Top 10 Angry IP Scanner Tips and Tricks for BeginnersAngry IP Scanner is a lightweight, open-source network scanner popular with beginners and experienced admins alike. It quickly scans IP ranges and ports to discover hosts, check status, and gather basic information. Below are ten practical tips and tricks to help beginners use Angry IP Scanner more effectively, safely, and efficiently.
1. Install the correct version for your platform
Angry IP Scanner runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. For Windows you can choose a portable ZIP or an installer; on macOS use the DMG; for many Linux distributions there are DEB/RPM packages or you can run the Java edition.
- Tip: If you don’t want to install anything, use the portable ZIP (Windows) or the Java .jar version to run it directly.
- Tip: For best stability, match the Java edition to your installed Java Runtime Environment (JRE) version.
2. Start with small IP ranges
Scanning large ranges without experience can overwhelm your network and produce noisy logs.
- Begin with small CIDR blocks (for example, a /29 or /28) or specific subnets like 192.168.1.0/24.
- Tip: Use the range fields (Start IP — End IP) to limit scans and test your settings safely.
3. Use presets and save your settings
Angry IP Scanner lets you customize what information it retrieves (ping, hostname, MAC address, open ports, etc.).
- Choose data fetchers relevant to your needs (e.g., hostname, ping time, MAC vendor).
- Save those preferences as a preset so you can reload them later without reconfiguring.
- Tip: Create separate presets for quick discovery vs. deeper port scanning.
4. Learn the meaning of scan results
Understanding results prevents misinterpretation.
- “Alive” means the host responded (ICMP ping or a TCP probe).
- Open ports are shown when a TCP connection is successful.
- Hostnames may be empty if reverse DNS isn’t set up.
- Tip: Combine multiple data columns (ping, hostname, MAC) for higher confidence in results.
5. Use custom ports and port ranges wisely
Angry IP Scanner can probe ports to see which are open.
- Default port checks may be minimal — add common ports relevant to your environment (e.g., 22, 80, 443, 3389).
- When scanning many hosts, prefer a short list of important ports to reduce scan time.
- Tip: For deeper port scanning, integrate Angry IP Scanner results with a dedicated tool like Nmap.
6. Configure timeouts and parallel threads
Performance and accuracy depend on timeouts and thread counts.
- Increase timeouts for slow or high-latency networks; decrease them on fast local networks.
- Adjust the number of threads to balance scan speed and network load; too many threads may overwhelm the scanner or the network.
- Tip: Start with a conservative thread count (e.g., 50) and increase if your system and network handle it.
7. Use plugins for extra functionality
Angry IP Scanner supports plugins that add new data fetchers or actions.
- Browse available plugins on the Angry IP Scanner website or community repositories.
- Common plugins provide SNMP queries, WMI checks (Windows), SSH info, or custom scripts.
- Tip: Test plugins on a small set of known hosts before running wide scans.
8. Export and analyze results
Export scan results to CSV, TXT, or XML for offline analysis or reporting.
- Use CSV for spreadsheets and quick filtering; XML/JSON if you plan programmatic processing.
- Include timestamps and scan settings in your exported metadata.
- Tip: Save multiple exports over time to track network changes.
9. Respect legal and ethical boundaries
Scanning networks you don’t own or have explicit permission to scan can be illegal or abusive.
- Only scan your own network, lab, or systems where you have permission.
- Inform network administrators if you need to run broader scans in shared environments.
- Tip: Run scans during maintenance windows and keep stakeholders informed.
10. Troubleshooting common issues
If scans show unexpected results, try these steps:
- If no hosts show as alive, check local firewall/antivirus settings and run as administrator/root.
- If hostnames are missing, verify DNS/reverse-DNS setup on your network.
- If MAC addresses aren’t shown for remote subnets, remember ARP only works on the local broadcast domain.
- Tip: Use packet capture (tcpdump/Wireshark) for deeper diagnosis when necessary.
Conclusion
Angry IP Scanner is a useful first tool for network discovery and simple port checks. By starting small, tuning timeouts/threads, using presets and plugins, exporting results, and adhering to legal boundaries, beginners can learn network scanning safely and effectively.
Leave a Reply