LAN computer detection

[Cider]

Actually yes this is possible and there is a built in utility in Windows to do. Its called the Net Command (output below)

NET [ ACCOUNTS | COMPUTER | CONFIG | CONTINUE | FILE | GROUP | HELP |
HELPMSG | LOCALGROUP | NAME | PAUSE | PRINT | SEND | SESSION |
SHARE | START | STATISTICS | STOP | TIME | USE | USER | VIEW ]


Your looking specifically for Net View, which will give you the names of all computers connected to your LAN in a format "\\ComputerName".

Hope thats what your looking for.. good luck

Net view is half the answer, we are getting somewhere Now is there a switch you can add to net view to display Ip addresses and not just computer names.

[Und3ertak3r]

Net view is half the answer, we are getting somewhere Now is there a switch you can add to net view to display Ip addresses and not just computer names.

Yes it is called scripting..
You will know your subnet..
so you write a script to report the presence of life at each of the subnet addresses..
allow it to append to a text file.. read file for results..

[moxquito]

No from what I can tell there is no way within the net view command to get the IP of the computer(s) listed, to me it looks like the easiest way would just be to ping the computer it will resolve and give you the IP then.

[brokencrow]

PsTools might be an even better option if you're on a strictly Windows domain.
Not so hot against *nix boxes.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/s.../bb896649.aspx

[Cider]

Yes it is called scripting..
You will know your subnet..
so you write a script to report the presence of life at each of the subnet addresses..
allow it to append to a text file.. read file for results..

Ok , how do I do this :P

Mox: good idea, abit more work but will still achieve the end result.

[user0182]

Hmmm OK.. You want to Audit a network from the command line? (Please realise that If your Googling that the So called DOS window IS NOT DOS.. )
There are a few new tools with VISTA but i am assuming that a bit more like XP or Win2k is wanted..

i am interested in tools in MS Windows Vista. as I have both Vista and XP machines on my LAN, so I am interested in commands for either or both.

Actually yes this is possible and there is a built in utility in Windows to do. Its called the Net Command

thanks for your help moxquito, but I'm not sure if "net view" is really an answer to my problem, because I thought that "net view" just shows the shared resources on your local network, and so if a machine is not sharing any resources then that machine is invisible to "net view", or have I misunderstood what "net view" does and will it show all machines on the network?

btw: thank for all your help so far guys.


regards,

- user0182

[Negative]

Quick and dirty (and complete if you're lucky): arp -a

[sec_ware]

Hi

Quick and dirty (and complete if you're lucky): arp -a

Very creative solution to that problem Luck, unfortunately, often is missing ...
you could also ping to the broadcast address and wait for who is answering ...
if there are some sun solaris stations, they may answer ...


Anyway, sometimes it is indeed useful, to have some small script available without
dependencies of 3rd party tools. Once I used a pure batch-script, nowadays
I would write a small vb-script (not even threaded, and thus very slow)
using the WMI framework.

To run use

>cmd.exe /c ping_subnet.vbs

And ping_subnet.vbs looks like

Subnet = "192.168.1."

strMessage = "Reachable:" & vbcr
 
For intIP = 1 To 254
	strComputer = Subnet & intIP

	set objWMIPing =  GetObject("winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}").ExecQuery("select * from Win32_PingStatus where address = '" & strComputer & "'")

	for each objStatus in objWMIPing
		if Not IsNull(objStatus.StatusCode) and objStatus.StatusCode=0 then
			strMessage = strMessage  & strComputer & vbcr
		end if
	next	

	
Next 

WScript.Echo strMessage

Be patient, it takes a while ...


If you are interested in scripting, the tales[2] always are a nice starting point.

Cheers


[1] http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/libr...50(VS.85).aspx
[2] http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scr...es/sg1102.mspx

[user0182]

thanks for that sec_ware. although, i think that i am going to write my own program in C or C#, as i have an irrational hatred of VB & VBScript.

although, i am still interested if someone knows of a command either in Windows or Linux that will show up all machines (i.e. both Windows and Linux) on a LAN.

i initially, thought that this would be an easy post for you guys to answer, as i just assumed that their would be a command and i just wasn't aware of it. as it would be a useful command, and Linux has a command for nearly everything, and using Windows one can view the machines on a LAN in a GUI (Start->Network->Network and Sharing Center->View computers and devices) so i would have assumed that there would also be a command (unless the GUI only shows the same details as the "Net View" command).

anywho, i arn't able to test this for myself at the moment, so could someone tell me; using the Windows GUI can one view all machines or only Windows machines on a LAN. also i would be interested in how this Windows GUI works if anyone can tell me or has an idea (i.e. does it use ICMP or a Windows specific protocol etc.)?


regards,

- user0182

[Und3ertak3r]

thanks for that sec_ware. although, i think that i am going to write my own program in C or C#, as i have an irrational hatred of VB & VBScript.

although, i am still interested if someone knows of a command either in Windows or Linux that will show up all machines (i.e. both Windows and Linux) on a LAN.

i initially, thought that this would be an easy post for you guys to answer, as i just assumed that their would be a command and i just wasn't aware of it. as it would be a useful command, and Linux has a command for nearly everything, and using Windows one can view the machines on a LAN in a GUI (Start->Network->Network and Sharing Center->View computers and devices) so i would have assumed that there would also be a command (unless the GUI only shows the same details as the "Net View" command).

anywho, i arn't able to test this for myself at the moment, so could someone tell me; using the Windows GUI can one view all machines or only Windows machines on a LAN. also i would be interested in how this Windows GUI works if anyone can tell me or has an idea (i.e. does it use ICMP or a Windows specific protocol etc.)?


regards,

- user0182

This is why many of us use some commercial tools.. but if you have a look at the NMAP as mentioned earlier.. (Win and *nix) before you write your own.. Not to stop you from having a go.. but to see what the bench mark..
Personally I had either used specific MS tools against MS machines.. or commercial tools on MS networks..
How easy it is for us to get locked in our ways..