Advanced IP Scanner 2.5.4594.1
Advanced IP Scanner — Это быстрый, надежный и простой в использовании сканер локальных сетей (LAN) для…
LANScope 2.9.1
LANScope — бесплатная утилита, с помощью которой можно легко и быстро определить доступность…
Wireshark 4.4.0
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XSpider 7.8
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MAC spoofer 2.1.0.9
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Advanced Port Scanner 2.5.3869
Advanced Port Scanner — компактный, быстрый, надёжный и простой в использовании сканер портов для платформы Win32…
Сканирование портов — важная часть сетевой безопасности, так как оно помогает выявить потенциальные угрозы и слабые места в инфраструктуре. В этой статье мы рассмотрим 10 лучших программ для сканирования портов, которые помогут как профессионалам, так и новичкам. В конце статьи мы также представим сервис ScaniteX — уникальное решение для массового автоматического сканирования портов.
Содержание
- 1. Nmap
- 2. Masscan
- 3. Angry IP Scanner
- 4. ZMap
- 5. Advanced Port Scanner
- 6. Netcat
- 7. Hping
- 8. SuperScan
- 9. Unicornscan
- 10. ScaniteX
1. Nmap
Когда речь заходит о сканировании портов, первое имя, которое приходит на ум — это Nmap (Network Mapper). Это открытый и мощный инструмент для обнаружения узлов и сервисов в сети. Он поддерживает различные методы сканирования, включая TCP SYN, TCP Connect, и UDP сканирование.
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Подробнее
Установка Nmap
sudo apt-get install nmapПосле установки, чтобы начать сканирование всех открытых портов на определённом хосте, выполните команду:
nmap -sT -p- 192.168.1.1Подробности о проекте Nmap можно узнать на официальном сайте.
2. Masscan
Masscan — это сверхбыстрый инструмент для сканирования портов, способный сканировать весь интернет за считанные минуты. Он отлично подходит для массового сбора данных и может работать параллельно с Nmap.
Установка Masscan
sudo apt-get install masscanЧтобы начать быстрое сканирование, можно воспользоваться следующей командой:
masscan -p80,443 0.0.0.0/0 --rate=1000003. Angry IP Scanner
Angry IP Scanner — это простой и удобный в использовании инструмент, который позволяет сканировать сети на наличие активных узлов и открытых портов. Поддерживает многопоточность, что ускоряет процесс сканирования.
Скачать его можно здесь.
4. ZMap
ZMap — это инструмент с открытым исходным кодом, предназначенный для быстрого сетевого сканирования. Он был разработан для того, чтобы облегчить исследование интернета и поддерживает сканирование по протоколам TCP, UDP и ICMP.
Установите ZMap с помощью следующей команды:
sudo apt-get install zmap5. Advanced Port Scanner
Advanced Port Scanner — это бесплатный инструмент, который позволяет быстро находить открытые порты на сетевых устройствах. Поддерживает работу с Windows.
Скачать его можно здесь.
6. Netcat
Netcat — это «швейцарский нож» для сетевых администраторов. Он позволяет не только сканировать порты, но и прослушивать их, отправлять данные, а также служить диагностическим инструментом.
Установка Netcat
sudo apt-get install netcat7. Hping
Hping — это утилита для работы с пакетами TCP/IP. Она используется для тестирования сетевой безопасности и может выполнять такие задачи, как сканирование портов и анализ сетевых маршрутов.
8. SuperScan
SuperScan — это мощный инструмент для сканирования TCP и UDP портов. Он отлично подходит для использования на платформах Windows.
Его можно скачать здесь.
9. Unicornscan
Unicornscan — это высокоэффективный инструмент для сканирования сетей, который поддерживает сбор данных о сетевых сервисах и протоколах на больших диапазонах IP.
Установите Unicornscan с помощью команды:
sudo apt-get install unicornscan10. ScaniteX
ScaniteX — это современное решение для массового автоматизированного сканирования портов. Оно объединяет возможности Masscan и Nmap для достижения высочайшей скорости и точности. Этот сервис позволяет пользователям сканировать десятки тысяч IP адресов одновременно и выгружать результаты в удобных форматах, таких как TXT (ip:port), CSV и JSON
Преимущества ScaniteX:
- Массовое сканирование тысяч IP в считанные минуты.
