Scanning for IP addresses lets business organizations have better control over their network. With 1 or 2 commands, they can quickly map out the devices in their network and the IP addresses that they are using.

DHCP (Assigning IPs Dynamically)

An automated process in networking, known as Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), assigns IP dynamic addresses to hosts as soon as they enter the network. The DHCP server is regularly a part of the router in a home or a small network. When people come into the network, the router will look for an available IP address in its pool and assign it to them, so that their device can communicate with others without any disturbance.

Dynamic allocation of IP addresses offers great benefits to both end-users and network administrators. However, sometimes business organizations would need to have some control to manage and troubleshoot their network more efficiently.

Simple IP Scanning

Operating Systems such as Windows and Linux, come with their own native simple networking set of tools. Commands such as ‘ipconfig’, ‘arp -a’, or ‘ping’ enable simple scanning and troubleshooting.

The easiest way for business organizations to get a quick list of IP addresses and their devices connected to their network is with the OS native commands found in the command line. With a list of the assigned IP address and their devices, they can easily find the devices causing most of the problems.

  • ipconfig– this command displays all network settings that are assigned to one or all adapters in the computer. Business organizations can find information including their own IP, subnet, and Gateway. For Linux and MacOS, it is “ifconfig”.
  • arp -a – when business organizations issue the “arp -a”, they will get IP-address-to-mac conversion and the allocation type (whether dynamic or static) of all devices in their network.
  • Ping – it helps control the connectivity between two hosts and find the IP address of a hostname.

Enhancing IP Scanning

Although having a list of devices and their allocated IP address will provide business organizations with good insights, the information will not be sufficient when their network scales. As the network scales, the problems will increase too. Larger networks demand more flexibility, results, and an easy-to-read set of commands.

An IP Address Scanner tool assists business organizations with larger demands. These tools can map the entire local network, find live hosts, and provide the results of the “arp-a” in a clear format. Other IP Scanners are not dependent on ARP, but they operate using repeated ping tests. A Ping Sweep tool lets business organizations ping entire subnets and find live hosts just with one button.

Some other IP Scanners go the extra mile and provide more information including, port number, DNS, DHCP, etc. All this data is presented in the most easy-to-read format. They also let users save all results and present them in detailed reports.