14 DAY TRIAL // Advanced IP Scanner scans your local area network and retrieves information on any device connected to it. Besides this default purpose it also incorporates functions for remote execution of shutdown or wake-on-LAN actions.
The application is free of charge and installs in a matter of seconds without pushing third party software onto your system. Compared to the last edition we reviewed looks have been brushed up to be in tune with the new Windows 7 environment.
It comes with an easy peasy interface that makes working with the software a breeze. Most of the options are concentrated in the upper part of the application window, leaving most of the space to display the results of your search, in the lower part.
Learning about the number of devices connected to your LAN requires a simple punch of the IP range you want the app to focus on. The rest is waiting for the list fill up, which does not take long. All devices connected to the LAN will be available in the result screen, but the options available in Famatech’s Advanced IP Scanner will work only on those running Windows.
This means that mobile devices, Linux and Mac systems hooked to the network will not be affected by shutdown or wake-on-LAN functions of the program. Also, in their case the set of details offered is scanty as it comprises only IP and MAC address.
With Windows based devices the information extends to name of the computer, NetBIOS name and NetBIOS group. More than this, the program gives you the possibility to access shared data with no problem.
Turning off a machine remotely, or sending a reboot command, requires you to input the correct authentication details (username and password). Without credentials you will not be able to carry on with the action.
Before initiating the restart/shutdown command you have the possibility to send a message to the remote computer, informing the user of the action soon to follow (you can set a delay time for starting the procedure). However, in case you change your mind you can annul the command (the remote user will be informed of the decision as well, through a pop up message).
Advanced IP Scanner offers various ways to connect to a remote machine. The protocols supported are HTTP, HTTPS and FTP, so you can connect to computers if servers are available at the other end. Telnet connection is also a possibility, but as this is not a secure connection, you will have to manually enable it in Vista and Windows 7 and then it will work as normal.
For easy access to a remote location the application integrates Radmin functions, if you have it installed. Connecting through Radmin expands the functionality of Advanced IP Scanner as you’ll be able to take full control of the distant machine as well as have access to its screen and power options.
Configuration panel in Advanced IP Scanner includes options for adjusting the scan speed and thus, the CPU usage. The difference between a slow scan with low CPU usage and a CPU intensive, fast one is determined by the amount of machines in the LAN. In our case the wait for a slow scan to complete was way over two and a half minutes to uncover 38 items (almost all of them with network resources attached), while a fast one took only 1’10’’. However, we did not notice a noticeable increase in CPU usage for the latter.
You can set the app to look for a specific type of network resource for each computer it detects in the LAN. From the settings menu you can indicate the program the type of network resource it should display when available for a scanned computer (HTTP(S), shared folders, FTP). Moreover, it can uncover the NetBIOS name and group and even the name of the logged-in user. If Radmin is available, you can set it to scan for its presence through user-defined ports.
Advanced IP Scanner is not a complicated tool to handle and it will offer control over machines on the network as long as they run on Windows. What is missing in the application is a search function to let you look up for a specific computer name instead of scrolling in the list (of course, this would be useful in the case of larger LANs).
You can define the IP range it should scan as well as the resources to be displayed (NetBIOS name and group, username, shared folders). Unfortunately it is restricted to showing details on Windows-running machines only. For everything else you’ll only get the IP and the MAC address. It makes for a good way to control remote computers in what concerns power options such as shutdown, reboot and wake-on-LAN.
The Good
The Bad
The Truth