- Выгрузка результатов в различные форматы.
- Использование мощных технологий автоматизации (Masscan + Nmap).
- Поддержка всех популярных протоколов (TCP, UDP).
Подробнее об этом сервисе вы можете узнать на официальном сайте ScaniteX.
«Кто владеет информацией — тот владеет миром.» — Натан Ротшильд
Выводы
В этой статье мы рассмотрели 10 лучших программ для сканирования портов. Среди них такие классические инструменты, как Nmap и Masscan, а также уникальные решения, такие как ScaniteX. Все эти инструменты имеют свои особенности и преимущества, что делает их подходящими для различных задач, от сетевого аудита до массового анализа интернет-инфраструктуры.
Сканирование портов — важный этап в обеспечении безопасности сети, и выбор правильного инструмента имеет ключевое значение. Мы надеемся, что этот обзор поможет вам выбрать подходящий инструмент для ваших нужд.
Попробуйте ScaniteX бесплатно!
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You might not know it yet but open ports–unlike most open software–are not good. In fact, you should avoid them at all costs. Let’s clarify something right off the bat. When we talk about open ports, we’re talking about potential open doors to your equipment. And when malicious people find these doors, that can use them to gain access. This is certainly not something you want. This is why port scanners were invented and we’re about to introduce you to the ten best free port scanners we could find.
We’ll begin today’s article by giving you a crash course on network ports. We’ll tell you what they are and what they are not. We’ll also explain the difference between well-known ports and other ports. We will then sidetrack a little and talk about security. We’ll let you know why you should keep unused ports closed and secure those that you do use. We will then proceed with our top 10 list of the best free port scanners. For each entry on our list, we’ll give you a brief review of the product and some of its main features.
What Is A Port Anyways?
In one sentence, ports are the network gateways into equipment. Let’s explain. Computers can do many different things at once. And several of these things may require access to the network. But typically, computers have only one network interface. Ports were invented to let different processes share a common network interface.
For example, thinks of a server that’s running both a web server and an FTP server, a very common combination. When a request comes in, how does the operating system know if it should send it to the web or FTP servers? Using ports. A request for the web server will use port 80 while a request for FTP server will use port 22.
Ports are not a physical thing, they’re just numbers from 0 to 65535 that are added to the header of data packets transmitted on a network. And they are not random either. Well, actually they are sometimes. More about his later.
Ont thing that is important for all of this to work is that everyone agrees on which port to use for what. For instance, the web server mentioned earlier expect requests to use port 80. Your web browser must then use port 80 to send the request to the web server.
Well-known Ports
The need for agreeing on which port was solved early on by standardizing ports. The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA, the same organization that also assigns IP addresses) is responsible for maintaining the official assignments of port numbers for specific uses.
Under the IANA’s control, the first 1024 ports were officially assigned to different services. Actually, this is not completely true. Some port assignments are not officially sanctioned by the IANA. They were available and some organization started using them for their purpose–often before the IANA started controlling their assignment–and, through use, their usage stuck.
Today, many of us are familiar with several of these ports. There’s port 80 for web and 21 for FTP, as mentioned earlier. We’re also familiar with port 22 for SSH or 53 for DNS. Not all of the first 1024 ports have been assigned and some are still available but their number is shrinking.
Other Ports
Well-known ports account for the first 1024, so what about the 64512 others? Well, ports 1024 to 49151 are what we call registered ports. Those are also controlled and assigned by the IANA. Any organization can request them for their specific purpose. This is how, for example, port 1433 became the port for Microsoft SQL server or port 47001 became the port for the Windows Remote Management Service. But the Internet being what it is, several ports in that range are used for specific purposes without having been registered with the IANA.
As for ports ranging from 49152 to 65535, they are referred to as ephemeral ports. They are temporarily used by applications to differentiate streams. Think of a web server. Several clients can connect to it at the same time. If they all used port 80, it could be hard for the server to make sure it sends responses to the right requestor. So, the initial connection is done on port 80 after which the server and client “agree” on an ephemeral port number that will be used for the remainder of their exchange.
You Should Keep Unused Ports Closed
On a computer, ports status can either be open, closed or stealth. An open port means that the computer is actively “listening” for connection requests on that port. It is an active port. A closed port, as its name implies, won’t accept incoming connections. Instead, it will respond to any request that the port is closed. Stealth ports are somewhat different. a device trying to connect to those ports won’t even get a response.
