NetInventory Documentation

Installation

System Requirements

Installation Steps

1Download NetInventory

Register for your free trial at the BinaryBridge Portal and download the NetInventory installer.

2Run the Installer

Double-click NetInventory-Setup.exe and follow the installation wizard.

3Complete Setup

The installer will create desktop and start menu shortcuts. Click Finish to launch NetInventory.

First Launch

Initial Setup

When you first launch NetInventory v2.0.2, the application will:

• Check your license status (trial or activated)
• Download the latest OUI (Organizationally Unique Identifier) database for vendor identification
• Initialize the network scanner engine
• Display the main interface ready for scanning

License Activation

Free 30-Day Trial

Your initial registration includes a full-featured 30-day trial. A trial banner will appear at the top showing days remaining.

Activating Lifetime License

After requesting an IT project quote, you'll receive your lifetime license key.

1Click the ℹ️ About button in the toolbar

2Click "Activate License"

3Enter your license key:

NETINV-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

4Click Activate (requires internet connection)

Quick Start Guide

Your First Network Scan

1Click "🔍 Scan Subnet"

This will scan your entire local network automatically detecting your subnet.

2Enter Subnet (or use auto-detected)

NetInventory will suggest your current network (e.g., 192.168.1.0/24). Click OK to start.

3Watch the Scan Progress

The progress bar at the bottom shows scan progress. Devices appear in real-time as they're discovered.

4View Results

The grid displays all discovered devices with their IP addresses, hostnames, MAC addresses, vendors, and open ports.

Subnet Scanning

Subnet scanning discovers all devices on an entire network subnet.

How to Scan a Subnet

1Click 🔍 Scan Subnet in the toolbar

2Enter the subnet in CIDR notation:

• 192.168.1.0/24 - Scans 192.168.1.1 to 192.168.1.254 (254 hosts)
• 10.0.0.0/16 - Scans 10.0.0.1 to 10.0.255.254 (65,534 hosts)
• 172.16.0.0/12 - Private network range

3Click OK to start scanning

What Gets Scanned

For each IP address in the subnet, NetInventory checks:

• Ping Response: Is the device online?
• Hostname: DNS name resolution
• MAC Address: Physical network adapter address
• Vendor: Manufacturer from MAC address OUI database
• Open Ports: Common service ports (HTTP, HTTPS, SSH, RDP, etc.)

Scan Speed

NetInventory uses optimized multi-threaded scanning:

• /24 network: ~30-60 seconds
• /16 network: Several minutes (depending on active devices)
• You can cancel scans anytime with the ⛔ Cancel Scan button

IP List & Range Scanning

Scan Specific IP List

When you know specific IP addresses to scan:

1Click 📋 Scan IP List

2Enter IP addresses, one per line:

192.168.1.1
192.168.1.10
192.168.1.50
10.0.0.1

3Click OK to scan only those IPs

Scan IP Range

For consecutive IP addresses:

1Click 🎯 Scan IP Range

2Enter start and end IP:

• Start: 192.168.1.100
• End: 192.168.1.200

3Click OK to scan the range

Port Scanning & Security Analysis

NetInventory automatically scans common ports on discovered devices and analyzes security risks.

Scanned Ports

NetInventory checks these common service ports:

Security Status Indicators

Each device receives a security status based on open ports:

• Safe: Only standard secure ports (HTTP/HTTPS)
• Warning: Some vulnerable ports detected
• Critical: High-risk ports exposed (Telnet, open databases)

Security Best Practices

• Close unnecessary open ports using firewall rules
• Replace Telnet with SSH for remote access
• Use VPNs for remote database access instead of exposing ports
• Keep only essential ports open on public-facing systems
• Regularly scan your network to detect unauthorized services

Device Discovery

Device Information Display

For each discovered device, NetInventory shows:

Vendor Identification

NetInventory uses the IEEE OUI database to identify device manufacturers from MAC addresses:

• Apple devices show as "Apple, Inc."
• Dell computers show as "Dell Inc."
• Network equipment shows manufacturer (Cisco, HP, Ubiquiti, etc.)
• Helps identify device types and potential vulnerabilities

Analytics Dashboard

The analytics dashboard provides comprehensive network insights and security analysis.

