compensate for the missing network map feature in windows 8

7/30/2019 Compensate for the Missing Network Map Feature in Windows 8

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Compensate for the missing

Network Map feature in Windows 8ByGreg ShultzinWindows and Office, August 29, 2013, 11:53 AM PST

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Take advantage of the Details view in the Network section ofWindows 8 File Explorer to map your network topology.

I was recently reminded that Windows 8 is missing

theNetwork Mapfeature that was introduced in Windows Vista and included in Windows 7.

When I first discovered that the Network Map feature wasn't included in Windows 8, I

developed an alternative technique that I have been happily using ever since. The other day

I happened to field a question for a reader that reminded me of the missing Network Map

feature and made me realize that I should write an article about the technique that I have

been taking for granted all this time.

The Network Map

The Network Map feature's visual representation of the network was its most recognizable

characteristic. However, there were other more substantial benefits just under the surface.

Of course, what I am referring to is that when you hovered your mouse pointer over any

computer or network device shown in the map, you could instantly see the MAC and IP
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addresses assigned to that item. Being able to easily obtain this information for all the

computers on a network can come in very handy in any number of troubleshooting

situations.

When I first discovered that the Network Map feature was no longer a part of the operating

system, I immediately went to the Network section of File Explorer hoping that Microsoftmight have added a similar hover feature to the computer or network device icons that

appear there. However, I quickly discovered that was not the case. Then, I stumbled onto

the fact that when you switch the View setting of the Network from its default Tiles view to

the Details view, you can add more column headings to the display. And, I found that MAC

Address and IP Address were among the available column headings.

I also recently discovered a neat little Windows 8 app in the Windows Store called Lanscan

that will scan you network and display the IP addresses assigned to every device on your

network. While it doesn't show MAC addresses, it is still a very handy tool.

In this article, I'll show you how to take advantage of the Details view in the Network section

of File Explorer. I'll also introduce you to the Lanscan app and show you how it works.

In Windows 7

Even though the focus of this article is on Windows 8 and the Network Map feature that is

not available in this operating system version, it is worth taking a look at how it functions in

Windows 7 for the sake of comparison.

When you access the Network and Sharing Center in Windows 7, you see a small basic

map, or diagram, of your system on the network. Adjacent to that basic map you'll find a link

titled See full map, as shown in Figure A.

Figure A


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The Network and Sharing Center shows a basic map and provides you access to the full Network Map.

When you click See full map, you'll find a more detailed screen that shows how all the

devices on your network are connected, as shown in Figure B. You can also hover your

mouse pointer over any icon and find out the MAC and IP addresses assigned to that

device.

Figure B


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The Network Map feature does a reasonable job of creating a visual representation of your network.

To create this map, the Network Map feature uses a special network protocol called Link-

Layer Topology Discovery (LLTD) that essentially queries every device on the network in

order to determine how the network is organized. More specifically the LLTD protocol relies

on two components in order to do the job.

To begin with, each device on the network uses the LLTD Responder component which

allows it to be discovered by another computer running the Network Map feature. The

computer on which you run the Network Map feature uses the LLTD Mapper I/O component

to seek out and discover devices on your network and to create a diagram that shows how

the devices on your network are connected. Unfortunately, this isn't a perfect system andnot all devices are recognized. Those that aren't recognized get clumped together down at

the bottom of the screen with this caption: The following discovered device(s) cannot be

placed in the map. Click here to see all other devices.

Network and Sharing Center Windows 8


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Now that you know how the Network Map feature worked in Windows 7, let's take a brief

look at Windows 8's Network and Sharing Center for comparison. As you can see in Figure

C, Windows 8 doesn't even include a basic map of your system on the network nor is there

a See full map link. There's not even an icon next to the network name.

Figure C

Windows 8's Network and Sharing Center doesn't even include a basic map of your system on the network.

However, if you check out the Ethernet Properties as shown in Figure D, you'll find that the

entire Link-Layer Topology Discovery protocol is present and functioning in Windows 8.

Since the LLTD is functioning, we know that the network information it contains is available.

Figure D


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The entire Link-Layer Topology Discovery protocol is present in Windows 8.

The Network Explorer

Let's now take a look at the Network section of File Explorer. As you can see in Figure E,

the default List view shows just the name of the device and the context menu is devoid of a

Properties command. As such, on the surface it appears as though the Network won't be of

much assistance.

Figure E


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In the default List view, only the device name is available.

However, if you change the View to Details and then access the Choose Details dialog box

from the Current view tab, you can add more network based information to the display. As

you can see in Figure F, I have selected the IP Address and MAC Address check boxes.

Figure F


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The Choose Details dialog box will allow you to select network specific details including the IP Address and the MACAddress.

After clicking OK, you'll see the IP Address and MAC Address for each device on your

network, as shown in Figure G. Keep in mind that that you may see IPv6 addresses for

some or all of your devices, but if you click the Refresh button, you will eventually see the

IPv4 addresses.

Figure G


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Using the Details view, you can see the IP Address and MAC Address for each device on your network.

As you can see, there are two special cases in my example. The first one is that the

computer named Asteroid is running Windows XP, which by default doesn't have the Link-

Layer Topology Discovery protocol. (Note that you candownload and installa version of the

LLTD protocol for Windows XP.) The second special case is the computer on which you are

working, which instead of its actual IP address, will show the Localhost IP Address.

The Lanscan app

As I mentioned, in addition to using the modified Network section of File Explorer to seek

out IP addresses, I recently discovered a Free app on the Windows Store calledLanscan.

Once you have installed Lanscan, you can launch it, specify start and end addresses, and

click the Scan button. When you do, Lanscan will traverse your network and create a list

showing every device's name, IP address, and port number, as shown in Figure H.

Figure H
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The Lanscan app builds a detailed list of all the devices on your network.

If you don't wish to see all of the IP ports, you can go to the Services screen and select just

those that you want to see.

What's your take?

Have you missed not having the Network Map feature in Windows 8? What do you think of

the Network Details View technique? Have you used the Lanscan app? As always, if you

have comments or information to share about this topic, please take a moment to drop bythe TechRepublic Community Forums and let us hear from you.

compensate for the missing network map feature in windows 8

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