---
layout: page
title: "Nmap"
description: "Instructions how to integrate Nmap into Home Assistant."
date: 2015-03-23 19:59
sidebar: true
comments: false
sharing: true
footer: true
logo: nmap.png
ha_category: Presence Detection
featured: true
---


As an alternative to the router-based device tracking, it is possible to directly scan the network for devices by using Nmap. The IP addresses to scan can be specified in any format that Nmap understands, including the network-prefix notation (`192.168.1.1/24`) and the range notation (`192.168.1.1-255`).

If you're on Debian or Ubuntu, you might have to install the packages for arp and nmap. Do so by running `apt-get install net-tools nmap`.

To use this device tracker in your installation, add the following to your `configuration.yaml` file:

```yaml
# Example configuration.yaml entry
device_tracker:
  platform: nmap_tracker
  hosts: 192.168.1.1/24
  home_interval: 10
```

Configuration variables:

- **hosts** (*Required*): Thenetwork range to scan in CIDR notation, eg. 192.168.1.1/24
- **home_interval** (*Optional*): The number of minutes nmap will not scan this device, assuming it is home, in order to preserve the device battery.

See the [device tracker component page](/components/device_tracker/) for instructions how to configure the people to be tracked.
