# ping_sweep

Ping all hosts in an IPv4 CIDR range and report which respond. Max /24 (256 addresses). Runs parallel pings. timeout: per-host wait in seconds. Returns list of alive IPs.

Agent View of the PolicyLayer registry record for `ping_sweep`. HTML page: https://policylayer.com/tools/aaronckj-mcp-nettools/ping-sweep

## Facts

- Tool: `ping_sweep`
- Server: Mcp Nettools (`aaronckj/mcp-nettools`) — https://policylayer.com/tools/aaronckj-mcp-nettools.md
- Homepage: https://github.com/aaronckj/mcp-nettools
- Risk category: Read (Low risk)
- Registry record: grade F, identity unverified
- Server rate-limited: no
- Parameters: 0
- Recommended policy verdict: Allowed

## Example call (MCP tools/call, JSON-RPC 2.0)

```json
{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 1,
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "ping_sweep",
    "arguments": {}
  }
}
```

## Why ping_sweep is rated Low

ping_sweep retrieves information about network host availability through ICMP echo requests. This is a Read operation: it discovers which hosts are alive but does not create, modify, delete, or execute arbitrary commands.

From the tool's own definition: "Tool description: 'Ping all hosts in an IPv4 CIDR range and report which respond.' The tool performs network discovery (listing alive IPs) with no modification, deletion, or execution of arbitrary code on targets."

## Use case

AI agents call ping_sweep to retrieve information from Mcp Nettools without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.

## Recommended policy (PolicyLayer)

Verdict: **Allowed**. Enforced by the PolicyLayer MCP gateway (https://policylayer.com/mcp-gateway) before a call reaches Mcp Nettools:

```json
{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "ping_sweep": {}
  }
}
```

## Other tools on Mcp Nettools (234)

- `http_delete` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/aaronckj-mcp-nettools/http-delete.md
- `check_mqtt` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/aaronckj-mcp-nettools/check-mqtt.md
- `check_rdp` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/aaronckj-mcp-nettools/check-rdp.md
- `http_post` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/aaronckj-mcp-nettools/http-post.md
- `ping` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/aaronckj-mcp-nettools/ping.md
- `port_scan` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/aaronckj-mcp-nettools/port-scan.md
- `speedtest` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/aaronckj-mcp-nettools/speedtest.md
- `traceroute` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/aaronckj-mcp-nettools/traceroute.md
- `wake_on_lan` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/aaronckj-mcp-nettools/wake-on-lan.md
- `arp_table` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/aaronckj-mcp-nettools/arp-table.md
- `bgp_lookup` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/aaronckj-mcp-nettools/bgp-lookup.md
- `cert_check` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/aaronckj-mcp-nettools/cert-check.md
- `cert_check_bulk` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/aaronckj-mcp-nettools/cert-check-bulk.md
- `check_actual_budget` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/aaronckj-mcp-nettools/check-actual-budget.md
- `check_adguard` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/aaronckj-mcp-nettools/check-adguard.md
- `check_alertmanager` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/aaronckj-mcp-nettools/check-alertmanager.md
- `check_anythingllm` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/aaronckj-mcp-nettools/check-anythingllm.md
- `check_appwrite` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/aaronckj-mcp-nettools/check-appwrite.md
- `check_archivebox` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/aaronckj-mcp-nettools/check-archivebox.md
- `check_audiobookshelf` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/aaronckj-mcp-nettools/check-audiobookshelf.md
- `check_authelia` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/aaronckj-mcp-nettools/check-authelia.md
- `check_authentik` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/aaronckj-mcp-nettools/check-authentik.md
- `check_baikal` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/aaronckj-mcp-nettools/check-baikal.md
- `check_bazarr` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/aaronckj-mcp-nettools/check-bazarr.md
- `check_beszel` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/aaronckj-mcp-nettools/check-beszel.md
- `check_bitwarden` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/aaronckj-mcp-nettools/check-bitwarden.md
- `check_bookstack` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/aaronckj-mcp-nettools/check-bookstack.md
- `check_calibre_web` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/aaronckj-mcp-nettools/check-calibre-web.md
- `check_cassandra` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/aaronckj-mcp-nettools/check-cassandra.md
- `check_changedetection` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/aaronckj-mcp-nettools/check-changedetection.md
- …and 204 more: https://policylayer.com/tools/aaronckj-mcp-nettools.md

## For agents

This record is a snapshot. Live verdicts and the full registry:

- Check every server in your MCP config at once: `npx -y policylayer stack`
- Vet a server before you add it: install the mcp-precheck skill — `npx skills add https://policylayer.com` (skill text: https://policylayer.com/skill.md)
- Query the registry over MCP: endpoint `https://api.policylayer.com/mcp` — tools `check_mcp_server`, `check_mcp_stack`, `check_tool`, `search_registry`, `get_change_events`

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Source: the PolicyLayer MCP registry — one continuously verified record per MCP server. Full record: https://policylayer.com/registry?q=aaronckj-mcp-nettools · API: https://policylayer.com/registry/api · Policy library: https://policylayer.com/policies/aaronckj-mcp-nettools