Host Interface and Item host interface - Client not running an agent or snmp?

[furicle]

New Zabbix user - I'm sure this is me-issue :-)

Running Zabbix 7.4.7 on Alma Linux 9 (bare metal)

I've set up a number of machines to monitor successfully using the agent 2.

Now I'd like to add a series of old print servers. They expose ports tcp 80, 515, and 9100. No SNMP available.

Started by Data Collection → Hosts -→ Create Host

I don't see a template for this kind of thing, so I'm leaving that blank.

I don't know what to put under Interfaces... the end machine is not running an agent, SNMP or IPMI ? I have tried both using 'Agent' and leaving this undefined. I suspect this is my issue...

Then went to Items for the host created above

Tried to set up two simple checks with keys of

net.tcp.service[tcp,,9100]

and

net.tcp.service[tcp,,515]

Here I don't know what to use for 'Host Interface' - I have tried leaving it blank, and choosing the agent if I set up the host as 'agent'

These checks always return zero as far as I can see.

I have confirmed ports are open, with both nmap and by running

nc -zv target.example.com 9100

and the printer is actually in use :-)

So I have two questions...

1 - how do I set up a host that I want to add simple checks to? or
2 - can I put two or three simple checks together into a template? So when I add another printer later, I can pick that template and it will apply the same two or three simple checks?

[troffasky]

Create an agent interface [even though you can't use the agent] with the IP or hostname of the printer.
Yes, you can [and should] create a template with the items you want to poll from multiple hosts.

[furicle]

Thanks for confirming that.

I have realized since part of my issue was that host names are case sensitive - and the hosts in question weren't consistently cased... i.e. I had some hostA.example.com and hostb.example.com

Now I guess I'm off to research setting up templates :-)

[troffasky]

Create an agent interface [even though you can't use the agent] with the IP or hostname of the printer.
Yes, you can [and should] create a template with the items you want to poll from multiple hosts.

[furicle]

Thanks for confirming that.

I have realized since part of my issue was that host names are case sensitive - and the hosts in question weren't consistently cased... i.e. I had some hostA.example.com and hostb.example.com

Now I guess I'm off to research setting up templates :-)