Discovering hosts with ARP ping scans

ARP ping scans are the most effective way of detecting hosts in LAN networks. This makes them the preferred technique when scanning local Ethernet networks, and Nmap will use it even if other ping options were specified. Another interesting advantage is that Nmap uses its algorithm to optimize this scanning technique. This recipe goes through the process of launching an ARP ping scan and its available options.

How to do it...

Open your favorite terminal and enter the following command:

# nmap -sn -PR <target>

You should see a list of hosts that responded to the ARP requests:

# nmap -sn -PR 192.168.0.1/24
Nmap scan report for 192.168.0.1 Host is up (0.0039s latency).
MAC Address: F4:B7:E2:0A:DA:18 (Hon Hai Precision Ind.) Nmap scan report for 192.168.0.2
Host is up (0.0037s latency).
MAC Address: 00:18:F5:0F:AD:01 (Shenzhen Streaming Video Technology Company Limited)
Nmap scan report for 192.168.0.3 Host is up (0.00010s latency...