# NetAlertX — Self-Hosted Network Monitoring & Asset Discovery

> A centralized network visibility and continuous asset discovery tool that monitors devices, detects changes, and sends alerts across distributed networks.

## Install

Save as a script file and run:

# NetAlertX — Self-Hosted Network Monitoring & Asset Discovery

## Quick Use
```bash
docker run -d --network=host 
  -v netalertx_config:/app/config 
  -v netalertx_db:/app/db 
  -e TZ=America/New_York 
  jokobsk/netalertx
# Open http://localhost:20211
```

## Introduction
NetAlertX is a self-hosted network monitoring tool that continuously discovers devices on your local network, tracks their presence over time, and alerts you when new or unknown devices connect. It goes beyond simple ARP scanning by offering port scanning, vendor identification, and integration with notification services for comprehensive network visibility.

## What NetAlertX Does
- Discovers all devices on your network using ARP scan, ping, and optional Nmap integration
- Tracks device online/offline history with first-seen and last-seen timestamps
- Sends alerts via email, Pushover, Telegram, ntfy, and other notification channels when new devices appear
- Identifies device vendors from MAC address OUI databases for easier recognition
- Provides port scanning capability to detect services running on discovered devices

## Architecture Overview
NetAlertX is a Python application with a Flask web backend and a SQLite database for persistence. It runs periodic network scans using configurable scanner plugins including arp-scan, Nmap, and Pi-hole integration. Discovered devices are stored with their MAC address, IP, hostname, and vendor information. The web UI displays a dashboard with device counts, online status, and historical activity charts. A plugin system allows extending functionality with custom scanners and notification providers.

## Self-Hosting & Configuration
- Deploy with Docker using `--network=host` for direct LAN access required by ARP scanning
- Configure scan targets and intervals in the web UI settings after first launch
- Set up notification channels (email, Telegram, Pushover) through the settings panel
- Mount persistent volumes for `/app/config` and `/app/db` to preserve data across container restarts
- Enable optional Nmap scanning for port discovery by installing the Nmap plugin

## Key Features
- Multi-scanner plugin architecture supporting ARP, Nmap, SNMP, and Pi-hole sources
- Historical device tracking with uptime charts and connection timeline
- Extensive notification support with 15+ alert channels
- Device categorization with custom groups, icons, and notes
- REST API for integration with home automation and monitoring systems

## Comparison with Similar Tools
- **WatchYourLAN** — Simpler ARP-only scanner; NetAlertX adds port scanning, plugins, and richer device management
- **Pi-hole** — DNS ad-blocker with network overview; NetAlertX focuses on asset discovery and alerting
- **Nmap** — Powerful CLI scanner; NetAlertX provides continuous automated monitoring with a web dashboard
- **Fing** — Commercial network scanner app; NetAlertX is fully self-hosted and open source
- **Zabbix** — Enterprise monitoring platform; NetAlertX is lightweight and focused on LAN device discovery

## FAQ
**Q: Does NetAlertX support multiple subnets?**
A: Yes, configure multiple scan targets in the settings to monitor devices across different subnets accessible from the host.

**Q: How does it identify device types?**
A: NetAlertX uses MAC address OUI lookup for vendor identification and optional Nmap fingerprinting for OS detection.

**Q: Can I integrate NetAlertX with Home Assistant?**
A: Yes, the REST API and MQTT support allow integration with Home Assistant for presence detection and automation triggers.

**Q: How much disk space does the history database use?**
A: The SQLite database grows slowly, typically under 100 MB even after months of monitoring a home network.

## Sources
- https://github.com/netalertx/NetAlertX
- https://netalertx.com

---
Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/57e0e5fe-3cd4-11f1-9bc6-00163e2b0d79
Author: Script Depot