Inspecting complicated network issues shouldn’t require you to switch between multiple tabs and network records. Solving these issues often boils down to finding the IP addresses of a network entity. Be it a desktop, server, port, or some other entity, its IP address gives you much-needed insight into details like its asset tag, interface specifics, user, and device type. This information helps you get to the bottom of network issues, aiding in effective troubleshooting.
We’ve curated a list of our top five IP tools; together, they enable network admins to inspect and quickly drill down to the root cause of any network issue. These advanced IP tools are a must-have in your network tool kit, as they offer proactive monitoring and firm control over your IT infrastructure.
Here are our picks:
1. Ping Tools
A primary TCP/IP command that can be used to troubleshoot connectivity, reachability, and name resolution, ping is undoubtedly every network admin’s favorite tool. When used as a simple CLI command, ping can aid in basic troubleshooting tasks like checking the connectivity between hosts and examining latency values.
However, depending solely on this CLI command for troubleshooting all of your network’s IP addresses may not be such a good idea. Organizational networks are comprised of multiple network boundaries such as subnets and routers. You need a solution that can scan your heterogeneous network.
OpUtils’ Ping Tools have got you covered. This simple yet effective group of tools can perform a ping sweep in your network in seconds. You can verify if a target host or server is online and responsive. OpUtils offers three different Ping Tools: Ping, SNMP Ping, and Proxy Ping.
Ping: This IP tool uses the Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) to send an IP packet to the device and determine its status.
SNMP Ping: You can use the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) to query an SNMP-enabled device and verify whether it’s operating and accessible to network entities.
Proxy Ping: This tool helps you verify if a device behind a proxy is online by pinging the Cisco router. This router acts as a proxy for the target device.
2. MAC Address Resolver
A network entity’s media access control (MAC) address is often embedded in its network interface controller (NIC). It is important to keep track of your network MAC addresses, since the MAC address is mainly used to configure the IP address that a particular network device will employ to access your network.
Did you know?
Using the MAC address to grant network access is common in most IEEE 802 networking technologies, including Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.
With OpUtils’ MAC address lookup tool, you can verify the MAC address associated with a particular IP address by performing an IP lookup in your network address space. View details about the MAC address associated with the target IP address, including the system name and type.
3. MAC IP List
Managing multiple subnets is not an easy task. CLI commands aren’t practical for scanning across your organization’s subnets since you would have to scan every host in every subnet to find the MAC addresses within the subnet—and to make matters worse, your ARP cache can retain this information for only two minutes.
OpUtils’ MAC IP List tool can provide you with a consolidated view of your IP address space status, eliminating the need for manual CLI scanning. It efficiently maps your available IP addresses to the MAC addresses in your network.
With this IP tool, you can perform an IP lookup to access details about the IP location, MAC address, DNS name, NIC type, and more. View and manage your inventory information with MAC IP List, which updates this information regularly. The details pulled by this tool can also be used to work with several other tools such as Wake on LAN, which initially requires you to specify an IP address to remotely boot a particular device on your network. Having access to the readily available MAC IP list mapped by this tool eases the task of finding the IP of the device that requires booting.
4. Trace Route
Trace Route enables you to inspect the response delays and routing loops in a network pathway across switched nodes. It provides visibility into the path taken by a packet in a network by displaying the number of hops the packet takes to reach the target device, as well as the IP address for each hop. Trace Route also calculates the time taken for each hop as the packet is routed to the destination, helping you locate any points of packet loss or transit delays that might be causing a network issue.
Traceroute vs. ping
Traceroute sends network packets to inspect the network pathway until packets are lost more than twice and the path cannot be traversed further. It specifies the path taken to the target if reachable. Whereas ping can be used to check only if the target is reachable and how long it takes to reach it, and not the actual path.
5. Network Scanner
With networks scaling continually, manually keeping track of IPs and network devices using conventional network scanning solutions is a hassle. By giving you automated, real-time insights into your network environment, OpUtils’ advanced network scanner tool enables you to carry out more effective network reconnaissance.
Scan your entire IP address range with ICMP or SNMP, and view the availability of devices, forward and reverse lookup actions, and more, using OpUtils’ Network Scanner.
OpUtils: An advanced IP address manager
On top of IP tools, OpUtils also offers the full-fledged IP Address Manager that delivers a holistic view of your IP address resources. OpUtils offers automated IPAM solutions, including scheduled scanning and threshold-based alerts, which bypass the manual effort required for traditional IP address management.
OpUtils’ IP Address Manager offers effective IP address management with proactive network scanning; various network discovery options, including spreadsheet import; network rediscovery automation; audit reports; and more.
Highlights of OpUtils’ IP Address Manager:
- IPv4 and IPv6 address space management in a single console
- An advanced IP scanner that conducts real-time scans spanning the entire network, including multiple subnets, routers, servers, and IP address blocks
- Automates the mundane task of IP address scanning with scheduled scans of your IP address space, which can be customized for each address block or subnet
- An IP address tracker that logs the status of historical IP operations and provides insights into network address space usage over a period of time
- Threshold-based alerting that notifies users via SMS and email about IP issues
- Custom columns and IP-specific reports that enable you to audit your IP address space and can aid in effective capacity planning
- Intuitive widgets and a customizable dashboard provide all the crucial IP address metrics at a glance
OpUtils also offers the Switch Port Mapper; Rogue Detection; Networking Tools, which includes Wake on LAN; and more than 30 network tools for effective monitoring, tracking, and troubleshooting of network resources.
OpUtils’ supplementary mobile app helps you monitor networks on the go. With OpUtils up and running at your site, you can monitor your network status remotely with the OpUtils mobile app.
These readily available features can seamlessly integrate with your existing infrastructure in minutes, saving you from the hassle of manual configurations.
Interested in trying out OpUtils for your network? Download a 30-day free trial or schedule a free live demo with a product expert who would be happy to help you with any product questions you might have.
