---
name: "mdns-scan"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "mdns-scan"
version: "0.5-5+b1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/mdns-scan"
---

# mdns-scan(1)

Scan for mDNS/DNS-SD services published on the local network

## NAME

mdns-scan - Scan for mDNS/DNS-SD services published on the local network

## SYNOPSIS

**mdns-scan**

## DESCRIPTION

mdns-scan is a tool for scanning for mDNS/DNS-SD published services on the local network. It issues a mDNS PTR query to the special RR \_services.\_dns-sd.\_udp.local for retrieving a list of all currently registered services on the local link.

## OPTIONS

**mdns-scan** has no commandline options.

## NOTES

mdns-scan is not a good mDNS citizen since it queries continuously for services and doesn't implement features like Duplicate Suppression. It is intended for usage as a debugging tool only.

mdns-scan is incomplete since it doesn't resolve mDNS services for you - it just dumps their PTR RRs. To understand these records you need minimal knowledge of DNS-SD and how it works.

mdns-scan does not terminate on its own behalf. It scans for services continuously until the user kills it by pressing C-c.

mdns-scan does not rely on a local mDNS responder daemon. It has no dependencies besides the GNU libc. It has been tested on Linux only.

mdns-scan does NOT scan for local mDNS enabled hosts or A/AAAA RRs, it scans for DNS-SD registered services, nothing else.

## SEE ALSO

**[mDNSResponder(8)](/mDNSResponder/8.md)**

## AUTHOR

**mdns-scan** has been written by Lennart Poettering \<mzqrovna@0pointer.de\>