NetScan Version Build 1.15M
for Windows 9x/NT/2000
March 02, 2001

Description

Benifits of NetScan

Installation

Uninstallation

What's New

How to Use

Known Problems

About the Author

Revision History

Company History

Support & Contact Information

 

 

 

 

Description

This software is © Tang Yu Feng 1999-2001. Before using it, please read this file and License.txt carefully.

NetScan is written to scan through a subset of the Network Neighborhood on the Windows platform. You can specify a full scan, a partial scan by editing a target list of workgroup names or computer names, or an IP range scan. All these three modes support the option of an exclude list. You can locate some files with reasonable speed in a huge pool of resources shared among the Intranet of your company or school. Results might be published on a web server as a snapshot of the Intranet for repeated queries.

NetScan is SHAREWARE. You may use this software during a test period of 30 days. Following this test period of 30 days or less, if you find NetScan useful and like to keep it, please register. Registration encourages further development and good support.

It costs US$12.95 only to get a personal license. Registration involves supplying an email address at which to receive update notifications. Free upgrades will be offered for as long as possible to registered users. You are not encouraged to transfer or publish the scanned result generated by NetScan if you have acquired only a personal license. This is possible with a group license, which is open to negotiation.

In this shareware version, there will be a registration notice displayed each time you startup or shutdown NetScan. Besides this, there are no more any other missing features.

 

 

Benefits of NetScan

If you are using Windows and have your PC on a LAN, you might frequently share interesting files with others and browse through the Network Neighborhood for files shared by others. You have to explore one by one. Sometimes when you click on a computer, your PC keeps busy for a while and lets you wait at the same time, finally, it pops up an error message saying "this computer is not accessible". A typical LAN disappointment. If you agree with me, NetScan might be for you.

NetScan helps you know what is being shared in the Network Neighborhood, which usually contains a substantial number of workgroups and computers. Manual browsing will be a very time-consuming task and you have to bear with all kinds of network problems at the same time. NetScan will take a snapshot of the network and let you find files off-line. You then can go and fetch what you want quickly.

If a group license is present, someone could share the scanned result among the Intranet using a web server or the like, there is no need for everyone to scan through the whole neighborhood to avoid congestion if there is any as long as that copy of result can be updated regularly. Web publishing scripts using ASP are included with NetScan.

 

 

Installation

No need. You prefer? :) Do extract all the files to the same directory.

 

 

Uninstallation

No need. Just delete the entire folder.

 

 

What's New

  1. Scanning speed is much improved.
  2. Indication of elapsed and estimated time is added.
  3. Scanning modes are updated to three: full scan mode, target list mode and IP range mode. Each mode supports the option of an exclude list.
  4. Editing of target list is added. Target list can be saved, loaded or parsed from host names mapped from IPs during last scanning with IP range mode.
  5. Progress indication for target list is added.
  6. Editing of exclude list is added. Exclude list can be saved, loaded or edit directly.
  7. Statistics of last scanning including information on non-authenticated targets, skipped targets due to ping timeout or manual forcing, non-existing targets and password-protected share folders are displayed to facilitate the editing of the exclude list.
  8. Reverse lookup of the workgroup that one machine belongs to is implemented.
  9. Two ping-first-before-connection options are included. Do-not-ping-first option is retained.
  10. Option to skip current workgroup or computer is added. Whether to add skipped current workgroup or computer to the exclude list for the next scan can be decided.
  11. No more missing features in this shareware version.
  12. More categories are introduced when logging everything into the database, including "Text", "Compressed", "Script", "Coding", "MSAccess", "MSExcel", "MSPowerPoint", "MSVisio", "Executable".
  13. Modified web publishing scripts.
  14. Interface is changed slightly and various small fixes are done.

 

 

How to Use

Step 1. Select the mode of scanning:

  1. Full Mode -- to scan all visually available resources. Exclude list is optional.
  2. Target List Mode -- to scan listed targets by specifying "GROUP1;\\COMA;\\COMB;GROUP2;", which is formed by editing the target list. Exclude list is optional.
  3. IP Range Mode -- to scan an IP range by specifying "[192.68.100.0- 192.68.105.255]". Exclude list is optional.

*****Hint!*****
Target list can be parsed from host names mapped from IPs during last scanning with IP range mode.

Exclude list can be enabled and edited with help of statistics of last scanning.

Both lists can be saved and loaded.


Step 2. Choose the logging styles:

  1. Txt File -- to write results to a plain text file, which is potentially huge. You'd better use editors like UltraEdit to view it.
  2. Access Mdb -- to write results to a database file, which can be viewed, queried, searched at offline.

*****Hint!*****
You may edit NetScan.mdb to customise your database query, report etc. Do NOT change the design of the tables. If you feel the tables are inefficient, e-mail me.


