Learn how to scan and see all the devices on your network, including their IP addresses, MAC addresses, and more, using Windows.
It’s not always the case, but there will be situations where you need to see all the devices connected to your network. For example, you may want to check if a specific device is connected to the network, find the local IP address of a specific device, find the MAC address of a particular device or all the devices connected to the network, know whether a device is active, etc.
Whatever your specific reason may be, you don’t have to open the router’s admin page to find the details of the connected devices. You can use a free app in Windows to scan your local network and find the devices connected to it. It is a pretty simple process and gives you details such as the IP address and MAC address. In this quick and easy guide, I will show how to do it in simple steps. Let’s get started.
Before You Start
- To find the devices connected to your network in Windows, we will use a free app called Wireless Network Watcher. While the app name specifically highlights “Wireless Network”, it still works even if your system is connected to the router via an Ethernet (wired) connection.
- The steps below are tested to work on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
See All Devices on Your Network in Windows
- Get ‘Wireless Network Watcher’ from this page.
- Right-click the downloaded ZIP file.
- Select the “Extract All” option.
- Click “Extract“.
- Open the extracted folder.
- Double-click the “WNetWatcher.exe” file.
- The app scans the network and displays all the devices connected to it.
- That’s it. It is that simple to see all the devices connected to your network.
Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)
First, we must download the Wireless Network Watcher app. To do that, head over to the developer page, scroll down, and click the download link (ZIP file, x64).
Note: The regular portable version, which does not require installation, works just fine. However, if you want to install the app, download the installer version (setup.exe), which provides full support for installation and uninstallation.
After downloading the ZIP file, open the File Explorer (Windows key + E), find the downloaded ZIP file, right-click it, and select the “Extract All” option.
In the extraction dialog, click the “Extract” button. This action extracts the ZIP file to a new folder in the same directory as the ZIP file.
After extraction, open the extracted folder and double-click the “WNetWatcher.exe” file to open the app.
As soon as the app launches, it immediately scans the network and displays all the devices connected to it. You will also see the respective IP address and MAC address of all the devices. The good thing is that, whenever possible, it also displays the names of the devices connected to the network. This makes it easy to identify the device.
For example, in my case, excluding the router and access point, four devices are connected to my network. I can see the IP address and MAC address for each device.
You can check whether a device is active or not by looking at the “Active” column. Additionally, the app also adds an “X” overlay icon over the device icon for all inactive devices.
While the app automatically scans for changes, you initiate a fresh scan by clicking the “Play” icon on the top command bar.
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That is all. It is that simple to find all the devices connected to your network in Windows without opening your router’s admin page.
If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I’ll be happy to assist.
