SoftPerfect Scans Networks from a USB Drive.

A good network scanner digs deep into any network it’s pointed at and opens it up for you to get into. SoftPerfect Network Scanner does those things, can do them from a thumb drive, and is a good deal less intimidating than some other scanner apps out there. The small program lays out its network findings in an easy-to-grasp manner, and can be expanded to show you more than just names and addresses. Weighing in at less than 1MB, it makes a great addition to any thumb drive, especially for anyone often called upon to figure out what’s up with the router. Check out some of SoftPerfect’s deeper options and offerings below.

After grabbing and installing the stand-alone executable, you’ll see that SoftPerfect can do some pretty basic system-finding and exploration. Head to “Options” and choose “Auto Detect Local IP Range” to save yourself the typing. On most home networks, if you’re prompted for an interface choice, pick the one that starts with 192.168. Hit “Start scanning,” and you’re off.

SoftPerfect Network Scanner is a free download for Windows systems only.

SoftPerfect Network Scanner