Step 3. Set the scan-time single/multiple filter(s):

  1. You may use wild card (? and *) for the single filter option.
  2. For the multiple filter option, check relevant built-in ones or add customised ones.

*****Notes!*****
The customised entries are limited to 12. If single filter *.* is selected to record down everything, more categories are available if logging to a database, besides "Image", "Movie", Music".


Step 4. Press the "Scan" button!

You may pause or resume as you like. Hide the application to the system tray for background scanning. You can skip one computer or one workgroup whenever you feel there is no need to scan that particular target.

*****Notes!*****
Option 1. Real-time status
Upon checked, you will see status bar updating fodlers and files which are being scanned updated at real-time.

Option 2. Admin mode
Upon checked, you will be prompted to supply username and password and enter a list of compulsory share folders that will be scanned, which are usually hidden shares such as default C$ etc.

Option 3. Ping first
Upon checked, each computer will be pinged before the actual connection. In most cases, this will speed up the scanning. Two ping methods are available. Select anyone that can work.

 

 

Known Problems

Has been eliminated to my best knowledge.

 

 

About the Author

Tang Yu Feng. I wasn't educated to be a programmer while I was studying electronics design, so if I wrote some lousy code, please forgive me. :)

 

 

Revision History

*****1.00A*****

  1. NetScan has changed its license status to shareware. Your registration will be greatly appreciated.
  2. Admin mode is added to allow administrators or owners to perform scanning with supplied username and password.
  3. Hidden shares that end with $ can be scanned through admin mode.
  4. Web publishing scripts are upgraded to present the NetScan results better.
  5. Various other fixes and cleanup.


*****0.95P*****

  1. The deadlock problem when trying to stop a scan of many single computers specified in the target list is fixed.
  2. A simple command line program to parse "Hosts" file to NetScan target list is included. The "Hosts" file presently should be following a strict format as shown in Hosts.sam.
  3. FAQ on how to scan a specific IP range in your Intranet using 2 is given.
  4. A demonstration ASP script is included to help to present the NetScan result through a web server. This script is very simple and you might like to extend it using whatever other fancy techniques such XML and XSL.


*****0.95N*****

  1. Scanning combination of several workgroups and/or computers can be performed.
  2. Exclude list can be specified to bypass unnecessary workgroups or computers to save time.
  3. Single filter mask using wild card (? and *) is added and optimised.
  4. A multiple filter bug was fixed.
  5. UI has been updated with clearer progress indicator and status report.
  6. Option to disable real time detail status report is included to save time if possible.
  7. When started, last scanning setting will be retrieved.
  8. Several minor UI bugs have been fixed.
  9. Workgroup "FULL" can now be scanned. :)!!!


*****0.90E*****

  1. A few minor bugs have been eliminated, including "About..." from the tray, a very stupid one.
  2. Version format has been changed.


*****0.8.02.1543*****

  1. Re-scan illegal operation is fixed, you won't experience problems when you try to scan for a second time without exiting.
  2. UI has been modified.


*****0.8.01.1053*****

  1. Scan speed has been improved slightly.
  2. Some unnecessary interactive exception handling has been removed.
  3. This is developmental release.


*****0.7.03.1762*****

  1. You can now take advantage of the newly Microsoft Jet database support to create a log .MDB database file.
  2. Microsoft Access can be used to perform any query it. Sample queries were included in this release.
  3. Progress indicator has been added.


*****0.7.00.1233*****

  1. You can now scan a subset of the neighborhood by specifying workgroup or computer name.
  2. It is limited to scan one workgroup or one computer at a time for partial scan.


*****0.7.00.1175*****

  1. Scanning can be run background in the system tray.
  2. You can pause and resume the scanning as you like.


*****0.7.00.1024*****

  1. You need a log file ("C:\ScanOut.txt" by default) to record all the files found. This text file is potentially huge.
  2. This is the first public beta release.



 

 

Company History

IUnknown Software is yet another tiny one doing software business.

 

 

Support & Contact Information

We are committed to providing excellent support for our customers. We can be reached for technical support via email at xiaoshi@pmail.ntu.edu.sg. Bug report, feature suggestion and other feedback are welcome.



Contact Information
URL
http://www.geocities.com/xiaoshiwind/
E-Mail
xiaoshi@pmail.ntu.edu.sg
ICQ
16328753
OICQ
12534565
Mail
Blk 553, #4-569, Upper Jurong Road, Singapore 638356

 

 

NetScan IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. IUNKNOWN SOFTWARE OR TANG YU FENG DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL IUNKNOWN SOFTWARE OR TANG YU FENG BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF IUNKNOWN SOFTWARE OR TANG YU FENG HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.