NetDiscover Not Identifying Wi-Fi Devices in VMWare

Net Discover Not Identifying Wi-Fi Devices in VMWare

Net Discover is a popular network scanner tool that helps identify devices connected to a network by using their MAC addresses. However, some users have reported issues when using Net Discover in VMWare, where it fails to identify Wi-Fi devices.

Understanding the Issue

The issue arises due to the way VMWare handles virtual network adapters. When using VMWare, the host machine's network adapter is shared with the guest machine, which can cause conflicts with Net Discover's ability to scan for Wi-Fi devices.

Possible Solutions

There are a few possible solutions to this issue. One solution is to use a different network scanner tool that is designed to work with VMWare. Another solution is to configure VMWare to use a bridged network adapter instead of a shared network adapter. This will allow Net Discover to scan for Wi-Fi devices as if it were running on the host machine.

Using a Different Network Scanner Tool

There are several network scanner tools available that are designed to work with VMWare. One such tool is Nmap, which is a powerful and popular network exploration tool that can be used to scan for devices on a network.

# Install Nmap on Ubuntu
sudo apt-get install nmap

# Scan for devices on the network
nmap -sn 192.168.1.0/24

Configuring VMWare to Use a Bridged Network Adapter

To configure VMWare to use a bridged network adapter, follow these steps:

1. Open VMWare and select the virtual machine you want to configure.
2. Click on "Edit virtual machine settings".
3. Select "Network adapter" and choose "Bridged: Connected directly to the physical network" from the drop-down menu.
4. Click "OK" to save the changes.

While Net Discover is a powerful network scanner tool, it may not work as expected when used in VMWare. By using a different network scanner tool or configuring VMWare to use a bridged network adapter, you can ensure that Net Discover is able to identify Wi-Fi devices on your network.

References

• Nmap
• VMWare - Changing Advanced Network Configuration Settings