Quick Start

Get up and running with NetScan in under 5 minutes. This guide covers the essentials to start scanning your network.

Step 1: Install NetScan

Install NetScan with a single command:

Terminal 
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/G1A1B1E/NetScan/main/install.sh | bash

The installer will:

  • Download NetScan to ~/.netscan
  • Install dependencies (nmap, python3)
  • Create the netscan command
📦 Alternative: Docker

If you prefer Docker, run:

docker run --rm --network host --cap-add NET_RAW ghcr.io/g1a1b1e/netscan

Step 2: Verify Installation

Make sure NetScan is installed correctly:

netscan --version

You should see:

NetScan v2.0.0 - Network Discovery & MAC Lookup Tool

Step 3: Look Up a MAC Address

Find the vendor for any MAC address:

netscan -l 00:50:56:C0:00:08

Output:

MAC Address: 00:50:56:C0:00:08
Vendor: VMware, Inc.
OUI: 00:50:56

Try different formats - they all work:

# Colons
netscan -l 00:50:56:C0:00:08

# Dashes
netscan -l 00-50-56-C0-00-08

# No separators
netscan -l 005056C00008

Step 4: Scan Your Network

Discover all devices on your local network:

netscan -s

Example output:

Scanning 192.168.1.0/24...

IP Address      MAC Address         Hostname        Vendor
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
192.168.1.1     00:11:22:AA:BB:CC   router.local    Netgear
192.168.1.10    AC:DE:48:00:11:22   macbook.local   Apple, Inc.
192.168.1.15    B8:27:EB:12:34:56   raspberrypi     Raspberry Pi
192.168.1.20    00:50:56:C0:00:08   vm-server       VMware, Inc.

Found 4 devices in 12.3 seconds
💡 Tip: Some scanning features require elevated privileges. If you don't see all devices: 
sudo netscan -s

Step 5: Try the Interactive Menu

For a guided experience, just run:

netscan

This opens the interactive menu:

╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║                    NetScan - Network Discovery Tool                        ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝

  1) MAC Address Lookup          - Look up vendor by MAC address
  2) Scan Network (Quick)        - Fast network discovery
  3) Scan Network (Full)         - Deep scan with port detection
  4) View Network Interfaces     - Show available interfaces
  5) Monitor Network             - Real-time network monitoring
  6) Export Results              - Export scan data to file
  7) Start Web Interface         - Launch browser-based interface
  8) Settings                    - Configure NetScan
  9) Update OUI Database         - Download latest vendor data
  0) Exit

Enter choice:

Step 6: Start the Web Interface

For a browser-based experience:

netscan -w

Then open http://localhost:8080 in your browser.

Custom port:

netscan -w -p 9000

What's Next?

Now that you have NetScan running, explore these features:

🔍 Deep Scanning

Use -f for full scans with port detection.

Learn more →

📊 Export Results

Export to JSON, CSV, or HTML reports.

Learn more →

👁️ Monitoring

Watch for new devices joining your network.

Learn more →

🐍 Python API

Integrate NetScan into your Python scripts.

Learn more →

🐳 Docker

Run in containers for easy deployment.

Learn more →

⚡ Performance

Compile Rust module for 10-100x speedup.

Learn more →

Quick Reference

Common commands at a glance:

Command Description
netscan Interactive menu
netscan -l MAC Look up MAC address
netscan -s Quick network scan
netscan -f Full scan with ports
netscan -w Start web interface
netscan -m Monitor mode
netscan -s --json Output as JSON
netscan --help Show all options