LanScan 8.2.17 — macOS

When you manage a small office network, the usual scanner tells you an IP and a MAC address, and that's it. LanScan goes further. You can attach a custom comment to each device, edit host names manually, and see up to four host names per device, resolved through DNS, mDNS, and SMB. That alone saves time when you're trying to figure out which printer is which.

The deeper tools matter more. You can hide or show each column, so the table shows exactly what you need. You can open a custom URL in a browser for a selected device — handy for jumping straight to a router's admin page or a device's web interface. And LanScan automatically detects your configured interfaces, including AirPort, Ethernet, and virtual ones, so you don't have to fiddle with settings.

Scans can cover anything from a single IP range to the full IPv4 address space, with no limit on the number of devices found. It runs on Apple Silicon and 64-bit Intel Macs, under macOS 11 or later. For an experienced user, LanScan is a practical tool that gets out of your way.

Set column alignment individually for IP or MAC addresses

A few things in LanScan aren't obvious at first glance, but they come in handy once you know them. The column alignment can be set individually for each column, so if you prefer IP addresses left-aligned and MAC addresses centered, you can do that. It's a small thing, but it makes the table easier to read when you have a long list of devices.

You can also edit the host name manually for any device. LanScan resolves names through DNS, mDNS, and SMB, but sometimes the result isn't what you expect — maybe a device shows a generic name from the manufacturer. You can type in something more useful, like "Reception Printer" or "Server Room Switch," and it sticks until you change it again. The custom comment field works the same way; it's a text note that lives with that device entry. If you export results to CSV, both the edited host name and the comment come along.

The export to CSV is straightforward, but worth noting: you can choose which columns to include by hiding or showing them before you export. That way you don't end up with a spreadsheet full of columns you don't need. And if you want to open a device's web interface quickly, you set up a custom URL template once — something like http://{ip}/admin — and then select a device and click. It opens in your default browser.

Check your scanning interface when no devices show up

Most issues with LanScan come from the network itself, not the app. Here are a few I've seen:

• No devices found on the local network. Check that you're scanning the correct interface. LanScan detects AirPort, Ethernet, and virtual interfaces automatically, but if you're connected via a VPN, the virtual interface might be selected instead of your physical one. Switch to the right interface in the scan settings.
• Host names show as "unknown" or blank. This is normal for devices that don't respond to mDNS or SMB queries, or aren't in your DNS. You can still edit the host name manually. The MAC address and vendor info will still appear.
• Public range scan times out. Scanning a public subnet uses Ping, SMB, and mDNS packets, which are slower than ARP-based local scans. If you're scanning a large range, it will take time. You can narrow the range to just the IPs you need.
• Export CSV has missing data. Make sure the columns you want are visible before you export. Hidden columns don't appear in the CSV file.

A quick note: if you're scanning a network with many devices, the list can get long. You can hide columns you don't need right now to keep the view manageable.

Find a forgotten printer IP address with LanScan

Here's a situation I've seen play out. An IT support person for a small law firm gets a call: the receptionist can't print. The printer is a networked model, but nobody remembers its IP address. The IT person opens LanScan on their Mac, selects the Ethernet interface, and runs a local scan. Within a few seconds, the printer shows up with its IP, MAC address, and vendor name. The host name is something generic, so the IT person edits it to "Front Desk Printer" and adds a comment with the printer's model number and location. They then use the custom URL feature to open the printer's web interface and check the queue. Problem found — a stalled job. Cleared, and printing resumes. The edited host name and comment stay in LanScan, so next time the printer acts up, it's easy to find.

Open LanScan, select an interface, and view the device table

You open LanScan from Launchpad after copying it to Applications. The main window shows a table with columns for IP address, MAC address, host name, and vendor. At the top, you pick the interface you want to scan — it might be Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or a virtual interface if you have a VPN active. You choose a scan range: a single subnet like 192.168.1.0/24, or a broader range if you need it.

Click the scan button. Devices appear in the table as they're found. For a local network using ARP, results come quickly. For a public range, they trickle in as Ping and mDNS responses arrive. You watch the list grow, and you can already see IPs, MAC addresses, and vendor names. If a device's host name isn't helpful, you double-click the cell and type a better one. You can add a comment in the next column, maybe "Conference Room Camera" or "Marketing NAS."

When the scan finishes, you might hide the MAC column if you don't need it, or align columns so the table looks tidy. If you need to share the results, you export to CSV — but only the visible columns come through, so you make sure the right ones are showing first. Then you close the app or start another scan on a different interface.

• macOS 11 or later
• Apple Silicon or 64-bit Intel