By Dale Farris, Reviews Coordinator
Golden Triangle PC Club
August 2006

Program Overview

LANsurveyor makes it easy to map, manage, and report on your entire network.

LANsurveyor is easy to use, proven network and desktop management software. LANsurveyor is unique because it provides four essential functions in one cost-effective application: automatic network maps, asset management reports, network monitor, and remote administration and distribution.

LANsurveyor generates a map of your entire network automatically using several different methods, including ICMP (ping), NetBIOS, and SNMP. Maps can be printed or exported for display or editing in Visio or other editing programs.

Add-Ons

There are two primary LANsurveyor add-ons:

Continuous Scan IDS
Neon Responders

Continuous Scan IDS identifies rogue nodes across your entire network and can disable network access for unauthenticated nodes.

Neon Responders enhance the power of LANsurveyor by providing hardware and software asset reports as well as direct control over client computers, including launching and quitting programs, shutting down systems, and sending files and installation packages.

What's New in Version 9.6?

LANsurveyor 9.6 includes several new features, including:

Linux Asset Management
Enhanced Reporting
Better Maps
Fit to Page Printing
Multiple Undo/Redo
Autosave Maps

Map Your Network

The network map takes the mystery out of the network by mapping all IP-based network hardware, including desktops, servers, printers, hubs, switches, and routers. LANsurveyor scans a given IP address range and finds nodes using industry standard identification and discovery methods (ping/ICMP, SNMP SIP-based VoIP, and NetBIOS) as well as specialized network requests for LANsurveyor's Neon Responder client software and Timbuktu and Retrospect clients.

Once network nodes are discovered, LANsurveyor compiles the information into a cohesive, easy to view network map with lines representing network connectivity and each node represented with an icon.

LANsurveyor maps can be printed or exported to Windows bitmap (BMP), JPEG, or Enhanced Metafile (EMF) format for further editing in Visio, CAD, and other drawing programs.

When you know how your network is actually designed, it becomes a lot easier to troubleshoot and solve network problems and plan for future implementations.

LANsurveyor Application Note: Switch/Hub Port Connectivity

LANsurveyor makes it easy to create extremely accurate network maps. Once you enter your SNMP community string information, LANsurveyor can access your managed switches and hubs to accurately diagram port connectivity for all your network devices.

The LANsurveyor map shows all nodes connected directly to a managed switch or hub with the port information adjacent to the node. In addition, LANsurveyor features a standard Switch/Hub Ports Report that provides a table of information about all nodes connected to the devices selected for the report.

Continuous Scan Intrusion Detection System

Continuous Scan is the first product to view intrusions enterprise-wide from a single computer, even across switches. Unlike other IDS products, Continuous Scan is extremely easy to install and operate, works great on switched networks, and can automatically identify rogue systems and disable their network access.

Continuous Scan uses one or more LANsurveyor maps as the base line network environment. When Continuous Scan is active, LANsurveyor scans the appropriate network ranges and looks for nodes that appear on the network.

When a new node is detected on the network, LANsurveyor adds the node to the Threat List and attempts to authenticate the node. LANsurveyor Alerts can be set based on whether a node is authenticated or unauthenticated.

When Continuous Scan detects a rogue node, you can disable network access for any node connected to a managed switch.

Automatically Generate Visio Diagrams

LANsurveyor can create an exact map of your network in Visio format. Simply use LANsurveyor to create your network map. Then, either select Save As Visio from the File menu or click on the Save as Visio icon.

Once you start the process, LANsurveyor creates an exact copy of LANsurveyor's map in Visio format. Everything you see on your LANsurveyor map is re-created in Visio.

Automatically Generate Visio Network Diagrams

If you are using the free trial version of LANsurveyor, Save As Visio is not available. However, you can either click on the image above to see what it would look like, or you can view a LANsurveyor-generated Visio .vsd file on your own computer.

LANsurveyor supports Visio 2002 or newer. All LANsurveyor for Windows editions can generate complete maps of your network in Visio format.

A special edition of LANsurveyor is also available in Microsoft's Visio 2003 IT Pro Resource Kit: LANsurveyor for Visio.

