Angry IP scanner is an open-source, cross-platform network scanner designed to be fast and simple to use. It scans IP addresses and ports to identify active devices and gather relevant information.
What Is Angry IP Scanner?
Angry IP scanner is a widely used open-source network scanning tool known for its speed and ease of use. It operates on multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, and Linux. By scanning IP addresses and ports, Angry IP Scanner identifies active devices on a network and collects information such as hostnames, MAC addresses, and open ports.
This tool is popular among network administrators, security professionals, and IT enthusiasts for its ability to provide quick insights into network configurations and potential security vulnerabilities. Users can extend its capabilities through various plugins, allowing for customized scanning and data collection. Its user-friendly interface, combined with robust performance, makes it an essential tool for efficient network management and monitoring.
How Does Angry IP Scanner Work?
Angry IP Scanner works by systematically scanning a range of IP addresses to determine which ones are active. When initiated, it pings each IP address in the specified range to check for a response, indicating that the device is live. For each active IP, it can then probe specific ports to identify open ones, providing insight into the services running on those devices.
The scanning process involves sending packets to the target IP addresses and waiting for responses. If a device responds, Angry IP Scanner can gather additional information such as the hostname, MAC address, and operating system details. This is achieved through various network protocols and techniques, such as ICMP for pinging and TCP/UDP for port scanning.
Angry IP Scanner also supports the use of plugins, which enhance its functionality by allowing users to customize the types of data collected during a scan. These plugins can perform tasks like fetching web pages, checking for specific services, or executing custom scripts.
The tool is designed to be efficient and fast, utilizing multi-threading to perform multiple scans simultaneously. This allows it to cover large networks quickly, making it an effective solution for network monitoring, management, and security assessment.
Angry IP Scanner Features
Angry IP scanner offers a range of features designed to aid in network scanning and management:
- Cross-platform compatibility. It operates on Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it accessible to a wide range of users.
- IP range scanning. Users can specify a range of IP addresses to scan, helping to identify all active devices within that range.
- Ping scanning. The tool uses ICMP (ping) to check the status of each IP address, determining whether it is active or inactive.
- Port scanning. Angry IP Scanner checks specified ports to see which ones are open on active devices, providing insight into running services.
- Hostname resolution. It resolves the hostname of each active IP address, giving more context about the devices on the network.
- MAC address detection. The tool can detect and display the MAC address of active devices, aiding in device identification and inventory.
- Multi-threading. Angry IP Scanner uses multiple threads to perform scans simultaneously, significantly speeding up the scanning process.
- Plugin support. Users can enhance the functionality of the tool with plugins that allow for custom data collection and processing.
- Export options. Scan results can be exported in various formats such as CSV, TXT, XML, and HTML for further analysis or reporting.
- Customizable scan options. Users can configure scanning options, including the number of threads, timeout settings, and the types of data to collect.
- Graphical user interface (GUI). It features an intuitive GUI that makes it easy to use, even for those with limited technical knowledge.
- Command-line Interface (CLI). For advanced users, a CLI is available, allowing for automated and scriptable scanning operations.
- Open source. As an open-source tool, it allows users to review the source code, contribute to development, and customize the tool to meet specific needs.
Angry IP Scanner vs. Nmap
Angry IP scanner and Nmap are both powerful network scanning tools, but they cater to different user needs and levels of expertise.
Angry IP Scanner is known for its simplicity and speed, making it ideal for quick scans and basic network management tasks. It features a user-friendly interface and is suitable for users who need to identify active devices and open ports without delving into complex configurations.
On the other hand, Nmap is a more comprehensive and robust tool, widely used by security professionals for detailed network exploration and security auditing. Nmap supports a vast range of scanning techniques, detailed service and OS detection, scriptable interactions with the target, and extensive customization options through its command-line interface and scripting engine.
How to Install Angry IP Scanner?
Installing Angry IP Scanner is straightforward and can be done on various operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Windows
To install Angry IP Scanner on Windows, follow these steps:
- Download the installer. Visit the official Angry IP scanner website and navigate to the download page. Select the Windows version and download the installer package.
- Run the installer. Once the download is complete, locate the installer file (usually in your Downloads folder) and double-click it to start the installation process.
- Follow the Installation Wizard. The Angry IP Scanner Setup Wizard will open. Follow the on-screen instructions to proceed with the installation. You can choose the installation directory and decide whether to create a desktop shortcut.
- Complete the installation. After configuring your preferences, click "Install" to begin the installation. The process should only take a few moments. Once completed, click "Finish" to exit the wizard.
- Launch Angry IP scanner. You can now launch Angry IP scanner either from the desktop shortcut, if you created one, or from the Start menu under the Angry IP Scanner folder.
Linux
To install Angry IP Scanner on Linux, follow these steps:
- Download the package. Visit the Angry IP Scanner official download page and download the appropriate .deb or .rpm package for your Linux distribution.
- Open Terminal. Launch your terminal application to execute the installation commands.
- Install dependencies. Ensure you have Java Runtime Environment (JRE) installed, as Angry IP Scanner requires it to run. You can install JRE using your package manager. For example, on Ubuntu/Debian, you can run:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install default-jre- Install the Package
- For Debian-based distributions (Ubuntu, Debian), use the .deb package:
sudo dpkg -i ipscan_*.deb
sudo apt-get install -f- For Red Hat-based distributions (Fedora, CentOS), use the .rpm package:
sudo rpm -ivh ipscan-*.rpm- Run Angry IP scanner. After installation, you can launch Angry IP scanner from the application menu or by typing ipscan in the terminal.
macOS
To install Angry IP Scanner on macOS, follow these steps:
- Download the installer. Visit the official Angry IP Scanner website and navigate to the download page. Select the macOS version to download the DMG file.
- Open the DMG file. Once the download is complete, open the DMG file by double-clicking it. This will mount the disk image and open a new Finder window showing the Angry IP Scanner application.
- Move to applications folder. Drag the Angry IP scanner application icon to the Applications folder shortcut in the same Finder window. This copies the application to your Applications folder, making it accessible from the Launchpad and Spotlight.
- Open the application. Navigate to the Applications folder and double-click on Angry IP scanner to open it. The first time you open the application, you might see a security warning from macOS.
- Handle security warning. If you receive a security warning stating that the application is from an unidentified developer, go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > General tab. Here, you will see an option to open the application anyway. Click "Open Anyway" to proceed.
- Complete the installation. After handling the security warning, Angry IP scanner will open, and you can start using it for your network scanning tasks.
