FAQ

Short answers. The beginner's guide explains the concepts (MAC, TTL, ARP) in depth.

Does netwp need admin/root?

On Windows, no, for the read-only commands: scan/monitor/dashboard use the SendARP and IcmpSendEcho APIs, with no Npcap and no elevation. Only iface static/iface dhcp, which change your real network config, need an elevated terminal. On Linux, the ARP scanner needs CAP_NET_RAW; grant it once with sudo setcap cap_net_raw+ep $(which netwp).

Is it safe and legal to scan?

Scan only networks you own or are authorized to scan. On a home network an ARP sweep is normal traffic. On a managed or corporate network it can look like a probe and may violate the acceptable-use policy. netwp sends no telemetry and keeps all data on your machine. See SECURITY.md.

Why does a device show "Unknown" in the CLASS column?

netwp could not find a strong enough clue (no announced mDNS service, no recognized open port, no distinctive vendor) to guess. "Unknown" beats a wrong guess. When you know what it is, pin it: netwp class set <ip|mac> mobile. The pin is kept by MAC and always wins.

Why is a device missing a hostname?

Many devices (phones, TVs, IoT) never register a reverse-DNS name. netwp falls back to mDNS and NetBIOS, but a device with no responder for either simply shows no name. That is expected, not a bug.

A device shows online but has no RTT. Why?

RTT comes from an ICMP echo. A device that answers ARP (so it is on the network) but blocks ICMP (a firewall) shows online with no RTT and no TTL.

The IP of a device keeps changing. Is that a problem?

No. The router hands out IPs by DHCP and reassigns them over time. netwp keys aliases, class pins, and watch entries by MAC (which does not change), so they follow the device across IP changes.

netwp wake said "sent" but the machine did not turn on.

Wake-on-LAN only works if that machine has WoL enabled in its BIOS/OS (off by default on most). netwp broadcasts the packet and gets no reply, so "sent" means the packet went out, not that the machine woke.

Does netwp support IPv6?

No. Discovery is IPv4 ARP. IPv6 is out of scope for a local-network tool.

Can I see the history of one device?

Yes: netwp events --device=<alias-or-mac>. Events are recorded while monitor or dashboard is running.

Where does netwp store its data? How do I wipe it?

Plain files under %AppData%\netwp (Windows) or ~/.config/netwp (Linux): aliases, class overrides, the watch list, a scan cache, and the event log. netwp uninstall removes them after a confirmation.

Is there a Portuguese version of the docs?

The README and the beginner's guide have pt-BR versions.