IPAM — IP Address Management
NetRecon IPAM provides centralized IP address tracking and subnet management. Monitor subnet utilization, track IP assignments, and maintain an accurate inventory of your network address space.
Key Features
- Subnet Management — define and organize subnets with full CIDR notation support
- IP Tracking — track individual IP assignments with status and metadata
- Utilization Monitoring — real-time subnet utilization percentages and alerts
- Scan Integration — import discovered IPs directly from scan results
- Conflict Detection — identify duplicate IP addresses and overlapping subnets
- OUI Sync — automatically associate MAC addresses with manufacturer data
- History — track IP assignment changes over time
- Export — export IP data as CSV or JSON
Architecture
IPAM runs as a dedicated service on the probe (port 8009) with a PostgreSQL backend:
┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐
│ Dashboard │ HTTP │ IPAM │ SQL │ PostgreSQL │
│ (Browser) ├────────► Service ├────────► Database │
│ │ │ :8009 │ │ │
└────────────── ┘ └──────┬───────┘ └──────────────┘
│
┌──────▼───────┐
│ Scan Engine │
│ (IP import) │
└──────────────┘
Concepts
Subnets
A subnet represents a range of IP addresses defined by CIDR notation (e.g., 192.168.1.0/24). Each subnet has:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| CIDR | Network address in CIDR notation |
| Name | Friendly name (e.g., "Office LAN") |
| VLAN | Associated VLAN ID (optional) |
| Gateway | Default gateway IP |
| DNS | DNS servers for this subnet |
| Description | Free-text description |
| Location | Physical or logical location |
IP Addresses
Each IP address within a subnet can be tracked with:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| IP Address | The IPv4 or IPv6 address |
| Status | Available, Assigned, Reserved, DHCP |
| Hostname | Device hostname |
| MAC Address | Associated MAC address |
| Manufacturer | Auto-populated from OUI database |
| Owner | Assigned user or department |
| Last Seen | Timestamp of last network activity |
| Notes | Free-text notes |
Utilization
Subnet utilization is calculated as:
Utilization = (Assigned + Reserved + DHCP) / Total Usable IPs * 100%
Alerts can be configured when utilization exceeds a threshold (default: 80%).
Getting Started
Step 1: Create a Subnet
- Navigate to IPAM > Subnets in the probe dashboard
- Click Add Subnet
- Enter the CIDR (e.g.,
10.0.1.0/24) - Fill in the optional fields (name, VLAN, gateway, etc.)
- Click Save
Step 2: Import IPs from Scan
The fastest way to populate IPAM is to import from a completed scan:
- Navigate to IPAM > Subnets
- Select your subnet
- Click Import from Scan
- Select the scan result to import from
- Review the IPs that will be imported
- Click Import
See Import from Scan for detailed instructions.
Step 3: Manage IP Assignments
- Click on a subnet to view its IP addresses
- Click on an IP to view/edit its details
- Change status, add notes, assign to an owner
- Click Save
Step 4: Monitor Utilization
- Navigate to IPAM > Dashboard
- View subnet utilization charts
- Configure alerts for high utilization under IPAM > Settings > Alerts
Subnet Organization
Subnets can be organized hierarchically:
10.0.0.0/16 (Corporate Network)
├── 10.0.1.0/24 (HQ - Office LAN)
├── 10.0.2.0/24 (HQ - Server VLAN)
├── 10.0.3.0/24 (HQ - Wi-Fi)
├── 10.0.10.0/24 (Branch 1 - Office)
├── 10.0.11.0/24 (Branch 1 - Servers)
└── 10.0.20.0/24 (Branch 2 - Office)
Parent/child relationships are established automatically based on CIDR containment.
IPv6 Support
IPAM supports both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses:
- Full CIDR notation for IPv6 subnets
- IPv6 address tracking with the same fields as IPv4
- Dual-stack devices show both addresses linked together
FAQ
Q: Can I import subnets from a CSV file? A: Yes. Navigate to IPAM > Import and upload a CSV file with columns: CIDR, Name, VLAN, Gateway, Description. A template CSV is available for download on the import page.
Q: How often is utilization data updated? A: Utilization is recalculated every time an IP status changes and on a scheduled basis (every 5 minutes by default).
Q: Does IPAM integrate with DHCP servers? A: IPAM can import DHCP lease data to track dynamically assigned IPs. Configure the DHCP server connection under IPAM > Settings > DHCP Integration.
Q: Can multiple users edit IPAM data simultaneously? A: Yes. IPAM uses optimistic locking to prevent conflicts. If two users edit the same IP address, the second save will show a conflict warning with the option to merge or overwrite.
For additional help, contact [email protected].