Any port that is open is an open door to the computer. And malicious users will certainly try to exploit these open doors to gain access to the computer. For instance, let’s say you have FTP port 21 open although you are not really using FTP. A hacker could then use that open port to exploit a vulnerability of the FTP software running o the computer to inject malicious software.
And if you’re not even using FTP, chance are you might not have updated the FTP server and it could very well contain exploitable vulnerabilities. This is why it is so important to ensure that unused ports are either closed or stealth.
And You Should Also Protect Those Ports You Use
As for the post you are actually using, they are still open doors and could be used for malicious activity. This is why you need to protect the open ports. It can be done in several ways, the most basic of which is keeping your operating system and other software up to date. Most software publishers release frequent patches to address discovered vulnerabilities. Another way you can protect yourself is by using firewalls and intrusion detection and/or prevention systems.
Port scanners are your first line of defense. They will help you discover what ports are open, closed and stealth on your equipment. Scanning a device for open ports will often reveal surprises. There will be ports you didn’t even know were open. The port scanner–or port checker–will tell you what needs to be done on each device. And keep in mind that hackers will also use port scanners to find open doors to the systems they want to access.
Port scanners come it two main form. The first is a software that you install on a computer and run from there. Alternatively, some scanners are run from a web page. There are advantages and disadvantages to both.
For instance, the web-based scanners are great because they can be used from anywhere without installing anything. They will report on what ports are open to the outside of your network. There’s a drawback to this. A port could be open on a device but appear closed or stealth from outside your network because a firewall is blocking it. In such a situation, you’d still be vulnerable to an inside attack. And rest assured that those are not uncommon at all.
Your best bet is likely to use a combination of web-based and installed software scanners. Combined, they will give you complete visibility over what’s open from the outside and from within your network.
Enough said; here’s our top 10 list of the best free port scanners:
- SolarWinds Free Port Scanner
- Zenmap
- PortChecker Port Scanner
- Open Port Scanner
- IP Fingerprints Network Port Checker
- Free Port Scanner
- Port Checker
- WhatIsMyIP Port Scanner
- TCPView
- Spiceworks IP Scanner
1. SolarWinds Free Port Scanner
SolarWinds is one of the major players in the networking tools field. It is also well-known for publishing quite a few very useful free tools. The SolarWinds free Port Scanner is one of them. The software is only available for Windows and will run through a GUI or as a command-line tool.
By default, the scanner will scan your network to detect all the IP address. You then select to scan on all the devices or change the range setting scan a subset of your devices. You can also specify the ports to test. By default, it will only test well-known ports but you can override this specify your own range or list of port numbers. More advanced settings will let you scan only TCP or UDP ports, do a ping check, a DNS resolution, or an OS identification test.
As a result, the software will return a list the status of all tested devices. You can imagine that this could be a long list. Fortunately, the system will let you apply filters and, for instance, only list devices with open ports. Clicking on a device reveals port detail panel. Again, it will list all of the ports in the scan range and again, you can apply a filter and only show the ports that are open.
2. Zenmap
Zenmap is an open-source GUI front end to Nmap, a free network testing utility that’s been immensely popular for over 20 years. The software, which runs on Windows, Linux, BSD, and Mac OS will test much more than just ports.
Although its user interface is not very sophisticated, it does its job well. It will scan all the ports on all computers connected to your network. It will then perform follow-up tests on the open ports that it has discovered. You can also perform a complete scan, scan all TCP ports, or scan all UDP ports. There’s also an intense scan that uses a stealth methodology where the tests won’t be logged by the tested devices as a connection. Those can take a long time, though. Expect it to take over 90 minutes for one device.
3. PortChecker Port Scanner
The PortChecker Port Scanner is a web-based scanner. It’s a great tool although not all ports are checked. The service will test 36 of the most important–and vulnerable–well-known ports for accessibility from the internet. It will also test if a service is running on each open port. There’s also an option to run a shorter scan that will only test 13 ports.
The tested ports include FTP data and control, TFTP, SFTP, SNMP, DHCP, DNS, HTTPS, HTTP, SMTP, POP3, POP3 SSL, IMAP SSL, SSH, and Telnet, to name just the main ones. Scan results are displayed as a table on the web page. If you need a quick and dirty test of the most common ports, the free PortChecker Port Scanner might be just the right tool for you.