1Click 📈 Dashboard in the toolbar

2View detailed statistics and visualizations

Dashboard Features

• Device Count: Total discovered devices
• Security Overview: Devices by security status
• Vendor Distribution: Top manufacturers on your network
• Port Analysis: Most common open ports
• Risk Summary: Critical vulnerabilities to address
• Trend Charts: Network growth over time

Network Topology Map

Visualize your network structure with the interactive topology map.

1Click 🗺️ Network Map in the toolbar

2View graphical network layout

Map Features

• Visual Device Representation: Devices shown as nodes
• Security Color Coding: Green (safe), yellow (warning), red (critical)
• Interactive: Click devices for detailed information
• Vendor Grouping: Devices grouped by manufacturer
• Zoom & Pan: Navigate large networks easily

Use Cases

• Quickly identify security issues visually
• Document network topology for IT audits
• Plan network segmentation
• Identify rogue devices
• Visualize network growth

Search & Filter

Quick Search

Use the search box at the top to quickly find devices:

• Search by IP address: 192.168.1.100
• Search by hostname: SERVER01
• Search by MAC address: AA:BB:CC
• Search by vendor: Apple
• Results filter in real-time as you type

Click ✕ Clear to reset search and show all devices.

Sorting

Click any column header to sort devices:

• Sort by IP address (ascending/descending)
• Sort by device name alphabetically
• Sort by vendor
• Sort by security status to identify risks first

Device Actions

Right-click any device (or select multiple devices) to access quick actions:

Available Actions

📋 Copy Selected Rows

Copies selected device information to clipboard in tab-separated format for pasting into spreadsheets.

📝 Copy All IP Addresses

Extracts all IP addresses from selected devices for quick copying.

📡 Ping Selected Devices

Sends ICMP ping to verify device is still online and measure response time.

🌐 Open in Browser

Opens device's web interface if HTTP/HTTPS port is detected:

• Routers and access points
• Web servers
• Network cameras
• Smart home devices

🖥️ Remote Desktop (RDP)

Launches Remote Desktop Connection to device if RDP port (3389) is open.

💾 Export Selected to CSV

Exports only the selected devices to a CSV file.

⚡ Wake-on-LAN

Sends Wake-on-LAN magic packet to power on devices that support this feature:

• Device must have Wake-on-LAN enabled in BIOS
• Device must be on the same local network
• Useful for remotely powering on computers

Scheduled Scanning

NetInventory can automatically scan your network at regular intervals, detecting new devices and monitoring changes.

Enabling Scheduled Scans

1Click ⚙️ Settings in the toolbar

2Navigate to the Scheduled Scanning section

3Check "Enable Scheduled Scanning"

4Configure your preferences:

Countdown Timer

When scheduled scanning is enabled, a countdown timer appears in the main window showing time until the next scan. The timer displays:

• Green "Scanning..." - Scan in progress
• Orange "Starting soon..." - Scan starting within 5 seconds
• Purple countdown - Time remaining until next scan

Scan History

Track all network scans and monitor changes over time with the Scan History feature.

Accessing Scan History

Click 📋 Scan History in the toolbar to open the history browser.

History Features

• Color-Coded Entries:
  • 🟢 Green: New devices detected
  • 🔴 Red: Devices went offline
  • 🟡 Yellow: Both new and offline devices
  • ⚪ White: No changes
• Filter Options: View all scans, only scans with new devices, or only scans with offline devices
• Detailed View: Click any scan to see full device details
• Statistics: Total scans, new devices detected, offline events

Scan Details

Each scan entry shows:

• Scan time and duration
• Subnet scanned
• Scan type (⏰ Scheduled or 👆 Manual)
• New devices with IP, MAC, vendor, and detection time
• Offline devices with last seen time
• Returned devices (devices that came back online)

Log Management

• 📂 Open Log Folder: Access the JSON log files directly
• 🗑️ Clear History: Remove all scan history entries
• History automatically keeps the last 500 entries

Notifications

Stay informed about network changes with customizable notifications.

Notification Settings

Configure notifications in ⚙️ Settings → Notifications section:

Notification Types

• 🔔 New Device Detected: Alerts when unknown devices appear on your network
• 📴 Device Offline: Warns when monitored devices disconnect
• ✅ Scan Complete: Confirms scheduled scans have finished

System Tray

NetInventory can run in the background from the system tray, continuously monitoring your network.

