiers, scan meters, per-cartridge part numbers) come from per-model profiles; if a model shows gaps, tell us and we'll add it.
How often are devices polled?
Hourly by default. Adjustable under Settings → Global thresholds → Check every.
A printer got a new IP address. Will I lose its history?
No. Devices are matched by serial number, so a DHCP change is reconciled automatically on the next scan.
Can I stop monitoring a device without deleting it?
Yes — mark it unmonitored (still known, not polled, not billed) or retired (permanently gone, history kept). Both are on the device detail view.
Are meter reads exact?
They're the device's own SNMP counters, read and stored at every poll. MeterBeam never estimates a meter. Days-left forecasts, on the other hand, are projections from burn rate and should be read that way.
Account & billing
How is my subscription counted?
Monthly in arrears, on the highest monitored device count seen that month. Unmonitored and retired devices are never counted. Details on the Meters & billing page and the pricing page.
Can my customers log in?
Yes. Create them a viewer account bound to their organization; they'll see only their own sites. Operators and admins can also be org-bound.
Can I use my own email domain for alerts?
Yes — enter your SMTP details under Settings → Notifications → Email. Otherwise alerts come from alerts@meterbeam.com.
Where is my data stored, and who can see it?
See the Security page. Short version: US-hosted, encrypted in transit, strictly separated per organization, and never sold or shared.
How do I cancel?
Manage billing → cancel, or email billing@meterbeam.com. You keep access through the end of the paid period, and you can export your volume reports before you go.
Still stuck?
Email support@meterbeam.com with the site name and, if it's a collector problem, the last 50 lines of agent.log. Billing questions go to billing@meterbeam.com.