Our world is extremely digitalized and automated, thus, we constantly need to get access to numerous resources that include corporate website, shared data, cloud services, application servers etc. This procedure is related to the connection/disconnection of various hardware with an Internet Protocol address assigned for each of them.
Yet, it’s quite a die-hard task to control a huge amount of IP addresses included to your network manually. Besides, you even do not have to do it manually. Just pick up one of the IP address scanner tools we list below and make the process fully automated. Let’s consider what is an IP scanner, where it is indispensable to apply it, and which products of this kind to take into consideration when you strive to provide a streamlined Internet Protocol addresses’ check and allocation.
Being a piece of software, an IP scanner was developed and designed for instant tracking of all the gadgets which ‘knock at the door’ of to your network, namely connect it. Today, they are the most sought-after tools for the specialists of the following responsibilities:
- Software developers and testers;
- IT admins which provide a stable operation of a network and are responsible for momentary access to it for everyone.
IP scanning as a process involves regular tracking of IP addresses registered and allocated in your network and those who intend to access it. A typical workflow of an enterprise or a company supposes that numerous users connect to its network and disconnect. Yet, often the routine comes out of control due to some drawbacks. With the help of network IP scanner software, you can mitigate them, as the main functions of this tool include the following:
- Network scanning and identification of all devices connected to it at the moment.
- Providing overall information about a peculiar device including its name, OS, MAC address, brand, and ports used.
- Monitoring network performance and urgent troubleshooting of issues related to it.
- Security and performance optimization for a network as the scanners of the network scan IP addresses connected to it and check whether they are out of resources or have some troubles with security or speed.
- Planning and optimization for IP address batches to connect in case you are scaling up the operation and need to add new users to the network.
In general, the scanner is an instant tool for troubleshooting and scaling up your network.
When it comes to the selection of a computer network scanner that fits your needs, please, note the following features.
Network expansion. Most freeware scanners fit home and small-size networks while for a growing business, you need an enterprise solution with higher capacity.
Methods of tracking. It’s a must for the best IP scan tool to implement ICMP, SNMP and TCP/IP protocol tracking to provide reliable information.
An opportunity to scan without sending traffic (a so-called passive tracking) is beneficial.
Reporting services also may be of an advanced level to get stats for your planning and improvement activities.
Mapping and integration opportunities also are an advantage.
So, we selected the 10 tools which meet these requirements to share with you.
Software IP scanner tools listed below are commonly used worldwide. Besides, the selection was based on multiple reviews provided by software developers and IP administrators who used them regularly.
Angry IP scanner is one of the simplest utilities developed for multi-OS purposes. It provides fast-tracking of the specified network and offers information output with the IP address, its status, the name of the host, and even the ping time. Although it is an open-source product, it suits small and medium-sized networks.
NMAP is a more advanced option than the previous tool, although it is not as lightweight. Besides the functions we already mentioned, it also offers detection of firewall use, the current version of the device, and operation system fingerprinting. Besides a comprehensive output, this network IP scanner tool offers an opportunity to extract data and save the output in an XLS file.
Free IP scanner is a simple IP scanning utility that has many great features. This is a fast scanner that provides high performance and uses multi-threading technology. The user can configure the priority levels of the scanning process and the maximum number of threads. According to the developers, the tool is capable of scanning hundreds of network devices per second.
This scanner is also a freeware product but it is specified for OS Windows use only. Yet, along with all basic functions it has a huge advantage, a user-friendly GUI to provide seamless tracking and additional functions like Ping, Remote Shutdown, Remote Control, or Traceroute for each device detected.
One more Windows-specified tool in our range is an IPAM-integrated SolarWinds IP Address Manager. It’s not an open-source tool, yet it offers higher performance at the levels of enterprise. Thus, along with all the previous options, you are welcome to check the subnet, the DHCP, and the DNS. Additionally, as its name shows, it can be used as an IP address planner for your scaling goals, and as an IP audit tool.
Lansweeper is more than simply one in a row of scanners for the network. It’s a toolset which can be a reliable IT admin’s helper. It can be run from any browser being a web application and even accessed remotely. Its functions are not limited to scanning but also include a scheduling tool to plan tracking routines. You can get full information about network resources and assets, save the info to a database, and provide mapping and commentaries for each device. Moreover, it’s available for free! The only drawback is its complex navigation.
The tool which combines IP address tracking and MAC address tracking is the Colasoft MAC Scanner. Besides being as functional as previous ones, it offers customization to fit the needs of each customer. The scanning tool is available in a freeware format which suits small and home networks while if you need an enterprise solution, you can get a more powerful and state-of-the-art Premium version which is paid.
The pack of tools called NetScan Tools offers comprehensive troubleshooting for IPv4 and IPv6 network addresses including hostnames, email addresses, domain names, and URLs. The tool works both in fully automated and manual modes at the discretion of admins. Besides, you can upgrade it to a Pro pack to get higher performance.
We cannot pass by a specific niche among IP scanners. That’s Fing, a mobile scanner which works on iOS and Android OS. The main functionality of this product is quite typical, yet, you may appreciate its additional features which include network speed testing, device alerting, and security checks for devices. Get the output right on your smartphone or tablet screen and work with your networks without mandatory in-premise work.
When you are looking for a quintessence of all the benefits of NetScan Tools and NMAP, please, consider SoftPerfect Network Scanning. This tool works with IPv4 and IPv6 networks, detects dead devices and ports, provides MAC-address tracking even across routers, and operates with both internal and external IP addresses.
Well, if you are faced with the task of scanning the network and you did not know how to solve it and with the help of which tools - then choose the option that suits your needs and enjoy the best features provided by IP scanners.
If you still scan your network’s IP addresses manually, probably, it’s time to change the rules. Let’s do it together!
2024-04-24 07:44