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HoverIP is GUI (graphical user interface) for a free portable set of IP tools. You can view the IP configuration, launch nslookup queries, view and modify the routing table, ping hosts, use traceroute with a GUI, and do some basic port scans.
HoverIP hasn't been updated for several years; however, the tool also works fine on Windows 7 and Windows PE 3.0.
Many comparable tools are available, and some have more functions. I like to add HoverIP to the 4sysops list of free admin tools because it is lightweight, portable, and has all the IP tools admins most often.
Note that the tool comes with an installer; however, you can just copy its folder from the Programs directory to your flash drive and launch it from there without installation on other Windows computers.
IPConfig
The IPConfig tab displays important settings for each network card. You can view the host name, domain name, MAC address, IP address, DNS server, etc. Please have a look at the screenshot for the complete list. It is also possible to release and renew the IP address.
Nslookup
The Nslookup tool supports all query types. You can also retrieve all DNS information at once with the query type ANY. What I like about the Nslookup function is that it automatically stores search terms. So if you launch the tool the next time, you can select former queries from a drop-down list.
Routing Table
If you have to troubleshoot VPN, checking the routing table is the first place you should go. Sometimes it is also necessary to change the routing table manually—for instance, if you want to re-route your traffic to another router. With HoverIP you can view the routing table and add and delete routes.
Ping
HoverIP's ping tool is rather simple. You can only configure the number of pings (including infinite) and the packet size. However, in most cases this is all you need when you want to check the availability of a host.
Traceroute
The same applies to the traceroute feature. It does essentially the same as the traceroute Windows command except that it offers you the comfort of a GUI.
Port Scanning
The port scanning tool allows you search for open UDP/TCP ports at a specific host. You can also scan a whole subnet for a particular port. The ports table gives you an overview of the services associated with specific ports.
The lack of support for IPv6 makes this program a no-go for me.
Yes, it is a downside of the program. But I suppose most admins still don’t have to deal with IPv6.