Command line

The Network Scanner supports a number of command-line switches for automation. Use them as netscan.exe /switch1 /switch2 … /switchN

Scanning and exporting

/auto:filename.[txt|htm|xml|csv|json|db]

Runs a scan with global settings and exports the results to a file. The file format is determined by the extension. The .db extension produces a SQLite database with a DEVICE table (one column per visible scan column) and a SHARE table (name, attributes and a foreign key to the device). Examples:

netscan.exe /hide /auto:"c:\desktop\result.txt"

netscan.exe /hide /auto:"c:\desktop\result.htm"

netscan.exe /hide /auto:"c:\desktop\result.csv"

To run a scan without exporting, specify /auto without a parameter. You can include date/time tokens in the file name using any combination of the following, each enclosed between two percent signs: y, yy, yyyy, m, mm, mmm, mmmm, d, dd, ddd, dddd, h, hh, n, nn, s, ss. For example:

netscan.exe /hide /auto:"scan_%yyyy%%mm%%dd%_time_%hh%%nn%.csv"

/live:filename.[txt|htm|xml|csv|db]

Similar to /auto, but leaves the application running with background scanning enabled. The specified file is updated after every complete round, so it always reflects the latest state.

/hide

Hides the main window (silent mode). If launched from a command prompt, progress is displayed in the console. For better readability, use:

start /wait netscan.exe /hide /auto:"result.csv"

/config:filename.xml

Loads the specified XML configuration file into the application.

/mpass:secretpassword

Specifies the decryption password for an encrypted configuration file, avoiding interactive prompts.

/load:filename.xml

Loads the specified XML result set into the application. Can be combined with /auto to rescan and re-export.

/range:from-to

Sets an IP address range for scanning. Multiple ranges should be comma-separated. To pass a non-contiguous range, append #N. Examples:

netscan.exe /range:192.168.0.1-192.168.10.254

netscan.exe /range:10.64.1.1-10.64.5.10#N

/range:type

Automatically detects IP address ranges. Valid types are all, v4 and v6. For example, /range:v4 detects all available IPv4 ranges.

/file:filename.txt

Loads IP addresses from a text file and uses them as scan targets. Use with /auto or /live. The file format is the same as described in scan ranges.

/cols:col1;col2;col3

Exports only the specified columns. Otherwise all visible columns are exported. Example:

netscan.exe /hide /auto:result.csv /cols:"Host Name;MAC Address"

/append

Applies to /auto for text and CSV files. Appends results to the file instead of overwriting it.

/merge

Applies to /auto for text and CSV files. Merges results with those already in the file; lines are sorted and duplicates removed.

/splitmv

Applies to /auto for text and CSV files. Splits cells with multiple comma-separated values into separate rows.

/sharetype:type

Filters the exported shares by type. Specify one or more letters to include only matching shares: C (common), R (restricted), W (writable), A (administrative) and P (printer). Letters can be combined, e.g. /sharetype:CW includes common and writable shares only.

Wake-On-LAN

/wol:mac

Sends a Wake-On-LAN magic packet to the specified MAC address and immediately exits. Example:

netscan.exe /wol:AABBCCDDEEFF

/wolfile:filename.txt

Sends WOL packets to all MAC addresses listed in the specified text file (one per line) and exits.

/wakeall

Sends a WOL packet to all devices configured in the WOL manager and exits.

Batch file creation

The Network Scanner can generate batch scripts for running commands against multiple devices. Select one or more devices in the results, then choose Actions → Create Batch File.

In the command template, use %0 for the IP address, %1 for the share name, or [column] to refer to any column. Built-in examples are provided:

• Disable a service
• Copy files to a remote device
• Add a value to the registry

Click Preview to see the generated batch file, Save to write it to disk, or Copy to copy it to the clipboard.