Wireless Network Watcher vs Nmap

Struggling to choose between Wireless Network Watcher and Nmap? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

Wireless Network Watcher is a Network & Admin solution with tags like wireless, network, monitoring, troubleshooting, connectivity.

It boasts features such as Scans wireless networks and displays connected devices, Shows network name (SSID), MAC address, IP address, and device name, Exports results to HTML or XML file, Allows filtering by criteria like SSID or MAC address, Shows signal quality and channel for wireless networks, Can run on startup and scan periodically and pros including Lightweight and easy to use, Helps identify unknown devices on network, Good for troubleshooting connectivity issues, Free and open source.

On the other hand, Nmap is a Network & Admin product tagged with port-scanner, vulnerability-scanner, network-discovery.

Its standout features include Port scanning, OS detection, Version detection, Scriptable interaction, Flexible target specification, Powerful output formats, and it shines with pros like Free and open source, Cross-platform, Powerful scanning capabilities, Scripting engine for advanced tests, Active development community.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

Wireless Network Watcher

Wireless Network Watcher

Wireless Network Watcher is a small utility that scans your wireless network and displays the MAC addresses and names of connected network devices. It's useful for identifying unknown devices on your network or troubleshooting connectivity issues.

Categories:
wireless network monitoring troubleshooting connectivity

Wireless Network Watcher Features

  1. Scans wireless networks and displays connected devices
  2. Shows network name (SSID), MAC address, IP address, and device name
  3. Exports results to HTML or XML file
  4. Allows filtering by criteria like SSID or MAC address
  5. Shows signal quality and channel for wireless networks
  6. Can run on startup and scan periodically

Pricing

  • Free
  • Open Source

Pros

Lightweight and easy to use

Helps identify unknown devices on network

Good for troubleshooting connectivity issues

Free and open source

Cons

Basic feature set compared to commercial network scanners

No active scanning for devices that are off

Limited to scanning WiFi networks only


Nmap

Nmap

Nmap is an open source network discovery and security auditing tool. It is used to discover hosts and services on a network and to detect potential vulnerabilities.

Categories:
port-scanner vulnerability-scanner network-discovery

Nmap Features

  1. Port scanning
  2. OS detection
  3. Version detection
  4. Scriptable interaction
  5. Flexible target specification
  6. Powerful output formats

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open source

Cross-platform

Powerful scanning capabilities

Scripting engine for advanced tests

Active development community

Cons

Steep learning curve

Can be detected by IDS/IPS

Requires root/admin privileges for full features