4. Open Port Scanner
The Open Port Scanner from WebToolHub is another free online port checker. The system requires that you enter an IP address and a list of ports to check. You can only enter 10 port numbers at a time so you’ll need to run it multiple times to test more. You don’t have to enter individual port numbers, though. The system will support a range–such as 21-29–as long as it is no longer than 10. It appears to be a better tool for a quick check of specific ports that as a complete vulnerability assessment tool.
Once the scan completes, which is rather quickly, the results are displayed in a table format with the status of each port as well as service registered with that port. The results table can be exported to a CSV file. And while you’re on the WebToolHub site, you may want to have a look at some of the other free tools such as an IP location checker, a backlinks checker, a WHOIS lookup facility, and a Ping test.
5. IP Fingerprints Network Port Checker
IP FIngerprints is another website where you’ll find a certain number of free and useful tools, Amongst them is the Network Port Checker. To use it, you simply enter an IP address and a range of ports to check. Although the number of scanned ports is not limited, you are warned that a number of ports in excess of 500 might take a while to scan and that a large range will start a scan that may never end.
This tool claims to be able to work around firewalls. It is done by using SYN requests. A real connection is thus never opened and many firewalls will let the SYN request through. Whether it does go through the firewall or not is not totally relevant. This is still a very good test no matter what as it is a common method used by hackers.
6. Free Port Scanner
The Free Port Scanner is a Windows freeware that can be downloaded from the Major Geeks website. You can use this tool to scan ranges of ports. The number of scanned ports is not restricted so you could decide to scan all ports if you have time to kill.
By default, the tool will want to scan your own IP address for open ports from its own default list of ports. As you’d expect, the duration of the scan is proportional to the number of ports scanned. And it is slower when testing ports on a different device. For example, testing for all ports on your router could very well take all day. Results can show open or closed ports or both. The tool has no documentation and it’s not clear what testing method is used. Also, it appears that it only tests TCP ports, not UDP.
7. Port Checker
Port Checker is a Windows tool that is best downloaded from Softpedia. The software has no installer. you simply download its zip file, extract the executable file and run it. The executable is small and not requiring installation means you can run it from a USB stick.
The tool’s user interface is plain and quite easy to use. You simply enter an IP address and select a port number from a drop-down list. The two main limitations of this tool are that you can’t scan any port, just those from the list and that it will only scan one port per run. Despite its limitations, Port Checker is a great tool when you just need to check whether a specific port is open or not.
8. WhatIsMyIP Port Scanner
Every network administrator knows WhatIsMyIP.com. The site is commonly used to check the public IP address of a host. What you may not know is that the site also has other tools. And one of them is its Port Scanner. The main asset of the WhatIsMyIP Port Scanner is its speed. Even a multiple-port scan will complete within seconds.
The web-based tool also as a quite unique feature, unlike all other similar tools: the ability to scan by “theme” They’re actually called packages rather than themes and each includes a certain number of related ports. For example, there’s a Games package that will scan ports usually used for online gaming or a Web package that includes the FTP (20 and 21), HTTP (80) and HTTPS (8080) ports. There’s even a Malicious package that includes ports commonly used by malware and hackers.
9. TCPView
TCPView–which you can download directly from Microsoft–is very different from the other scanners on our list. Instead of checking ports, it checks every process running on a computer and list what port is associated with what process. For each process, it also lists the number of bytes and packets in and out. The approach is more thorough than scanning ports and it will truly list every open port on a computer.
TCPView will display processes and matching ports and refresh every second, every other second or every five seconds. New processes are color-coded in green while processes that just stopped remain in the list color=coded in red of a few seconds. Processes whose statuses have changed are color-coded in yellow.
10. Spiceworks IP Scanner
The Spiceworks IP Scanner is a two-component system. There’s the dashboard which is online and a small monitoring agent that you need to install on your computer. The agent sends the data it gathers to the cloud-based dashboard where you can see the scan results. Agents are available for Linux, Windows, and Mac OS. The tool is free but it is ad-supported.
The IP scanner will auto-discover all connected devices and will report will list the device’s MAC address, its IP address and hostname, the manufacturer’s name, the operating system, and–and this is the important part for us right now–a list of open ports.
