What Is Network Discovery?

There’s a reason why the network monitoring market reached about $2 billion in 2019 and is expected to reach $5 billion by 2026. In today’s tech-focused world, organizations require network monitoring to secure and manage their IT infrastructures. One of the crucial systems that every network monitoring and management operation needs to succeed is known as network discovery.

What is network discovery?

Network discovery is an automatic search that locates and keeps track of all devices, also known as network nodes, that are connected to a network; it also reveals what the devices have access to and how they interact with each other. This process is usually included in the first and second phases of a network monitoring process. Using a network discovery tool, admins can create device inventories, change device access policies, and gain visibility into a network’s infrastructure.

Some network discovery tools use an agent-based approach, which involves hosting an agent on endpoints to gather intel on devices. Organizations can also take an agentless approach, which involves gathering data via a central tool that is placed on a server.

How does network discovery work

The network discovery process begins when a management system or discovery tool probes a network to locate connected devices by using network protocols. Connected devices such as laptops, desktops, printers, or routers send out information on details such as IP addresses, MAC addresses, operating system types, open ports, and running services. Once all the data has been collected, the network discovery tool consolidates the information and generates a network topology map. This overview of a network provides IT administrators with a comprehensive overview of the network’s structure and status.

What are network discovery protocols?

Administrators rely on network protocols to conduct network discovery:

• SNMP

Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) refers to an application layer protocol that collects data related to changes within a network in order to determine the status of connected devices. Currently, there are three versions of SNMP. SNMPv2 is the most common protocol used today, while SNMPv3 is the most up-to-date version that focuses on improving security.

• LLDP

Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) is a vendor-neutral Neighbor Discovery Protocol that runs on the data link layer, enabling devices to gather information from neighboring devices, such as IP addresses, system names, port descriptions, and more. Device information from LLCP can be stored in a management information base (MIB). SNMP can be used to query this data from the MIB.

• Pings

Pings allow IT administrators to test the availability of devices within a network. Pings send out an Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP), a network layer protocol that devices use to diagnose network issues. Once an ICMP is sent to a network device, it records the length of time it takes to receive a response. It’s important to note that ICMP only focuses on reporting and diagnosing network issues, not resolving or fixing them.

• ARP

ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) operates on the data link layer and is commonly used in IPV4 and LAN networks to connect physical Media Access Control (MAC) addresses with ever-changing IP addresses.

What is the purpose of network discovery?

Simply put, the main purpose of network discovery is to improve the visibility of an IT infrastructure. Network discovery results can be used to create network maps, which provide valuable data and insight into the current state of an IT environment and network topology. IT teams analyze the data and insight to improve systems, streamline operations, and provide support for hybrid and remote workforces.

Why is network discovery important?

Network discovery is vital for IT administrators to maintain optimal network performance by enabling the identification and categorization of all devices connected to a network. Understanding the complete layout of the network enables administrators to diagnose and resolve performance issues more effectively. IT teams can maintain an up-to-date inventory of all hardware and software assets on the network. Additionally, network discovery can help IT teams enhance their security posture by allowing them to see unauthorized devices with network access quickly.

What are the benefits of network discovery?

Network discovery can be a vital tool for IT administrators to manage their network environments.

• Visibility of network infrastructure

The main reason why IT teams adopt a network discovery tool is to gain greater visibility into their network infrastructures. With network information and maps, IT teams have the data that’s necessary to keep IT operations running smoothly and efficiently.

• Automates device discovery

Network discovery tools save time and effort by automating device discovery. IT teams no longer need to rely on tedious, manual processes to obtain the network and device information they need.

• Additional line of communication

Although the main purpose of network discovery is to gain insight into a network’s infrastructure, a secondary purpose is for IT teams to communicate with devices. For instance, an IT team can use network discovery to connect to a printer without a cable or transfer files between devices over WIFI.

What are the challenges of network discovery?

• Security risks

While most network discovery tools are secure and safe to use, there are some network discovery tools and processes that create security risks, allowing hackers to exploit network vulnerabilities.

• Data leaks

Another weakness of network discovery is that it can create data leaks. The first weakness of network discovery, listed above, often causes this second weakness. When IT teams conduct network discovery, hackers are sometimes able to slip through security measures and obtain confidential data.

• Scalability

Network discovery processes such as continuous scanning can strain resources in larger IT infrastructures. This strain can lead to latency issues and network congestion, impacting IT efficiency. To reduce network performance overhead, IT teams need to be strategic with network discovery processes by employing networking management best practices.

How do I turn on Windows network discovery?

Network discovery on Windows devices allows your device to find other devices on the network and be discovered by them.

If you have administrator-level access, you can use an elevated Powershell prompt. All you need to enter is:

netsh advfirewall firewall set rule group=”Network Discovery” new enable=yes

 

Network discovery can also be enabled with a few easy steps through Windows 10 /11’s Control Panel.

1. Open Control Panel

Navigate to the Control Panel through the Start Menu.

2. Network and Sharing Center

Click on “Network and Internet” and then select “Network and Sharing Center.”

3. Change advanced sharing settings

Click on “Change advanced sharing settings.” You can turn on Network Discovery for Public and Private network profiles. Optionally, check the box for “Turn on automatic setup of network connected devices” if you want Windows to configure new devices automatically.

4. Turn on Network Discovery

Under the network profile type section, change your profile to the desired network profile.

What to do if your network discovery keeps turning off

Issues with network discovery can be caused by multiple factors. Start by diagnosing these problems and then

• Troubleshoot firewall settings

Verify that network discovery is not being blocked by your firewall. Open the firewall settings and ensure that rules related to network discovery and file sharing are enabled.

Review

• Check dependency services

Open the Services application (services.msc)and ensure that these services are running:

• DNS Client
• Function Discovery Resource Publication
• SSDP Discovery
• UPnP Device Host

When you next turn on network discovery, these running services should prevent it from automatically turning off.

• Configure network profile settings

If you haven’t used configured network profiles through advanced sharing settings, you can set your network profile to a private profile. Network discovery is typically turned off for public networks by default.

• Update drivers and software

Outdated drivers can sometimes cause issues with network discovery. Utilize patch management software to keep all network-related drivers and software consistently updated.

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