20121207 Weialgo/NMap, random notes

Just a couple notes on nmap and how it could be modified for the purpose that I'm using it for.

First, nmap could be changed to do polling with protocols other than ICMP.  There's no reason a TCP SYN/ACK poll couldn't be done, or some form of a UDP poll.  Having said that, it wouldn't normally be good form to use TCP or UDP for the purposes of determining pure network availability and rtt measurement.  Particularly if you're polling once a second.

Hitting a SSH port with a TCP SYN/ACK/RST poll, once a second, wouldn't create a DOS, I don't care what the newb geek in IT Security says.  It would work just fine, and nothing designed since 1993 would have an issue with it.  But, it would be considered poor form to use it in normal use (mostly because the newb geek in InfoSec would go all spazzy on you for doing it, even though he wouldn't have a foot to stand on in a real discussion about it).

So, you wouldn't have to do ICMP, you -*could*- do a "ping" through a firewall using a TCP poll, which nmap is expert at.  But, it would be poor form, normally.

The next thing is, I am not paid to do pings.  Yep, this is not my job, this is just one of my hobbies that I do at home (most of the time).  Yes, I consider this fun.  Actually, this type of stuff is a blast.

But, no, I do not get paid to do this.  But I let my hobbies benefit my work if at all possible.  :-)

The box that I'm using for this at my house is a Intel Atom D2700, which works absolutely fantastic for this.  I'm not pinging as much stuff as I am at work, but I dare say the Atom is faster than the throw-away box that I'm using at work (actually, that was meant to be a joke, but now that I think of it...).

So, 2 or 3 hundred bucks will get you a fantastic weialgo box.  The Atom boards are yet another thing that have an undeserved bad reputation.  Very respectable speed at 10 or 13 watts (I pay my home electric bill, so details like this are important to me).

I should do a rant about performance to watt comparisons at some point, but, that'll be a few blog posts from now.