Wrapping Up
There’s not really on clear winner when it comes to port scanners. We’ve shown you ten very different tools. Each has advantages and shortcomings. But with all these tools available free of charge, nothing stops you from using a combination of tools, depending on your precise needs at any given time. Personally, I’ve used them all and found that each one has some value and will be the perfect tool in certain situations.
Port scanners are a crucial tool in the investigation of any remote or local network’s security.
They are used by cybersecurity experts and network admins in order to deduce what port is being used by what app. This helps them figure out which programs are malicious and what might be causing network malfunctions.
They also have a purpose in figuring out how good your security policies are.
With the field of cybersecurity booming in the last few years, there are more and more port scanners swamping the market. In this article, we’ll help you wade through the dirt in order to find the diamonds in the rough.
Here’s Our List of The Top Port Scanners for Windows and Linux:
- ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus – FREE TRIAL A flexible platform that helps both small and large networks identify, categorize, and patch vulnerabilities. Get the 30-day free trial.
- ManageEngine OpUtils – FREE TRIAL This package provides an IP address manager, a switch port mapper, and an endpoint port scanner, giving it the ability to check on all of the addressing issues that your network could have. Available for Windows Server, Linux, and AWS. Start a 30-day free trial.
- SolarWinds Open Port Scanner Cram-packed with useful features all nicely packed up in an intuitive and easy-to-use interface. The tool is easily scalable, so a network of any size can make use of it.
- Nmap One of the more advanced tools on the list. Free and open-source- great for large networks with complex needs.
- Angry IP Scanner The most simple port scanner on this list. If you don’t have a dedicated network professional, or your needs simply aren’t that complex, this is the tool for you.
- Advanced IP Scanner LAN-network exclusive port scanner loved for its ease of use and simplicity.
- NetCat A complex tool supporting a variety of operating systems with optional RFC854 telnet codes.
- LanSweeper IP Scanner A simple and effective tool with an excellent user interface, a paid version with more features is available.
- Slitheris Network Discovery Premium, agentless tool which makes sure to give you as much information as you need at all times.
- MyLanViewer Network/IP Scanner A Windows-exclusive multi-tool, giving you access to a variety of different ways to monitor your network.
Why Do I Need A Port Scanner?
A port scanner is a program that checks the ports in your network for one of three statuses: Closed, filtered, or open.
This is extremely valuable when it comes to diagnosing network issues. Malicious agents have been known to use port scanners on occasion in order to find points of access on your network. Furthermore, they can also find out whether you’ve got a firewall, CPN, or proxy server as well. Because of this, you’ll need to exercise some caution.
The easiest way to prevent your port scanners from being used by attackers is to run scans before there’s any chance of attack. By detecting and patching up and vulnerabilities, you ensure attackers won’t be able to use your port scanner to find out more about your network. Furthermore, you should be regularly auditing your open ports in order to detect if any of them are being used maliciously.
By doing this, you protect yourself from a variety of attacks. Scanning during or after an attack can also bring you valuable information so you can ensure it doesn’t happen again.
The Top Port Scanners
Read on to take a closer look at every one of these tools, and how they set themselves apart from the crowd.
1. ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus – FREE TOOL
ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus is a software solution that helps organizations identify and fix vulnerabilities in their networks and devices, regardless of the operating system they use. It provides comprehensive coverage, constant visibility, thorough assessment, and integrated remediation of threats and vulnerabilities from a single console.
Key Features
- Holistic vulnerability discovery, management, and remediation
- Offers vulnerability classification and prioritization
- Integrates well into enterprise networks and existing cyber security teams
This end-to-end vulnerability management tool is suitable for use on local networks, DMZ networks, remote locations, and on the move, making it a suitable solution for businesses with a distributed workforce.
Vulnerability Manager Plus can help businesses ensure that their employees have safe working conditions by proactively identifying and addressing vulnerabilities in their networks and devices. It includes step-by-step guidance on how to perform vulnerability management in an enterprise setting.
Pros:
- Continuous scanning and patching throughout the device lifecycle
- Robust reporting to show improvements after remediation
- Flexibility to run on Windows, Linux, and Mac
- Backend threat intelligence that is constantly updated with the latest threats and vulnerabilities
- Supports a free version for small businesses
Cons:
- Vulnerability Manager Plus can take time to fully explore and utilize
You can start with a 30-day free trial.
ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus
Start a 30-day FREE Trial
2. ManageEngine OpUtils – FREE TRIAL
ManageEngine OpUtils is a package of all of the tools a network manager needs in order to sort out addressing issues. This includes an IP Address Manager that can coordinate with your Microsoft DHCP and DNS servers. The package also includes a switch port mapper and an endpoint port scanner.
While the switch port scanner reports on all of the sockets on each switch that have cables plugged into them, the port scanner assesses the login TCP and UDP ports that are active on each of your endpoints. Closing ports that are not in use will enhance security.
Main Features:
- Scans endpoints within a given IP address range
- Can be set to scan ports on just one endpoint
- DHCP manager and DNS resolver
- Simultaneously checks for IP addresses in use and open ports
- Allows for the range of ports in a scan to be limited
- Identifies listening ports
- Tightens network security
The Port Scanner is just one of the utilities in the OpUtils package. All of the tools in the bundle are accessed through a single console. So, although you can get individual tools elsewhere, such as a port scanner and a visual traceroute, the convenience of this package makes it a winner. The main reason anyone would buy the OpUtils system is for its IP Address Manager. You can address the OpUtils package with a 30-day free trial.
Supported operating systems:
The OpUtils software can be installed on:
- Windows
- Windows Server
- Linux
- AWS
Pros:
- A full package of system security weakness checks
- Automated system sweeps
- Continuous monitoring for TCP and UDP ports
- Details on the daemon behind each port
Cons:
- Only available for Windows Server
You can start with a 30-day free trial.
ManageEngine OpUtils
Get a 30-day FREE Trial
3. SolarWinds Open Port Scanner
SolarWinds Open Port Scanner comes with the Engineer’s Toolset and has shown itself to be a cut above the rest. With SolarWinds trusted track record manufacturing software monitoring tools, this port scanner is extremely efficient, and will flawlessly come up with a comprehensive list of closed, filtered, and open ports for every IP address in your network.
Main Features:
- You can save any scan configuration to be loaded later. This means you’ll have access to it without needing to change any of the configuration settings.
- You can write up a batch script to be executed at any time.
- The interface is sleek and clever, making using this tool a breeze.
- You can troubleshoot by using a simple, CMD-like interface.
- Scans through this tool can be paused or canceled at any time, meaning if you really need to access a port currently scanned, you can stop the scan immediately.
- Your OS will be determined while scanning, as long as it’s one of the supported installations of Windows.
Not only is this port scanner completely free, but it also uses advanced adaptive timing behavior in order to expedite its scan time. Furthermore, once it is done scanning you can have the results exported into an XML, CSV, or XLSX format.
The SolarWinds Open Port Scanner is extremely user-friendly to use and to start scanning all you need to do is configure the scan profile. The way you do this is by entering the necessary information like IP range or a hostname. It can also be set up so that it looks for a layer 4 port.
The main downside of the SolarWinds Open Port Scanner, if it can be called that, is that it supports a pretty narrow range of exclusively Windows installations. This means that if you’re sporting Linux devices, the SolarWinds Open Port Scanner won’t be of much help. You can scan available IP addresses and their corresponding TCP and UDP ports to identify network vulnerabilities!
Operating Systems Supported:
- Windows 8
- Windows 8.1
- Windows 10
- Windows Server 2012 R2
- Windows Server 2016
Pros:
- Scan switch ports
- IP address usage scan
- Check on computer TCP and UDP ports
- Identify open ports
- Also provides SNMP insights
Cons:
- Only available for Windows
4. Nmap
Nmap refers to an open-source scanner that takes a rather peculiar approach to its task. This free tool will scan your network’s device in order to build a “map” of them. This requires it to send out packets to the devices and analyze their responses.
While Nmap isn’t very intuitive and certainly doesn’t keep up with graphic design trends, it’s still one of the most widely renowned port scanners.
Main Features:
- It supports a variety of different techniques to map out devices.
- It’s capable of scanning TCP and UDP ports alike
- It interacts with devices through scrips that use Lua and the Nmap Scripting Engine.
