Top 3 IP Scanners for Linux
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Unlike port scanners, which scan for open ports, IP scanners simply try to find hosts that are alive on a network. If you are searching for IP scanners for Windows, you will surely find an abundant supply of them. In Linux, however, you may be searching a little harder to find a quality, easy to use IP scanner. Here is a list of the 3 best IP scanners for Linux, rated on speed and usability.
1. arp-scan – Arp-scan is an easy-to-use tool that can find alive hosts on a network. It sends ARP packets to specified hosts and displays any responses. I rated arp-scan #1 because of its simplicity and speed. By simply adding the -l switch to arp-scan, it will automatically determine the network settings and scan the network of the first adapter. It also scanned the network the fastest. To install arp-scan:
Ubuntu: sudo apt-get install arp-scan
OpenSuse (12.1):wget http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/security/openSUSE_12.1/i586/arp-scan-1.8-1.1.i586.rpm
sudo rmp -i arp-scan-1.8-1.1.i586.rpm
The easiest way to scan the network you are in is to run any of the following commands (they all do the same thing):
sudo arp-scan -l #Scans the local network
sudo arp-scan 192.168.1.0/24 #Scans 192.168.1.0 255.255.255.0
sudo arp-scan 192.168.1.1-192.168.1.254 #Scans the obvious range
You will see results like this:
192.168.1.1000:0c:29:a4:16:48VMware, Inc.
192.168.1.1100:0e:2e:3a:c1:2dEdimax Technology Co., Ltd.
192.168.1.2000:e0:81:31:97:47TYAN COMPUTER CORP.
Total Time: 1.381 seconds
2. nmap – Nmap, better known for its port scanning abilities, is also quite suitable as an IP scanner. I rated nmap #2 because it returned the results slighty slower than arp-scan, and there is no -l switch to automatically determine the network settings, as with arp-scan. To install:
Ubuntu: sudo apt-get install nmap
OpenSuse: sudo zypper install nmap
To scan for alive hosts on a network, run any of the following commands (they all do the same thing):
sudo nmap -sP 192.168.1.0/24 #Scans 192.168.1.0 255.255.255.0
sudo nmap -sP 192.168.1.1-254 #Scans the obvious range
You will see results like this:
Host 192.168.1.11 is up (0.0089s latency).
MAC Address: 00:0E:2E:3A:C1:2D (Edimax Technology Co.)
Host 192.168.1.20 is up (0.00063s latency).
MAC Address: 00:E0:81:31:97:47 (Tyan Computer)
Host 192.168.1.21 is up (0.00099s latency).
MAC Address: 00:E0:81:31:45:26 (Tyan Computer)
Total Time: 1.82 seconds
3. Angry IP Scanner – This tool, perhaps better know to Windows users, is also available on Linux, as a Java application. I rated Angry IP Scanner #3 because it is significantly slower than arp-scan and nmap, however, it has a nice and simple GUI that many people find intuitive. To check if you have Java installed, run this command:
java -version
To install Java, run this command:
Ubuntu: sudo apt-get install openjdk-6-jre
OpenSuse: sudo zypper install java-1_6_0-openjdk
You can download the Angry IP Scanner here:
http://www.angryip.org/w/Download
Ubuntu: wget http://sourceforge.net/projects/ipscan/files/ipscan3-binary/3.0-beta6/ipscan_3.0-beta6_i386.deb
sudo dpkg -i ipscan_3.0-beta6_i386.deb
OpenSuse: wget http://sourceforge.net/projects/ipscan/files/ipscan3-binary/3.0-beta6/ipscan-3.0_beta6-2.i386.rpm
sudo rpm -i ./ipscan-3.0_beta6-2.i386.rpm
There are 32 and 64 bit Deb and RPM files for Debian/Ubuntu and Fedora/RedHat/Suse/Mandriva. Angry IP Scanner is one of the few IP scanners for Linux that has a nice GUI. It's very simple to use. Simply enter the range of IP addresses you want to scan and click Start:
Total Time: 25.9 seconds
As you can see, there are several high quality and fast IP scanners for Linux. If you have a favorite that isn't listed here, feel free to leave a comment.