FAQ
Questions people actually ask
Straight answers, including where the answer is no.
Before you install
- Does ScanWRX need administrator rights?
- No. It uses the Windows networking APIs that exist for this purpose rather than raw sockets or a packet-capture driver, so it runs from an ordinary user account. That is deliberate: a tool that needs full control of a machine in order to look at a network is a tool that could do anything at all to that machine. Why, in detail →
- Does it install a driver?
- No. There is no packet-capture driver, no kernel component and no Windows service. It installs per-user into your own profile by default, so it cannot modify anything the rest of the machine depends on.
- Will antivirus complain about it?
- Network scanners are sometimes flagged simply for being network scanners. ScanWRX does not use a capture driver or raw sockets, which are the two things that most often trigger a heuristic. Until the installer is code-signed, Windows SmartScreen will warn you that the publisher is unrecognised — that is a statement about our certificate, not about the file. We publish the SHA-256 of every build so you can verify exactly what you have. Verify your download →
- What are the system requirements?
- Windows 10 version 1809 or later, or Windows 11, 64-bit. It needs the Microsoft Edge WebView2 runtime, which the installer adds if it is missing, and about 40 MB of disk. There is no macOS or Linux version.
Privacy and security
- Do my scan results get uploaded anywhere?
- No. Not the addresses, not the hardware addresses, not the hostnames, not the device names, not your notes. Scans live in a SQLite file in your own Windows profile and the application has no code path that uploads it. The networks you scan usually belong to your clients, and a tool that quietly uploaded their contents would put you in breach of agreements you signed. Privacy policy →
- Does ScanWRX open a port on my computer?
- No. There is no listening TCP socket at any point, no UDP socket on a service port, and no firewall exception. That was verified by measuring the running program across three full scans, not by reading the source — and the measurement method is published so you can repeat it yourself. The measurement →
- Will it try default passwords on my equipment?
- Never. ScanWRX does not try 'public', does not try 'private', and does not work through a list of manufacturer defaults. Trying credentials until one works is credential guessing — it is what an attacker does, anything monitoring the network logs it as such, and it is not something a tool on your laptop should do on a client's network. SNMP features require a credential you enter yourself.
- Is it legal to scan a network?
- On a network you own or have permission to scan, yes — it is routine professional work. On one you do not, it may be a criminal offence, and that responsibility is yours rather than ours. If you are not sure whether you are authorised, you are not authorised. Licence agreement →
Using it
- How long does a scan take?
- About eight seconds for a class C network of roughly 80 devices, over Wi-Fi, without administrator rights — that is a real measurement rather than a claim. Larger subnets take proportionally longer, and results appear as they arrive so you can start reading before it finishes.
- Why does it say a device is 'unknown'?
- Because that device answered and told us nothing about itself. Rather than guessing a manufacturer from a MAC prefix and presenting it as a finding, ScanWRX shows the address and says unknown. Many modern devices also use randomised hardware addresses, which are not assigned by any manufacturer and so are never attributed to one. How identification works →
- Can it find a device that does not answer ping?
- Usually. ScanWRX runs seven discovery methods at once — the neighbour table, ICMP, TCP connect, mDNS, SSDP, WS-Discovery and NetBIOS — and each finds a different population of devices. Something that ignores ping frequently answers on TCP or announces itself over mDNS. A device that answers nothing at all cannot be found by any scanner.
- Can it tell me which switch port something is on?
- Yes, on a managed switch, given a read-only SNMP credential you supply. ScanWRX reads the switch's own forwarding table. It also counts how many addresses each port carries, so a port with many is labelled as an uplink or trunk rather than being reported as the device's port — which is the mistake that makes this feature useless in other tools. Switch port mapping →
- How does Find Device work?
- Start it, then unplug the device you are trying to identify, or plug it in. ScanWRX watches the network and tells you which address just stopped answering or just appeared. If two devices change state at the same moment it refuses to name either and shows you both — the refusal is the feature.
Licensing and billing
- Is the free tier a trial?
- No. It has no time limit, no device cap and no expiry, it does not nag you, and it does not watermark results. If it covers what you need, use it forever and never create an account. What Free includes →
- Does Pro work without an internet connection?
- Yes. Scanning never contacts our servers at all. Pro carries a signed entitlement it refreshes periodically, and keeps working for seven days past that if it cannot reach us — so a week in a building with no signal does not stop you working. The free tier never needs us.
- What happens to my data if I stop paying?
- The application returns to the free tier. Your saved scans stay on your computer, everything you have already exported stays exactly where it is, and nothing becomes unreadable. We will never hold your own data hostage to get you to renew.
- How many computers can I install Pro on?
- Three at a time. You can deactivate one from your account page whenever you like and the slot frees immediately. ScanWRX does not lock a licence to your hardware, so reinstalling Windows or replacing a machine costs you a slot you can free yourself rather than a support ticket.
- When is Team available?
- There is no date. It is listed as coming soon because people ask for it, and we would rather say that than take money for something that does not exist. Tell us you want it and we will tell you when it lands.
Not answered here?
Write to support@companywrx.com — a person reads every one, usually within a business day.
Contact supportTry it rather than read about it
The free tier installs in seconds and needs no account.