recipe · documentation pass
Engineer's Toolset, when the deliverable is paper
Ping sweep feeds MAC discovery feeds the Switch Port Mapper. Chain them once and the network is documented at a level free tools don't reach.
checked 15 september 2026 · windows · licensed, full trial
What the licence buys
Free tools tell you an address exists. The Toolset tells you which switch, which port, which VLAN, and prints it. That last mile — correlating ARP with SNMP bridge tables into exportable maps — is manual, error-prone work without it, and that is precisely what invoices are written for.
The recipe
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Enable SNMP read
Community string or SNMPv3 account on every switch in scope. Do this first; an unreachable bridge table renders the later steps silent.
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Sweep each subnet
The ping sweep builds the live baseline and refreshes ARP data. One subnet at a time keeps maps legible.
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Reconcile MACs
MAC Address Discovery merges vendor info and cross-router data — the glue between sweep output and switch tables.
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Map the ports
Run Switch Port Mapper per switch: port, VLAN, MAC, hostname where DNS cooperates. Export; screenshots age worse than files.
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Archive and repeat on change
File exports next to the IP plan. Re-map after hardware changes; the inventory cadence keeps the collection current.
Recurring questions
How is it different from a free scanner?
Correlation depth. It names the physical port behind an address — a layer free sweepers never see.
Does it replace monitoring?
No. It documents and diagnoses on demand; continuous observation is a separate product class.
Can I evaluate before buying?
Yes — a time-limited, fully functional trial. Map one network inside the window and the licence question answers itself.