Map Levels

Your maps might have thousands of nodes, so LANsurveyor makes it easy to view your maps at different levels. LANsurveyor automatically groups map objects into three levels:

Level 1 includes routers (SNMP support is required to identify routers)

Level 2 includes routers and switches (SNMP support is required to identify switches)

Level 3 includes routers, switches, and all other end nodes

Your default map view is determined by the Levels settings in the Options dialog.

Change Map Levels

To change your map level, click on one of the map level icons. Click on the Level 1 icon to view just your routers and network segments. Click on the Level 2 icon to view your routers and your switches. The Level 3 icon displays all map nodes.

To limit the nodes displayed in Level 3 to certain classes of objects (e.g., just nodes that responded to SNMP queries), use Level 3 object filtering in the Options dialog.

Asset Management

Automate software and hardware inventory reports to save time and money, ensure licensing compliance, and plan effectively for system upgrades and modifications. Reports include application programs, OS version, CPU, RAM, disk volume capacity, available free space, and hundreds of other system data.

Network Monitoring Provides Immediate Notification of Network Problems

Identify and solve problems on your network before your users do. Any network node displayed on the map can be monitored with a LANsurveyor Poll List. LANsurveyor periodically sends network data and waits for a response and not only verifies that map objects are responsive but also provides statistics on how quickly the object responds. In addition, LANsurveyor alerts can send notification if map objects become unresponsive or become responsive again.

TCP Port Monitoring

Now you can monitor availability of applications and services on your network through TCP Port Monitoring. Select Window, TCP Port Monitor to view the TCP Port Monitoring window. You can monitor 20 nodes with the basic version of LANsurveyor and one additional node with each Neon Responder you license.

Click on the Modify button to select the nodes to monitor in the wizard, then right-click in the appropriate cell to enable monitoring of the node in that row and the port in that column.

Click on the Start button or select Start Monitoring from the Monitor>TCP Port menu to start monitoring. Click on the Stop button or select Stop Monitoring from the Monitor, TCP Port menu to stop monitoring.

While waiting for the status of the TCP Port, LANsurveyor displays an empty circle . If the port responds and the ASCII text received from the port matches the expected result for the TCP server in question, a green dot is displayed; if there is no response, a red dot is displayed. A warning dot is displayed when the TCP port is responding, but the ASCII text received does not match the expected result for the TCP server in question. An alert is triggered when the number of retries set in Options has been reached.

Services Monitored

The Services Monitored tab of the TCP Port Monitoring Options dialog provides a list of applications or servers available for monitoring and allows you to select which are displayed in the columns of the TCP Port Monitoring window. Only checked items will appear on the monitoring window.

You can easily add new services or modify existing services. The file called "Services.txt" found in the LANsurveyor application folder contains detailed explanation and configuration of ASCII text "scripts" for each type of TCP port being monitored.

Custom TCP Port Options

Some nodes and/or services may be more important than others or may be monitored by different people. LANsurveyor allows you to override the Default Options for any cell on the TCP Port Monitor window. Once monitoring is enabled in the cell, right-click in the cell, select Options, click Use these options for this service and specify the cell-specific monitoring rate and alerts.

Custom Reports

LANsurveyor allows administrators to create reports that include more than 100 different pieces of information. Backup Profiler, Software Inventory, Software Meter, Hardware Inventory, and Switch/Hup Ports are included as standard reports, and custom reports can be created for any combination of nodes and report fields. Report fields are available in three categories: SNMP, Neon Responder client, and Retrospect Client-based information. All reports can be exported to and viewed in Excel with a single click of the mouse.

Remote Desktop Management

Use Neon Responders to closely manage all Windows and Macintosh clients without having to physically visit the computers. Remote client features include file and folder distribution for quick and efficient software distribution, instant message capability, launch and quit software applications remotely, remote shut-down and restart of remote machines, and clock synchronization.

Schedule Operations

LANsurveyor's remote management functions can be executed immediately or scheduled for a later time. This allows you to schedule operations during off-peak hours or during defined management windows.

Tight Integration with Other Software

LANsurveyor works with other popular software applications to extend the power of the software and leverage your existing investments. Launch either AT&T's VNC or Netopia's Timbuktu screen-sharing program on any Neon Responder client directly from the map. An application note is available to help you configure your system to launch VNC automatically from the map. Other application support includes Dantz Retrospect and telnet.

