Time to complete: 45 minutes (reading) + implementation time
Difficulty: Intermediate to Advanced
Prerequisites: Connect app installed, network access
Valethon Connect discovers devices on customer networks using multiple protocols. This guide covers configuration, optimization, and troubleshooting for comprehensive network discovery.
Connect uses several protocols to build a complete picture:
| Protocol | Layer | Discovers | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARP Scan | 2 | Active hosts | Subnet access |
| SNMP | 7 | Device details | Community string |
| CDP/LLDP | 2 | Network topology | Managed switches |
| DNS | 7 | Hostnames | DNS server access |
| WMI | 7 | Windows details | Domain credentials |
| NMOS | 7 | Broadcast AV | IS-04 registry |
| Dante | 7 | Audio network | mDNS/DNS-SD |
In Connect settings, specify which subnets to scan:
# Common configurations
192.168.1.0/24 # Single /24 subnet
10.0.0.0/16 # Large corporate network
172.16.0.0/12 # Full private range (careful!)
# Multiple specific subnets
192.168.10.0/24 # Management VLAN
192.168.20.0/24 # User VLAN
192.168.100.0/24 # Server VLAN
Best Practice: Start with known subnets. Expand gradually.
SNMP provides the richest device information.
Read-Only Community Strings:
public # Default (often disabled)
monitoring # Common alternative
{company}ro # Company-specific
Add community strings in Connect → Discovery Settings → SNMP.
SNMP Versions:
| Version | Security | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| v1 | None | Avoid if possible |
| v2c | Community string | Acceptable for isolated networks |
| v3 | Auth + encryption | Recommended for production |
For network mapping, enable CDP/LLDP discovery:
Note: Requires managed switches with CDP/LLDP enabled.
Runs discovery at regular intervals:
| Interval | CPU Impact | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| 5 min | High | Dynamic environments |
| 15 min | Medium | Standard networks |
| 60 min | Low | Stable environments |
Configure in Connect → Schedule → Continuous.
Runs at specific times:
# Example schedule (cron syntax)
0 6 * * * # Daily at 6 AM
0 */4 * * * # Every 4 hours
0 8 * * 1 # Monday at 8 AM
Best for:
Triggered on-demand from:
Use for:
Connect automatically categorizes discovered devices:
| Detection Method | Category |
|---|---|
| SNMP sysDescr contains "Cisco IOS" | Network Switch |
| SNMP sysDescr contains "FortiGate" | Firewall |
| WMI returns OS version | Windows Workstation/Server |
| PJLink responds | Projector |
| Dante mDNS service | Audio Device |
When auto-classification fails:
Create rules for your environment:
# Example rule
name: "Crestron Processors"
match:
- field: snmp_sysdescr
contains: "Crestron"
- field: open_ports
includes: [41794]
action:
set_type: "Control Processor"
set_manufacturer: "Crestron"
Connect discovers VLANs through multiple methods:
SNMP VLAN tables provide:
Required MIBs:
Neighbor discovery reveals:
For VLANs not discovered automatically:
Connect builds network topology from discovered relationships.
| Source | Provides |
|---|---|
| CDP neighbors | Switch-to-switch connections |
| LLDP neighbors | Multi-vendor topology |
| MAC address tables | Device-to-port mapping |
| ARP tables | IP-to-MAC relationships |
| Spanning Tree | Root bridge, port roles |
Features:
Factors affecting accuracy:
For AV integrators, Connect discovers professional AV equipment.
Discovers video-over-IP devices:
Configuration:
Discovers Dante-enabled devices:
Configuration:
Discovers and monitors projectors:
Configuration:
Discovers ONVIF-compliant cameras:
Configuration:
| Optimization | Impact | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Narrow subnet ranges | Faster scans | May miss devices |
| Increase timeout | More devices found | Slower completion |
| Parallel scanning | Much faster | Higher CPU/network load |
| Skip inactive hosts | Faster | May miss sleeping devices |
Discovery generates network traffic:
| Protocol | Traffic Level | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|
| ARP scan | Low | N/A |
| SNMP walk | Medium | Limit OIDs |
| WMI queries | Medium | Batch requests |
| Full port scan | High | Target specific ports |
Recommendation: Schedule intensive discovery during off-hours.
Monitor Connect's resource consumption:
| Metric | Normal | Action if High |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | < 20% | Reduce parallel scans |
| Memory | < 500MB | Reduce cache size |
| Network | < 10 Mbps | Increase intervals |
ping <target-ip>
snmpwalk -v2c -c public <switch-ip> sysDescr
%APPDATA%\Valethon Connect\logs\~/Library/Application Support/Valethon Connect/logs/
# Cisco
cdp run
lldp run
# HP/Aruba
lldp enable
All discovery activity is logged:
View in: Admin → Logs → Discovery Activity
| Topic | Guide |
|---|---|
| Managing discovered assets | Asset Management |
| Setting up monitoring alerts | Monitoring & Alerts |
| AV-specific discovery | AV Discovery Guide |
Last updated: January 2026