What Advanced IP Scanner does well
Advanced IP Scanner, made by Famatech (the company behind Radmin), is one of the most downloaded network scanners for Windows. It is free, it starts quickly and it does its core job well:
- Scans an IP range and lists live hosts with name, IP, MAC address and manufacturer.
- Shows shared folders and lets you open HTTP, FTP and RDP connections to a host.
- Can wake or shut down remote computers and export the list.
For a one-off "what is on this subnet?" check, it is a good choice and we would not tell you otherwise.
Why people look for an alternative
The searches we see from IT technicians and MSPs come down to a few recurring needs that a plain IP list does not cover:
- "Which of these 120 devices is the firewall, and which are cameras?" A list of IPs with a vendor name still leaves you guessing.
- "Every client's firewall is on 192.168.1.1." Saving passwords by IP breaks the moment you visit the second office.
- "I need to hand the client a report." A CSV is not something you can give a business owner.
- "Is anything on this network dangerous?" Open Telnet, FTP or RDP, a rogue DHCP server or ARP spoofing are things you want flagged, not found by accident.
- "I want a map." Seeing the gateway, switches and devices on one picture is faster than reading rows.
Advanced IP Scanner vs Madconfig
| Feature | Advanced IP Scanner | Madconfig |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free 5-day trial, then a one-PC licence |
| Windows 10 / 11 | Yes | Yes (also on Microsoft Store) |
| IP, MAC, vendor, hostname | Yes | Yes |
| Finds devices that block ping | Partly (ARP on the local subnet) | ICMP + ARP + mDNS + NetBIOS + TCP probes together |
| Device type (firewall, camera, NVR, printer, NAS, IoT) | No | 10 categories, 40+ brands |
| Topology map | No | Live radial map |
| Security audit with score | No | Score out of 100 + findings |
| Saved logins per office (by MAC, not IP) | No | Encrypted vault, auto-login |
| Client report | CSV / HTML / XML list | PDF, HTML report with map, Excel workbook |
| Monitor with alerts | No | Windows notification when a device joins or drops |
| Remote shutdown, Radmin | Yes | No (Wake-on-LAN only) |
| Works offline, no account | Yes | Yes |
Based on the public feature lists of each product in November 2026. Tell us at [email protected] if something changed.
What Madconfig adds for IT teams
It tells you what each device is
Madconfig probes 30 common ports per host and matches the answers with vendor data, so a device shows up as FortiGate firewall or Hikvision NVR, not just "192.168.1.64". Firewalls get their admin panel one click away.
It remembers the right password for each office
Each office is recognised by its gateway, and device logins are saved by MAC address, encrypted with Windows (DPAPI). Visit the next client with the same 192.168.1.1 and Madconfig will not offer the wrong password; if a different device now sits on a saved IP, it warns you.
It audits the network
You get a score out of 100 with findings such as open Telnet, FTP, VNC, RDP or database ports, ARP spoofing, a rogue DHCP server and weak Wi-Fi. That turns a scan into a conversation with the client.
It produces something you can hand over
Export a PDF or HTML report with the topology map, or an Excel workbook with a sheet per device category.
Which one should you use?
- Choose Advanced IP Scanner if you only need a quick free list of hosts, or you rely on Radmin and remote shutdown.
- Choose Madconfig if you look after several offices, need to find cameras and firewalls fast, want saved logins that don't mix up sites, or need a report for the client.
Many technicians keep both. The Madconfig trial unlocks every feature for 5 days, so scan one of your real sites and compare the results yourself.
Only scan networks you own or are authorised to manage. Madconfig reads the network; it does not crack passwords.