System Requirements

LANsurveyor Application

256MB RAM (or more depending on the size of your network)
Windows 2000, 2003, or XP (Workstation, Professional, or Server Edition)
Visio 2002 or newer for Visio export

Neon Responders

Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, 2003 or XP
Mac OS X version 10.1.5 or later; Mac OS 8 or 9

SNMP

The SNMP Community String for your devices
MIB-II SNMP agents that exist on nearly all IP routers and many IP devices
Printer MIB SNMP agents that exist on some IP printers
Bridge MIB SNMP agents to determine switch port connectivity
Repeater MIB SNMP agents to determine hub port connectivity

Netware Networks

For Netware networks, if the network is running IP, LANsurveyor will be able to map it. If you are running IPX over IP, LANsurveyor should have no problems either. If you are using a pure IPX network, then LANsurveyor will be unable to map it.

Targeted Customers

By using LANsurveyor you can see the overview of the connectivity for all the nodes on your computer network from one simple screen. With LANsurveyor's continuous scanning add-in, network maps can be continually updated and the mapped node connectivity is constantly kept up to date.

The program is targeted to the unique needs of computer network administrators and depending on the number of nodes will run very fast. Easily within a few hours of install, LANsurveyor will produce a detailed map of your entire network. LANsurveyor is also invaluable for accurately diagramming and troubleshooting large, two thousand-plus node networks.

Every one of your computers, networked printers, routers, and switches will be included in the diagram created by the software. LANsurveyor is powerful, easy to use, and cost effective. LANsurveyor also makes it much easier to comply with regulatory requirements.

After scanning your LAN and WAN segments, LANsurveyor creates a hierarchical, graphical view of your network. With the proper client software, the software monitors and records the configuration and state of hardware and application components on selected systems.

LANsurveyor has three primary components. LANsurveyor is the main console, offering mapping, monitoring, drill-down, and logging functionality. Neon Responders, an optional component that you install on monitored systems, let you see and log to Microsoft SQL Server or Microsoft SQL Server Desktop Engine (MSDE) detailed hardware and software configuration information. Another optional component, Continuous Scan, monitors your network for new, possibly rogue systems. If you use managed switches, Continuous Scan can automatically disable network access for new systems.

By default, the product uses Ping, NetBIOS, and SNMP requests to find systems.

The TCP polling feature is designed to monitor applications (e.g., Web, email, DNS) and alert you when one goes down. Configuring alerts to report problems during prime and non-prime work hours is easy.

The integrated click-and-deploy Remote Deployment feature is used to install Responder and test LANsurveyor with Responder clients. Doing so revealed a wealth of information.

LANsurveyor also performs Layer 2 mapping and IDS scanning. LANsurveyor is a great tool for documenting your network, regardless of the size. Throw in the continuous scan product, and you also get a first-line security-monitoring tool. Not a bad deal for the price.

LANsurveyor bridges the gap between troubleshooting and network-management applications by keeping track of exactly what's connected to your network and what's happening within it.

Price

$795
$495 Continuous Scan IDS
$495 25 Neon Responders

About Neon Software, Inc.

Neon Software, Inc. is a privately held California corporation based in Lafayette, California. Founded in 1989, Neon Software develops intelligent software tools for securing, managing, troubleshooting and monitoring multi-protocol networks.

NetMinder Ethernet was the first product shipped. NetMinder Ethernet is powerful network analysis software and was awarded Macworld Magazine's Editor's Choice Award for top network management software at the end of 2002.

The popular LANsurveyor and CyberGauge are also part of Neon Software's network management software suite.

LANsurveyor allows administrators to map, manage, report, and control systems remotely. It is extremely easy to use, yet it is powerful enough to manage an entire organization.

CyberGauge is a powerful Internet bandwidth measurement utility. CyberGauge uses SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) to monitor and analyze the throughput of virtually any Internet router available on the market.

Neon Software's products are available through dealers, International distributors and directly from Neon Software.

Contact Information

Neon Software, Inc.
244 Lafayette Circle
Lafayette, California 94549
925-283-9771
FAX 925-283-6507
800-334-6366
sales@neon.com
www.neon.com