- It’s excellent in enterprise-size networks with thousands of devices
- The tool can help you identify hosts on a network, in addition to listing out their open ports
- It is open-source, meaning you can customize it however you see fit and ensure that it fits your needs
- As one of the most widely used port scanners, it has a huge community working on improving it day in and day out
- It supports pretty much any operating system you can think of
While Nmap is one of the most loved port scanners out there, that is not to say it is without weaknesses. Although pretty much any weakness of the tool could be compensated for by customizing it, its biggest weakness natively is the lack of any progress meter. This means that you won’t have any indicator of when exactly your port scan is going to finish.
Operating Systems Supported:
- Windows
- Linux
- Free BSD
- OpenBSD
- macOS
- Solaris
- Sun OS
- HP-UX
- Sun OS
- And a variety of others
Pros:
- Widely used on network security courses
- A command line tool with many options
- Can be used for penetration testing
Cons:
- Not very easy to use
5. Angry IP Scanner
The Angry IP Scanner is a cross-network scanner famous for its efficiency and simplicity. The open-source tool is capable of saving all of your favorite IP ranges and hostnames without requiring an online sign-in. Being able to save all information locally can be a lifesaver if your network connectivity is disrupted.
Furthermore, the scanning of your web servers or an external IP can be done within its simple interface. Once you’re done with it, you can quickly export the results into TXT, XML, IP-Port list, or CSV.
Main Features:
- Angry IP Scanner is open-source, meaning you can easily customize it to fit your exact needs
- You don’t need to make an external account
- There is little to no installation involved in making it operational
- It boasts a simple and easy-to-use interface
- It makes use of a multithreaded approach to scanning, every scanning thread is made for an individual IP address
With that being said, some might find that the tool is too simple. While the open-source nature of it helps with this, you might prefer something that comes with everything you need in-built.
Operating Systems Supported:
- macOS
- Windows 8 to 10
- Most Linux distros
Pros:
- Can be used on remote addresses across the internet as well as on a network
- Tests the availability of IP addresses
- Scans a limited number of ports
Cons:
- Won’t provide alerts
6. Advanced IP Scanner
The Advanced IP Scanner is an excellent port scanner usually used to account for LAN networks. As another free port scanner, its main draw is its simplicity and user-friendliness. If you’ve just recently started up a business and are looking for a port scanner to use on your LAN network- the Advanced IP Scanner might just be the one for you.
Main Features:
- You can access and control the tool remotely through Radmin and RDP
- It’s easy to access any shared folders within the network
- The tool allows you to turn devices on and off remotely
- There’s almost no installation involved in setting it up
- It’s an easy tool to use, extremely suitable for beginners
- It is available on Linux, Mac, and Windows
The main downsides of the Advanced IP Scanner are that it’s hard to scale up to an enterprise-sized network and that it can only export results into the CSV format.
Operating Systems Supported:
- Windows 10
- Most Linux distros
- macOS
Pros:
- Records IP addresses in use
- Shows MAC address and hostname
- Remote Wake-on-LAN and switch off
Cons:
- A limited number of ports per device
7. NetCat
NetCat is a tool capable of reading and writing data throughout different connections by taking advantage of the TCP and IP protocols.
It’s an excellent tool for more experienced networking experts, as it offers a variety of extensive and in-depth applications that will knock most other tools out of the water. With that being said, a smaller company has little use for advanced features like its hexdump capabilities or the buffered send mode.
Main Features:
- A wide tool with built-in port scanning options
- Has a tunneling mode capable of allowing special tunneling like UDP to TCP
- It’ll give you access to both inbound and outbound connections, as well as UDP and TCP ports
- It has an abundance of options for advanced users, such as its buffered send mode or hexdump
- The tool can be configured to use a locally configured network source access, or any local source port you have
- It is capable of reading and executing command line input
- It is packed with optional RFC854 telnet codes
By far the biggest downside of this tool is its interface. If you’re someone that rolls their eyes every time they have to use a command line, then this is not the tool for you.
Operating Systems Supported:
- DOS
- Windows
- Windows CE
- Linux
- macOS
- And other UNIX-like operating systems
Pros:
- A free tool for network technicians
- Shows traffic to and from each port
- Can send remote commands
Cons:
- Only available as a command line tool
8. LanSweeper IP Scanner
The LanSweeper IP scanner is one of the best network scanners for beginners. It’ll use the information present about currently available active IP addresses to give you a detailed outlook of your network.
