How Network Inventory PRO Simplifies IT Auditing and Reporting

Quick Setup Guide: Deploying Network Inventory PRO in 30 Minutes

Assumption: you’re installing Network Inventory PRO on a Windows-based network with a single admin workstation and up to 100 Windows endpoints.

Prep (5 minutes)

• Download: Get the latest Network Inventory PRO installer from the vendor site.
• Admin account: Use a local or domain account with administrative rights on the admin workstation.
• Credentials: Ensure you have at least one domain or local admin credential for target machines (or WMI/WinRM service account).
• Network access: Confirm target machines are reachable (ping, firewall allows WMI/SMB/WinRM).
• Ports: Open TCP 135, 139, 445 and RPC dynamic range (if using WMI); open ⁄₅₉₈₆ for WinRM if preferred.

Install server/console (10 minutes)

1. Run the downloaded installer on the admin workstation.
2. Choose Console (or Full install if intended for data collection on same machine).
3. Accept defaults; install to Program Files unless you need custom paths.
4. Launch the Console as Administrator.

Basic configuration (5 minutes)

• Repository: Use default local database for small deployments. For central DB, configure MS SQL per vendor docs.
• Credentials store: Add domain admin or service account credentials in the Console’s Credentials Manager.
• Discovery settings: Set preferred method (WMI, SMB, WinRM) and polling intervals; leave defaults for initial run.

Add network resources (5 minutes)

1. In Console, choose “Add computers” → enter IP range, subnet, or AD container.
2. Select credentials you added.
3. Start discovery. For ~100 endpoints this completes in minutes depending on network.

First scan and verification (3 minutes)

• Review discovered devices list.
• Open a sample machine’s inventory to verify OS, software, hardware details are collected.
• Re-run discovery for any missed machines using alternate credential or protocol.

Reporting & basic tasks (2 minutes)

• Use built-in reports to generate Software Inventory and Hardware Inventory.
• Schedule one immediate report to confirm data export works.
• Export CSV if needed.

Quick troubleshooting tips

• If a machine isn’t discovered: verify admin credentials, firewall, remote services (WMI/Remote Registry), and time sync.
• Use Event Viewer and vendor logs for specific error codes.
• Switch to WinRM if WMI over RPC fails (configure WinRM on targets).

Next steps (optional)

• Configure scheduled scans and report delivery.
• Move repository to SQL for scalability and backups.
• Add SNMP discovery for network devices.

This sequence assumes default network security policies. If your environment requires stricter authentication, allocate extra time to configure service accounts, GPOs for WinRM/WMI, and firewall rules.