Today we are talking about network port checker, we will start with a brief intro, how to scan a port, and introduce you with 6 port checker to choose from.

Introduction

A Port Checker is a software used to scan open ports on a specific network. Port scanning is used for many different purposes. On a very basic level, they are used to determine whether or not a port is opened to receive the data or not.

These types of programs are used by big companies through their software programmers and network administrators for various purposes which can range from basic troubleshooting to identifying security loopholes. They can also be used by an everyday user to scan their own network to find any kind of vulnerability before a red hat finds it.

They are the best tools for identifying security risks and for testing out network security. It can detect whether or not there is a firewall in place in a network and most of the time they use TCP protocols. Today we have brought you some of the best network port checkers out there.

How to Scan a Port

Port scanning involves five different steps:

• First, you need to have active hosts. You cannot scan a port without active network hosts. Network scanning can discover it.
• Map the active hosts to their IP addresses to trace
• The third step involves sending packets to the concerned ports on the host network to see if everything is working and if the ports are opened
• The fourth step involves a detailed analysis of your raw data
• Then, with all the data that you will receive regarding the running services of the network, you will be able to identify the potential vulnerabilities

The advantage of these port scanners is that they are able to connect to a wide range of IP addresses and ports. Furthermore, they provide different types of port scans which include, but are not limited to, TCP scans, Stealth scanning, Basic scans, etc.

6 Network Port Checker Tools To Use

1.      Angry IP Scanner

Angry IP Scanner is an awesome tool for small and Fortune 500 businesses. It is also used by agencies, governments, and different banks.

This is a port checker that can scan all the internet as well as your local network. Coming in support for all the known and widely used platforms like Windows, Linux, and Macintosh, this free and open-source software will work marvelously and won’t need any kind of hefty installation.

Features

• Allowing you to get details results in any kind of format
• Can be extended in combination with other data grabbers
• CMD interface for the programmers
• Very intuitive and easy to use

Verdict

Angry IP Scanner is a freely distributed and open-source tool. A tool that in use for network scanning and supports all the major platforms. Its ability to run with other data fetchers makes it highly customizable and limitless.

 

2.      SolarWinds Port Scanner

SolarWinds Port Scanner is another tool that is completely free to use with all its features enabled. It performs well in identifying network vulnerabilities through scanning the IP addresses and their concerning TCP/UDP ports. As it is a commercial tool, it also comes with a very nice Network configuration manager.

Features

• Support for multithreading operation greatly reduces time to scan
• Has a command-line interface
• Can spoof with the DNS of your own choice
• It can track the endpoint user and track the connection
• Can edit the IANA port definitions.

Verdict

SolarWinds Port Scanner is a high quality free commercial tool for spotting different vulnerabilities. The good thing is that the network manager gives detailed data on each of the IP addresses.

 

3.      Advanced Port Scanner

Advanced Port Scanner is a free and open-source tool only for Windows. It can conveniently scan the network and ports while allowing you to get a detailed analysis of the scanned ports.

Features

• Can identify all running programs on the scanned ports
• Supports remote access and executing commands on the computer
• Fast multithreaded operation
• Supports remote PC shutdown and wake

Verdict

Those of you who like fast network scanning without wasting any time, the Advanced Port Scanner is something you should consider.

 

4.      Nmap

Nmap is the best choice for network engineers and system admins. This can also be used by developers to spot loopholes in their codes in comparison to the network they are working on. It is one of the most widely use tools, an open-source, and can be used for free. It supports Windows, Mac, and Linux. Nmap is widely in use for security auditing on remote networks.

Features

• Able to discover potential vulnerabilities
• Discovers all ports on specific networks
• Gives all details about the OS and OS version with all the network protocols
• Able to identify running apps

Verdict

Nmap is a network security and security auditing tool. That also use for network inventory, managing service upgrade schedules, and monitoring host or service.

 

5.      MiTeC Scanner

MiTeC Scanner is an easy to use tool for general users and system admins as well. It comes with many advanced features such as NetBios, SNMP, and ICMP scanning. It provides many scanning options such as a Mac Address scan and remote login as well.

Features

• PingSweep support
• Scans for all TCP and UDP ports
• Resource sharing enabled
• Able to detect SNMP devices with all their basic properties
• Export in CSV format
• Broad based scanning

Verdict

MiTeC Scanner is a tool that more than a million users use, which includes general users and system admins. Coming with many advanced features, it provides many port scanning options.

 

6.      NetCat

NetCat is a back-end security tool that uses the TCP IP connection to scan for ports and read or write data across many connections. It can also be use as an effective debugging tool as well as a network grabber tool.

Features

• Support for both incoming and outgoing connections
• Both TCP and UDP ports are accessible
• Tunneling mode for secure access
• Randomizer allows us to randomly scan fast for ports

Verdict

NetCat is a net scrapper cum scanner for use with Linux. Coming with full functionality, this is a very powerful tool for checking ports.

 

Final Words

In this article, we have provided a list of some of the highly useful network port checker. The 6 that in use by many system administrators and general users as well. These tools will be highly useful in determining the security issues with your network and will also provide multipurpose functionality.