Its biggest perk is its user-friendly interface, rivaled only by the SolarWind Port Scanner. It’s also very versatile when it comes to the protocols it uses, with the list containing the likes of HTTP, SSH, FTP, SNMP, and WMI.
Main Features:
- Easily discovers scanned devices using their IP
- It only takes a single click to rediscover a whole subnet
- You can shut down devices remotely, in addition to a whole suite of other remote actions
- The tool can scan through IP ranges on auto mode
- Your network setup can be quickly uploaded through a CSV file
- You can exclude certain devices from the scan
While the LanSweeper is a fully serviceable port scanner, its biggest downside is that the free version simply pales in comparison to the SolarWinds. Pretty much anything that it can do, the SolarWind can as well, in addition to them both having a similar interface quality.
The LanSweeper IP Scanner is free for a network with 100 or fewer devices, with 500 devices costing $495 per year, and anything more requiring contact with a support team. Although a network of that size might be better off with an advanced tool like Nmap.
Operating Systems Supported:
- Windows
- macOS
- Linux
Pros:
- Scans networks to discover IP addresses in use
- Automated or on demand scanning
- Discovered device details
9. Slitheris Network Discovery
Slitheris Network Discovery is an agentless network scanner. It can be quite an expensive piece of software, as anything past 50 devices will cost you. With that in mind, it does make that money worth your while with its assortment of advanced features.
Main Features:
- It doesn’t require credentials nor agents in order to collect information
- The tool gives a lot of info about every device or app it scans
- It’s able to use an algorithm in order to determine the year of manufacturing for the device
- It can recognize different types of devices through gathering a variety of attributes about each one of them, by comparing them to a device-type definition database
- There is a portable version
- It can determine whether SMBv1 or SMBv2 are enabled, and it allows you to disable SMBv1 at will.
- The tool makes use of an ARP cache in order to find hidden devices
- You can see all of the devices which have a GUI as well as access all of them through a browser interface
- It has a great interface for a tool of its complexity
Now, the biggest downside of the Slitheris is obviously the cost. A network of 1000 devices will set you back over $2000. With that being said, if your company has the cash flow to invest in it, it is one of the best tools available for the job.
Its second weakness is that it is not easily scalable. The tool was made with large businesses in mind- and it shows. A small to medium business will likely never use most of the features it provides. Its narrow OS support also holds it back from taking a higher spot on this list.
Operating Systems Supported:
- Windows
Pros:
- Discovers devices on a network
- Provides details of each discovered device
- Free for up to 50 devices
10. MyLanViewer Network/IP Scanner
The MyLanViewer Network/IP Scanner is a NetBIOS, LAN, and Network IP scanner made exclusively for Windows. It is quite a versatile tool, boasting a variety of functions that let you have almost complete control over what is on your network.
Main Features:
- It is capable of controlling your network remotely, letting you shut down, reboot, hibernate, sleep, or WOL your devices
- The tool ensures you find every IP and MAC address, as well as shared folders on a network
- It’ll monitor IP addresses on the network and show the states of the devices as they change
- You can terminate user’s sessions, disable access to folders, detect DHCP rogue servers, and a lot more.
The main drawbacks of the MyLanViewer are its narrow OS support and lack of specialization. There are many network monitoring tools out there that combine a lot of different areas into one. With that being said, the MyLanViewer doesn’t combine enough of them for it to be your only network monitoring tool.
In the same vein, it boasts too many for it to be a simple and focused solution. It’s not a bad tool by any means, however, its optimal use-cases are quite niche.
Operating System Support:
- Windows 2003 to Windows 10
Pros:
- Remote Wake-on-LAN, shutdown, and reboot
- Discovers ll devices on a network
- Provides details of each device
Conclusion
Port scanners are a crucial tool in any network admin’s toolkit. They’ll help you gain information on the devices that you scan, which will help you better understand their functioning, and therefore, their security.
They’ll help you find any open ports and vulnerable systems that might be allowing intrusions into your network, as well as finding places where your infrastructure might be leaking.
Some of the tools above are free or have a free trial. If you’re on the fence about getting a port scanner, then just downloading one of them and trying it out for a few weeks can show you the benefits that a port scanner brings. You don’t have to take an overly complex, command-line-based tool like Nmap, take one with an intuitive interface!
Did we miss your favorite port scanner? Maybe you’d like to know a bit more about the technology? Let us know in the comments.