Friendly Network Inventory: Complete Guide for IT TeamsFriendly Network Inventory (FNI) is a network discovery and asset-management tool designed to help IT teams inventory, monitor, and document devices across small to medium-sized networks. This guide explains what FNI does, how it works, key features, deployment options, best practices for IT teams, and comparisons to common alternatives so you can decide whether it fits your environment.
What is Friendly Network Inventory?
Friendly Network Inventory is a software tool that automatically scans networks to discover devices (computers, servers, network equipment, printers, SNMP-enabled devices, and more), collects hardware and software information, and stores those details in a searchable database. It’s intended to simplify asset discovery, software license tracking, patch planning, and change monitoring for IT administrators.
Core capabilities
- Automated network discovery: scans IP ranges, subnets, and Active Directory to find hosts and devices.
- Hardware inventory: collects CPU, memory, storage, motherboard, BIOS, MAC addresses, and other hardware attributes.
- Software inventory: detects installed applications, services, and optionally running processes. Useful for license compliance and vulnerability assessment.
- SNMP support: queries network equipment such as routers, switches, UPS systems, and printers for status and configuration details.
- Reporting and exports: built-in reports and ability to export data (CSV, Excel, PDF) for audits and integration with other systems.
- Remote polling and scheduled scans: set recurring scans to keep inventory up to date.
- Search and filtering: quickly find devices by hostname, IP, MAC, software installed, last seen date, etc.
- User interface: typically offers a dashboard and hierarchical view (by subnet, AD OU, or custom groups) to manage assets.
How Friendly Network Inventory works
- Discovery: FNI uses multiple discovery methods—ICMP/ping sweep, ARP, SNMP queries, SMB/Windows WMI queries, and Active Directory enumeration—to build an initial list of reachable devices.
- Data collection: For Windows machines, WMI or agentless remote queries gather detailed hardware and software data. For non-Windows devices, SNMP or protocol-specific polling is used.
- Normalization: Collected data is parsed and normalized into database fields (OS version, hardware model, serial number, installed software list).
- Storage: Inventory items are stored in a central database, enabling search, reporting, and history.
- Updates: Scheduled rescans or agent-based updates refresh information; changes are tracked so admins can review modifications over time.
Deployment options
- Agentless deployment: Good for quick setup and environments that prefer not to install additional software on endpoints. Uses network protocols such as WMI, SSH, SNMP, and SMB to query devices.
- Agent-based deployment: Provides more reliable, detailed inventory data for devices that are intermittently connected or behind restrictive firewalls. Agents push data to the central server.
- Hybrid: Combine agents for critical or remote endpoints and agentless scans for on-prem devices to balance coverage and management overhead.
- On-premises server: Common for organizations that require full control over inventory data.
- Cloud-hosted: Some teams choose cloud-hosted drops or companion services to centralize multiple locations, though verify security, compliance, and data residency requirements.
Key features IT teams value
- Granular software tracking: Detects installed applications, versions, and license counts to help with compliance and cost management.
- Role-based access: Allows different team members to see only relevant assets or reports.
- Change tracking: Alerts and logs when hardware or software changes—useful for troubleshooting and security monitoring.
- Custom fields and grouping: Tag devices with business-related metadata (location, owner, department) for easier management.
- Integration points: Export or integrate with ticketing systems, CMDBs, SIEMs, or RMM tools through CSV exports or APIs.
- Lightweight agent: If agents are used, they should be easy to deploy via GPO, remote installer, or software distribution tools.
Typical use cases
- Asset discovery and CMDB population for small-to-medium enterprises.
- License audits and software usage reports.
- Preparing for migrations or hardware refresh projects.
- Security posture assessments (finding unsupported OSs, unpatched software).
- Remote site inventories where centralized visibility is limited.
Best practices for IT teams
- Define scope and discovery ranges: Start with core subnets and AD OUs to avoid scanning unnecessary IP ranges.
- Use credentials for richer data: Configure read-only domain and SNMP credentials so scans return detailed information while minimizing risk.
- Schedule incremental scans: Frequent small scans reduce network load and keep inventory near real-time.
- Tag and organize: Use location, owner, and department tags to make reports meaningful for stakeholders.
- Combine agentless and agent-based approaches: Use agents for remote laptops and devices behind NAT; use agentless for on-prem servers and network gear.
- Regularly review exceptions: Investigate unknown or unmanaged devices promptly to close gaps.
- Backup inventory data: Export or back up the inventory database regularly for audits and disaster recovery.
Security and privacy considerations
- Principle of least privilege: Use read-only accounts and limit access to the inventory server.
- Network segmentation: Place the inventory server in a management VLAN or restricted network segment.
- Encrypt communications: Ensure agents and the server communicate over TLS/secure channels if supported.
- Data retention policies: Define how long historical inventory records are kept to balance forensic needs against storage and privacy.
- Access logging: Monitor who views or exports inventory data.
Pros and cons (comparison)
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Fast, automated discovery across diverse device types | Agentless scans can miss deeply firewalled or offline devices |
| Detailed hardware and software inventory | May require credentials and configuration to get full data |
| Reporting and export features for audits | Some advanced features require agent deployment or paid tiers |
| Lightweight deployment options | Learning curve for large, segmented networks |
Integrations and supplements
- CMDBs and ticketing systems: Export inventory to populate service desks (e.g., ServiceNow, Jira).
- Patch management: Use inventory reports to prioritize patching for machines with outdated OS or apps.
- Vulnerability scanners: Feed asset lists to scanners (e.g., OpenVAS, Nessus) to focus scans on relevant hosts.
- RMM tools: Combine inventory visibility with remote management for remediation workflows.
Alternatives and when to choose FNI
Common alternatives include tools like Spiceworks, GLPI, Lansweeper, and commercial suites (Microsoft Endpoint Manager, SolarWinds). Choose Friendly Network Inventory if you need a balance of easy deployment, clear inventory reporting, and low overhead for small-to-medium infrastructures where a lightweight, privacy-respecting approach is preferred.
Example workflow for a rollout (30–60 days)
- Week 1: Pilot—install server, configure credentials, scan core subnet, validate results with IT staff.
- Weeks 2–3: Expand—add remaining subnets, AD OUs, and deploy agents to remote laptops.
- Week 4: Integrate—export inventory to CMDB and configure scheduled reports for stakeholders.
- Weeks 5–8: Tweak—fine-tune scans, set alerts, train helpdesk on lookup and reporting procedures.
Troubleshooting common issues
- Incomplete scans: Verify credentials, firewall rules, and ports (WMI, SMB, SNMP).
- Duplicate entries: Normalize by MAC address or asset tag; configure discovery priorities.
- Slow performance: Limit scan ranges, increase server resources, or split scans into smaller jobs.
- Missing software data: Ensure agents are installed where needed or enable remote query credentials.
Final thoughts
Friendly Network Inventory can dramatically reduce time spent discovering and documenting devices, improving visibility for IT operations, security, and compliance. Its mix of agentless and agent-based options makes it adaptable to many environments. Evaluate it in a pilot, verify credentialed scans for richer data, and integrate outputs with your CMDB and patching workflows to get the most value.
Leave a Reply