Controlling which devices are connected to your network is much more important than it seems at first glance. Knowing how to discover the IPs on your local network allows you to improve security, prevent intruders and resolve connection failures Without driving yourself crazy trying random things. Whether you have a small home network, an office with several computers, or even want to locate a specific device like an electric car charger, knowing IP addresses is the first step to getting organized.
Throughout this article we will see, in great detail, the most practical ways to do it from mobile phone, PC, router, Command line and advanced toolsYou'll see apps for Android and iOS, free programs for Windows, Linux, and macOS, commands like arp o nmap...and even more comprehensive network management utilities. The idea is that, by the end, you'll have an arsenal of methods to find any IP address connecting to your local network.
What is an IP address and why should you be interested in discovering the ones on your network?
Before we start scanning the web, it's worth being clear about exactly what we're looking for. An IP address is the numerical identifier that each device receives within a network, something like their “digital license plate” to be able to communicate with the rest.
In any home or office network, two main types of addresses coexist: Public IP and private IPThe public IP address is the one shared by your entire network with the Internet (the one a website sees when you connect), while private IP addresses are the ones used by the router to identify each connected device within the local network.
These private IPs are usually assigned automatically by the router through DHCPand they follow typical ranges such as 192.168.0.x, 192.168.1.x o 10.0.0.x. Knowing the IP address of each device is key to configuring services, opening ports, applying security rules, or detect suspicious equipment that are sneaking onto your WiFi.
Imagine, for example, that you want to locate the network point to which someone connected an old device via Ethernet in a control cabinet, or that you need to find the IP address of a deskphone or VoIP equipment to register it in the switchboard. Without knowing the IP address assigned to that device, it's virtually impossible to manage it properly..
Discover the IPs of your local network from your mobile device
If you have your smartphone or tablet handy, there are several apps that make the task much easier. These applications automatically scan the WiFi network you are connected to and return a list of all active IPs.along with device names, manufacturers, and even equipment type.
It's an ideal option if you don't want to turn on your computer. Or if you simply want a quick look at who is connected to your home network, office, or your electric car charger access point.
Network Analyzer and IP Scanner on iPhone, iPad and Mac
Within the Apple ecosystem you have several alternatives, but one of the best known is Network Analyzer, available on the App Store for iPhone, iPad and even Mac, and there's also the app IP Scanner, very popular among iOS and macOS users.
With these apps you can Run a scan of the WiFi network you're connected to and get a full list of connected IPsIn addition, they usually display the device name, MAC address, and, in many cases, the network adapter manufacturer.
The usage is similar in all of them, so the general process would be this: You download the app from the Apple Store, connect to your WiFi, open the application, and run a network scan.In a matter of seconds you will have identified mobile phones, computers, smart TVs, printers, IP cameras, etc.
These apps stand out because They present the information in a very visual and organized way.This is something that's appreciated when you're not a system administrator but want to see at a glance if there's a "stowaway" sucking up bandwidth on your connection.
Network IP Scanner and other apps for Android
Android also offers powerful tools for analyzing your local network. One of them is Network IP Scannerwhich you can download for free from Google Play and which has become a classic for this type of task.
Its operation is simple: You install the app, connect your mobile phone or tablet to the WiFi network you want to analyze, and launch a scan.The application scans the IP range of your local network and shows you which addresses are in use.
On many Android devices, Network IP Scanner and other similar apps (such as Fing or Network Analyzer's own Android version) also allow Identify the device name associated with each IP address, its MAC address, and the manufacturer.This makes it easier to distinguish what each thing is: your Smart TV, your laptop, the network printer, the NAS, etc.
The good thing about these mobile solutions is that They do not require complicated configuration or installation of additional componentsSimply download them, click "scan," and you're done. They're perfect for quick use, both on home networks and in small offices.
Discover the IPs of your local network from your PC using specific programs
When you're in front of a computer, you have even more tools at your disposal to get a complete list of IPs on your local network. Windows, macOS, and Linux have specialized applications for scanning address ranges, detecting devices, and displaying additional data. very useful for administration and diagnosis.
Some of these utilities are designed for advanced users and system administrators, but others are so intuitive that Anyone can use them to see what's connected to their router. without major complications.
Angry IP Scanner: fast, simple and cross-platform
One of the best-known network scanners is Angry IP ScannerAvailable for Windows, macOS, and Linux, it's lightweight, free, and notable for its speed in scanning IP ranges.
