What Devices Are Connected to the Network? A Comparison of the Best Network Scanners

Which devices are currently active on the network? What’s the IP address of the new switch, and which ports is that server back there actually leaving open? Whether for network inventory, troubleshooting after a device replacement, or a security audit—a network scanner provides an overview of all reachable hosts in seconds.

In this article, I’ll compare the four most popular tools—from the one-click Windows scanner to the powerful command-line classic—and show which one is best suited for each situation.

Table of Contents

1. Advanced IP Scanner
2. Angry IP Scanner
3. SoftPerfect Network Scanner
4. nmap
5. Windows Built-in Tools (arp & PowerShell)
6. An Overview of the Tools
7. Conclusion

1. Advanced IP Scanner

Advanced IP Scanner is arguably the most widely used network scanner tool in Windows environments—and for good reason: It’s incredibly easy to use. Enter an IP range, click “Scan,” and you’re done. The results show the hostname, IP address, MAC address, and—if identifiable—the network adapter manufacturer. Right-clicking on an entry allows you to open an RDP, HTTP, or FTP connection directly or start a ping.

The tool is developed by Famatech, the maker of Radmin (a commercial remote access solution). Advanced IP Scanner is free and may also be used in commercial settings.

• Very easy to use, ideal for a quick overview
• Displays hostname, IP, MAC, and manufacturer
• Directly launch RDP, HTTP, FTP, and ping with a right-click
• Portable—runs without installation
• Free even for commercial use

Limitations: Available only for Windows. No port scans, no service detection. Perfectly adequate for simple IP inventory, but too superficial for in-depth network analysis.

Suitable for: Quick network inventory in Windows environments; IT administrators with no prior experience with network tools.

Advanced IP Scanner – Download

2. Angry IP Scanner

Angry IP Scanner (abbreviated as ipscan) is the cross-platform open-source counterpart. It runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS and is surprisingly fast: The scanner uses multithreading and pings multiple hosts simultaneously. The results can be exported in various formats (CSV, TXT, XML) and expanded with additional columns via plugins—for example, to include open ports or the TTL value.

• Open source (MIT license), free even for commercial use
• Cross-platform: Windows, Linux, macOS
• Fast thanks to parallel scanning
• Export to CSV, XML, TXT
• Extensible via plugins (additional columns, port lists)

Limitations: The interface feels a bit sparse. For in-depth port scans or service discovery, nmap is the better choice. However, for macOS or Linux admins looking for a simple scanner, Angry IP Scanner is a solid choice.

Suitable for: Mixed environments, cross-platform teams, admins who value open source.

Angry IP Scanner – Official Site

3. SoftPerfect Network Scanner

SoftPerfect Network Scanner is a step above the two tools mentioned above: It displays not only IP, MAC, and hostname, but also open TCP/UDP ports, shared folders, installed services, and WMI information. If desired, it can execute remote commands, run ping or traceroute, or directly open the admin share of a Windows host.

The freeware version supports up to 10 IP addresses simultaneously; for larger networks, a license (one-time fee, approx. $30) is required.

• Integrated port scanning and service detection
• Displays shared folders and WMI data
• Remote command execution directly from the GUI
• Portable, modern interface
• Freeware for up to 10 IPs; affordable single-user license thereafter

Suitable for: Network audits with detailed service inventory, IT administrators who want to scan Windows shares and ports without using the command line.

SoftPerfect Network Scanner – Official Site

4. nmap

nmap is the gold standard in network scanning—and has been the tool of choice for security professionals and penetration testers for decades. It not only detects reachable hosts and open ports but can also identify operating systems, determine service versions, and perform fully automated security tests via the Nmap Scripting Engine (NSE).

nmap is open source and runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS. Those who prefer a graphical interface can use Zenmap, the official GUI frontend. The command-line version integrates well into shell scripts or CI/CD pipelines.

# Find all hosts in the subnet + OS detection
nmap -sn 192.168.1.0/24

# Open ports + services + version detection
nmap -sV -p 22,80,443,3389 192.168.1.0/24

• Port scan, OS fingerprinting, service version detection
• NSE scripts for vulnerability checks
• Cross-platform, fully open source
• Zenmap available as a graphical front end
• Ideal for security audits and penetration tests

Limitations: nmap scans—especially those using OS detection or aggressive options—may be interpreted as attacks by firewalls or IDS systems. Only scan networks for which you have explicit permission.

Suitable for: Security audits, penetration tests, infrastructure inventory with service details; indispensable for IT security professionals.

nmap – Official Site

5. Built-in Windows Tools (arp & PowerShell)

Without any additional tools, `arp -a ` returns the currently cached ARP entries—that is, all devices with which the local computer has recently communicated. This is not a complete network scan, but it provides a quick initial overview. With PowerShell, you can automate a simple ping sweep across the entire subnet:

1..254 | ForEach-Object {
    $ip = "192.168.1.$_"
    if (Test-Connection -ComputerName $ip -Count 1 -Quiet) {
        [PSCustomObject]@{IP=$ip; Host=(Resolve-DnsName $ip -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).NameHost}
    }
} | Format-Table -AutoSize

• No download, no installation, no license required
• `arp -a ` displays cached hosts immediately
• PowerShell sweep is customizable and scriptable

Limitations: No port scanning, no MAC manufacturer resolution, significantly slower than specialized tools. Hosts that do not respond to ICMP pings remain invisible.

Suitable for: A quick initial check without an installable tool—especially on restricted systems or during initial troubleshooting.

Network inventory as a foundation—not a one-time task
A scan shows you what’s currently connected to the network. What it doesn’t show: the unknown device that logged in last week and has been communicating silently ever since. A complete network inventory isn’t a one-time project, but part of an ongoing process—with well-maintained documentation, defined baselines, and alerts for unknown devices. Learn more about our IT system support →

An Overview of the Tools

Conclusion

For quick daily inventory checks in Windows environments, Advanced IP Scanner is hard to beat—simple, portable, and free. Those working across platforms or using open-source solutions should opt for Angry IP Scanner. When port scans and service details are required, SoftPerfect Network Scanner comes into play. For serious security audits and penetration tests, there’s no getting around nmap. The built-in tools can help in a pinch without any installation.

Important: Network scanners show the current state at the time of the scan. For an up-to-date, comprehensive inventory, regular scans are necessary—ideally automated and with notifications for unknown devices.

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