System Tray Settings

Configure in ⚙️ Settings → System Tray section:

Tray Icon Menu

Right-click the tray icon to access:

• 📊 Open NetInventory: Restore the main window
• 🔍 Scan Now: Trigger an immediate network scan
• 📋 Scan History: Open the history browser
• ⏰ Next Scan: Shows countdown to next scheduled scan
• 📱 Devices: Current device count
• ❌ Exit: Close NetInventory completely

Background Monitoring

With system tray enabled, NetInventory will:

• Continue scheduled scans in the background
• Show balloon notifications for new devices
• Update device count in the tray menu
• Use minimal system resources

Export to CSV

Export All Devices

Click 📊 Export CSV in the toolbar to export all discovered devices.

Export Selected Devices

Select specific devices, right-click, and choose 💾 Export Selected to CSV.

CSV Format

The CSV file includes all device information:

Hostname,IP Address,MAC Address,Vendor,Open Ports,Security Status
SERVER01,192.168.1.10,AA:BB:CC:DD:EE:FF,Dell Inc.,"80,443",Safe
PRINTER,192.168.1.20,11:22:33:44:55:66,HP Inc.,"80,9100",Safe

Use Cases for Export

• Documentation: IT audit reports
• Asset Management: Import into asset tracking systems
• Security Analysis: Share with security team
• Network Planning: IP address management
• Compliance: Network inventory for regulatory requirements

Reports

Generate comprehensive reports combining scan data with dashboard analytics.

Report Types

• Network Inventory Report: Complete device list
• Security Assessment Report: Vulnerability analysis
• Vendor Report: Devices by manufacturer
• Port Analysis Report: Open port statistics

Reports can be exported as:

• CSV for data analysis
• PDF for documentation (via print to PDF)

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

NetInventory Won't Start

Solutions:

• Verify .NET 8.0 Runtime is installed
• Run as Administrator (right-click → Run as administrator)
• Check Windows Event Viewer for errors
• Reinstall the application

No Devices Detected

Possible causes:

• Firewall blocking: Allow NetInventory through Windows Firewall
• Wrong subnet: Verify you're scanning the correct network range
• Network isolation: Some networks block scanning between devices
• VPN active: Disconnect VPN to scan local network

Scan is Very Slow

Solutions:

• Scan smaller subnets (use /24 instead of /16)
• Use IP List for specific devices instead of full subnet
• Check network congestion
• Adjust scan settings in Settings menu

License Activation Failed

Solutions:

• Check internet connection
• Verify license key was entered correctly
• Disable firewall temporarily
• Contact support if issue persists

Port Scanning Not Working

Possible causes:

• Target device has firewall blocking port scans
• Network administrator has disabled port scanning
• Windows Firewall blocking outbound connections
• Ensure you have authorization to scan the network

Getting Help

Need assistance?

• Email: support@binarybridge.ca
• Phone: 416-835-4777
• Online: Contact Form

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does NetInventory cost?

The 30-day trial is completely free with all features. Contact our sales team for pricing information after your trial.

How many devices can I scan?

There's no limit. NetInventory can scan entire /8 networks (16 million hosts) though we recommend breaking large networks into smaller subnets for faster results.

Does it work offline?

NetInventory works offline for scanning local networks. Internet is only needed for license activation and OUI database updates.

Is port scanning legal?

Port scanning your own network is legal. Always ensure you have proper authorization before scanning networks you don't own or manage.

What's the difference between NetInventory and ITInventory?

NetInventory is a network discovery and security scanner for identifying devices and vulnerabilities. ITInventory is our asset management system for tracking IT equipment, licenses, and loans. Compare features

Can I save scan results?

Yes! Export to CSV for long-term storage, or use the dashboard to track network changes over time.

Will this detect rogue devices?

Yes. By scanning your network regularly, you can identify unauthorized devices that shouldn't be on your network.

Can I schedule automatic scans?

Yes! NetInventory supports scheduled scanning. Go to Settings → Scheduled Scanning to configure automatic scans at regular intervals (from every 5 minutes to once daily). You can also enable notifications to alert you when new devices are detected.

Does it scan wireless networks?

Yes. NetInventory scans all devices on your network regardless of whether they're wired or wireless.

How accurate is the vendor identification?

Very accurate. NetInventory uses the official IEEE OUI database which is maintained by device manufacturers.