With Angry IP Scanner you can Define a range of addresses (for example, 192.168.1.0 to 192.168.1.255) and let the program check which IPs are active, which ports are open, and which hostnames are responding.The result is a very clear table with IP addresses, names, ping response, and other optional information.
The typical process involves Download the installer from the official website, run it, open the application, and select the network range you want to explore.Next, click on “Start” or “Begin” and in a few seconds you will have a list of connected devices.
Angry IP Scanner can also display fields such as Device ID, manufacturer, or other detailsDepending on how you configure it, this makes it a very useful tool for inventorying your network or locating equipment that you haven't yet identified.
Advanced IP Scanner and IP Scanner for Windows networks
Another very popular alternative in Windows environments is Advanced IP ScannerThis free program focuses on analyzing LAN networks and offers, in addition to IP detection, Quick access to shared folders, FTP servers, and remote control features.
Advanced IP Scanner is capable of integrate with RDP and Radmin software to control equipment remotely or even turn them off remotelyprovided you have the appropriate permissions. This makes it one of those tools that any network administrator should have readily available.
Its use is very straightforward: You install the program (or use its portable version), run it, check the IP range it automatically detects, and click on "Explore".When finished, you will see a list of connected IP addresses, with hostname, status, shared resources, and other relevant information.
In addition, there are versions of IP scanners specifically designed to detect devices such as PCs, smartphones, or IP phones in business telephony environments. These versions allow you to scan the network to locate deskphones or VoIP devices that you will then have to configure in the switchboard or PBX.
NetSetMan Network Scanner: the “all-in-one” for Windows networks
Within the Windows ecosystem there is a very interesting suite called NetSetManwhich includes, among other features, a fairly powerful network scanner. It's designed as a "Swiss Army knife" for managing network profiles, but its scanning tool is especially useful for discovering IPs on the local network.
The NetSetMan scanner allows Analyze networks in both IPv4 and IPv6, by IP range, by subnet (CIDR), or using cached ARP and NDP resultsDuring the analysis, it collects details such as the device name, workgroup or domain, MAC address, detected operating system, and available shared resources.
One of its advantages is that You can directly open network resources (shared folders, RDP connections, HTTP/HTTPS, FTP, etc.) from the scan resultsas well as exporting the information to formats such as HTML or TXT.
It also includes advanced features such as Wake-On-LAN for remote power-on, power-off, or rebooting of computers (with administrator privileges), a favorites list for specific IPs, and multithreaded processing. to speed up scans on large networks.
Use the router to view connected IPs
Another very useful resource, which many people overlook, is the router itself. The vast majority of modern routers include a section where you can see all connected devices, both via WiFi and Ethernet cable., along with its assigned IP address.
To access, you normally have to Open a browser and type your router's IP address into the address bar.The most common ones are usually 192.168.1.1 o 192.168.0.1However, this may vary depending on the model. Once you enter the address, the router will ask for your username and password.
Using administrator credentials (which can be those given to you by your Internet provider or those you configured yourself), You enter the web interface and look for sections such as “Connected Devices”, “LAN”, “DHCP Client List”, “Local Network” or similar.From there you can see the IP address of each device and, in some cases, the device name and manufacturer.
The advantage of this method is that You don't need to install any additional programs on either your mobile phone or PC.Furthermore, it is especially reliable, since the router is the one that distributes private IPs and keeps a fairly accurate record of who is connected.
This approach is perfect for regularly checking your network, verifying if there are devices you don't recognize, or detecting if someone has connected to your WiFi without permission. If you find suspicious IPs, you can change the WiFi password or configure filters by MAC address. to restrict access.
Discover IPs from the terminal or CMD (Windows, Linux and macOS)
If you have even a basic understanding of the console, you have very powerful commands available to list IPs and diagnose network problems. Tools like arp, nmap, ping, ipconfig, or nast can give you a very accurate map of your local networkas well as helping you detect configuration errors.
The advantage of these commands is that They do not depend on graphical interfaces and work equally well in home and professional environments.They are ideal for automated scripts, recurring tasks, or for quickly retrieving information on servers without a graphical environment.
List IPs using ARP from CMD in Windows
In Windows, a classic way to see which IP addresses are on your network is by using the command ARPThis command manages the table that relates IP addresses with physical (MAC) addresses of the equipment, using the system cache.
