Question : IP discovery

Hi,
I got an old switch that i want to reconnect. Before reconnecting
to the newtwork i want to make sure it doesn't have a duplicate IP with
an existing switch. I got a laptop plugged tp it and my question is
if there an XP command or a utility that can help me discover the swiches IP address?

Thank you all as always.

Answer : IP discovery

Switches work on the datalink layer (layer 2) of the OSI model and use MAC addresses to forward packets.  They don't need an IP address to function.  As b0lsc0tt indicated, a switch generally needs an IP address if it is managed.  If you are just using a workgroup switch (e.g. typical Linksys, D-Link, etc.) then you are probably not using a "manageable" switch.  If, on the other hand, you are using a higher-end switch (e.g. Cisco, Dell PowerConnect, etc.) then you should be able to find instructions in the manufacturer documentation on how to reset it.

Another tool which is handy for scanning a range of IP addresses at once is SoftPerfect Network Scanner.  It is a free utility that can be downloaded here:

http://www.softperfect.com/products/networkscanner/

-Owen