Network Scanner

Name: network-scanner
Rating: 76
Author: moltbot

Discover and identify devices on local or remote networks using nmap. Gathers IP addresses, hostnames (via reverse DNS), MAC addresses, and vendor identification.

Requirements

•nmap - Network scanning (apt install nmap or brew install nmap)
•dig - DNS lookups (usually pre-installed)
•sudo access recommended for MAC address discovery

Quick Start

bash

# Auto-detect and scan current network
python3 scripts/scan.py

# Scan a specific CIDR
python3 scripts/scan.py 192.168.1.0/24

# Scan with custom DNS server for reverse lookups
python3 scripts/scan.py 192.168.1.0/24 --dns 192.168.1.1

# Output as JSON
python3 scripts/scan.py --json

Configuration

Configure named networks in ~/.config/network-scanner/networks.json:

json

{
  "networks": {
    "home": {
      "cidr": "192.168.1.0/24",
      "dns": "192.168.1.1",
      "description": "Home Network"
    },
    "office": {
      "cidr": "10.0.0.0/24",
      "dns": "10.0.0.1",
      "description": "Office Network"
    }
  }
}

Then scan by name:

bash

python3 scripts/scan.py home
python3 scripts/scan.py office --json

Commands

bash

# Create example config
python3 scripts/scan.py --init-config

# List configured networks
python3 scripts/scan.py --list

# Scan without sudo (may miss MAC addresses)
python3 scripts/scan.py home --no-sudo

Output Formats

Markdown (default):

code

### Home Network
*Last scan: 2026-01-28 00:10*

| IP | Name | MAC | Vendor |
|----|------|-----|--------|
| 192.168.1.1 | router.local | AA:BB:CC:DD:EE:FF | Ubiquiti |
| 192.168.1.100 | nas.local | 11:22:33:44:55:66 | Synology |

*2 devices found*

JSON (--json):

json

{
  "network": "Home Network",
  "cidr": "192.168.1.0/24",
  "devices": [
    {
      "ip": "192.168.1.1",
      "hostname": "router.local",
      "mac": "AA:BB:CC:DD:EE:FF",
      "vendor": "Ubiquiti"
    }
  ],
  "scanned_at": "2026-01-28T00:10:00",
  "device_count": 2
}

Use Cases

•Device inventory: Keep track of all devices on your network
•Security audits: Identify unknown devices
•Documentation: Generate network maps for documentation
•Automation: Integrate with home automation to detect device presence

Tips

•Use sudo for accurate MAC address detection (nmap needs privileges for ARP)
•Configure your local DNS server for better hostname resolution
•Add to cron or heartbeat for daily inventory updates
•Extend MAC_VENDORS in the script for better device identification