To use it, first open the Command Prompt (CMD)You can search for "CMD" in the Start menu or type it into the search bar. It is not necessary to run it as administrator for this task.
Once inside, simply type arp -a and press Enter. The system will return a list of IPs that have recently communicated with your computer., along with its MAC address and the input type (dynamic or static).
Note that ARP only shows addresses that have already had some type of traffic with your computer.Therefore, to obtain a more complete table, it is usually a good idea to first ping the entire network range or use another tool that generates traffic, and then repeat. arp -a.
Discover IPs with NMap and WinPcap
In the world of network analysis and security, nmap It's a true standard. It's an open-source tool that allows explore networks, find active devices, identify services, and detect potential vulnerabilities.
In Windows, it is usually accompanied by WinPcap (or its successor Npcap) to efficiently capture network traffic. On Linux and macOS, Nmap is usually available directly from the official repositories.
A typical use of Nmap for discovering IPs is the "ping sweep" scan, which is launched with -sP o -sn depending on the version. For example, in a network with a range 10.0.0.0/24 You could run:
nmap -sP 10.0.0.0/24
With this command, NMap It scans all directions within the range and shows which ones respond.In other words, which IPs are in use. It's a very practical way to know which devices are active on your LAN without having to run aggressive port scans.
In typical home networks, you would replace 10.0.0.0/24 by 192.168.1.0/24 o 192.168.0.0/24, depending on your router settings.
Nast and NMap on Linux to obtain IPs and MACs
In Linux systems, in addition to Nmap, you have tools like nast which further simplifies obtaining a list of connected devices. With a simple:
sudo apt install nast nmap
You can install both utilities on Debian-based distributions, and then use:
sudo nast -m
for nast scan the network and return all devices with their IP and MAC addresses at the terminal. It's a very straightforward way to have a quick inventory without too many advanced options.
Another typical option, using only NMap, would be:
nmap -sP 192.168.1.0/24 | grep "scan"
that Filter the lines that indicate which IP address is being scanned and presents you with a compact list of active addresses. This combination is very common in scripts and automations.
Ping, ipconfig, and other useful commands
In addition to massive discovery tools, it's worth remembering classics such as ping o ipconfig (in Windows) that remain indispensable for diagnosing problems on your local network.
The command ping It serves for check if an IP address or domain responds correctlyIt sends ICMP packets to the destination and measures whether and how long they arrive. For example:
ping 192.168.1.50 o ping www.google.es
If you ping a domain and it responds, in addition to the response times, you'll see the IP address associated with that name. If, however, you get an error when pinging a domain, you might have DNS server problems which translates names to IPs.
For its part, ipconfig (o ifconfig/ip a (on Linux and macOS) shows your own team's network configurationLocal IP address, subnet mask, gateway, DNS, etc. ipconfig /all In Windows you will get comprehensive details, including the MAC address, DHCP lease times, and other parameters.
Other commands such as netstat, nslookup, tracert or route They complete the set of utilities to understand how traffic flows and where faults may be in your local network and Internet.
Discovering IPs in more complex networks: Azure, VPNs, and remote links
In corporate environments or when you work with the cloud, things get a little more complicated. If you have a server in Azure connected to your local network via a point-to-site VPN, you can also view and manage the IP devices on your LAN from that remote server.But you need to have your network configuration finely tuned.
For this to work, you must first make sure that The routes between your local network and the Azure virtual network are correctly configured.This involves checking the routing table in Azure to ensure it includes a specific route to your local network through the VPN gateway.
Equally important is that Firewall rules and network security groups (NSGs) allow traffic between the server in Azure and devices on your LANIf these filters block traffic, no matter how well you have the VPN set up, you won't see anything.
Regarding access by name instead of IP, it is essential that The DNS resolution is properly configured between both networksYou can choose a DNS server accessible from both sides or configure forwarders between the DNS servers on your local network and the Azure virtual network.
Once everything is in place, you can use standard commands from the Azure server such as ping, tracert, or even more advanced tools like nmap To scan and list devices on your local network through the VPN. Reviewing logs and diagnostics, both in Azure and the VPN client, will help you troubleshoot if you don't see the IPs you expect.
This scenario demonstrates that IP discovery is not limited to just your home or physical officebut it also comes into play when your infrastructure extends to the cloud and you need to maintain control of the entire setup.
