Privacy policy
Network Tools (Windows app) · last updated: 1 November 2026
Italiano · English · Français · Deutsch · Español
In short
Network Tools does not collect personal data, does not require an account, contains no advertising and does not send usage or performance statistics (no telemetry). netDesk.IT receives no data from people who use the app.
Controller
netDesk.IT di Pagano Massimo · Via Sabotino, 36, Zafferana Etnea (CT), Italy · VAT no. IT04347940878
Contact: info@netdesk.it
Data saved on your PC
The app keeps only on your computer, in the folder %AppData%\netDesk.IT\StrumentiDiRete, what it needs to be convenient to use:
- settings: theme, language, outgoing network adapter, starting position of the map, hop limit, speed advertised by your provider, options of the scanner and of the network check, window position and size;
- the last values entered in the fields (for example addresses and domain names), the history and the favourites; passwords are never saved;
- the history of speed tests and the event log of the ping monitor;
- for the network scanner: the names you give to devices, the last scan of each range and the list of devices already seen (MAC address, IP address, vendor and name), used to compare scans and to warn about new devices;
- the network quality history (one measurement every 5 minutes, only if you turn it on) and the inventory of the devices seen by the scanner (name, MAC address, IP address, vendor, type, first and last time seen).
- the log of unexpected errors (
errori.log: date and time, place in the program and the technical error message, which may contain an address or host name you were checking; it never exceeds 256 KB) and, when you shut down or restart a computer on your network, one line with the date, time and address of that computer. - the approximate locations of the IP addresses already looked up (
posizioni.txt, kept for 30 days) and the IEEE lists of network card manufacturers; in the error log, one line with the state of the Store license (active, trial, expiry).
This data is not transmitted to anyone, not even to netDesk.IT. It is deleted by removing that folder or uninstalling the app; the “Clear history and favourites” command in Settings deletes only part of it (entered values, history and favourites).
Network connections
Network Tools is a set of diagnostic tools: its functions connect to the addresses and servers you specify (for example a ping, a DNS lookup or a port scan). As with any Internet connection, the servers contacted see the IP address the request comes from.
The functions below query third-party public services or the servers you specify, normally only when you use them; the requests made when the app starts are described in the first row:
| Function | Service contacted |
|---|---|
| When the app starts (and when you open the Speed test) | public IP (Cloudflare, ipify), approximate location of the IP (GeoJS, ipwho.is, ipinfo.io) for the map's starting point and to choose the speed test servers, and IEEE lists of network card manufacturers (standards-oui.ieee.org, conditional requests): they receive the IP address the request comes from and no other data of yours. They are turned off by “No external services” in Settings |
| Public IP | Cloudflare (1.1.1.1, www.cloudflare.com), ipify (api.ipify.org) |
| IP address owner | rdap.org and the regional Internet registries |
| Whois | the whois servers of the domain or address searched |
| Blacklist check | public DNS lists (Spamhaus, SpamCop, Barracuda, PSBL, UCEPROTECT, s5h, DroneBL, anonmails, SURBL, URIBL), queried through the public resolvers of Google (8.8.8.8) and Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) or the DNS server you specify, and directly on the name servers of Spamhaus and URIBL: they receive the IP address or domain you check |
| DNSSEC and DNS over HTTPS | Cloudflare (cloudflare-dns.com) and Google (dns.google): they receive the domain name you check |
| HTTPS check and TLS versions | the site you specify: the app opens a few test connections to it |
| Port reachable from the Internet | check-host.net: receives the address and the port you check and tries them from a few locations around the world (the app first reads their list) |
| Certificate expiry | the sites you specify: the app opens a connection to read the certificate |
| Network quality history | only if you turn it on: every 5 minutes a few pings to Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) and to the home router (with “No external services” only to the router); the measurements stay on your PC |
| Network health | only when you press “Check now”: a few pings to Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) and Google (8.8.8.8) and the lookup of www.microsoft.com, www.google.com and www.cloudflare.com through the PC's DNS server; then the home router, on the local network. With “No external services” only the local network is measured. The results stay on your PC |
| Test email and POP3 check | the mail server you specify: user name and password go only to that server and are not saved |
| Speed test | Debian mirrors (ftp.it.debian.org, deb.debian.org, debian.mirror.garr.it and those of your country) and Cloudflare (speed.cloudflare.com) |
| VPN detector | the public IP and IP owner services, and check.torproject.org to find out whether the exit address is a Tor node |
| Hop position on the map | GeoJS (get.geojs.io), ipwho.is and ipinfo.io: they receive the public IP addresses of the hops on the path (and, with an active VPN, the exit address) to return their approximate position |
| Starting position | Open-Meteo (geocoding-api.open-meteo.com): receives the city you type in Settings, only when you press “Set the position” |
| Real public IP with an active VPN | your home router, on the local network (UPnP and NAT-PMP): the app asks it for the address of its port towards the Internet; no data leaves the local network. If the router does not say, a public STUN server of Google (stun.l.google.com), which receives only the PC's IP address |
| DNS lookups | the PC's DNS server or the one you choose |
| Network scanner, port scanner, mDNS devices, Wake-on-LAN and the periodic network check | the devices on your local network or the addresses you specify; with the UDP probes the app asks the devices (SNMP with the “public” community, UPnP, ONVIF, MikroTik, Ubiquiti, TP-Link Kasa and, on some, the description page) for model, version and uptime; results stay on your PC |
| Wi-Fi scanner | none: the app reads nearby networks from the PC's Wi-Fi adapter and sends nothing. Only when you ask, it also reads the Wi-Fi profiles saved on the PC, with their passwords, and can connect to a network; this data stays on the PC, is not sent anywhere and is not stored by the app |
| Network security: scan of the local network and the router | the devices on your local network and your router (UPnP, NAT-PMP, forwarded ports, open ports); no data leaves the local network; results stay on your PC. The report, if you create it, is a file you save wherever you choose and is not sent to anyone |
| Network security: “Test ports” | check-host.net: only if you press the button, it receives your router's public address and the forwarded TCP ports and tries them from a few locations around the world |
| Network security: “Shodan” | internetdb.shodan.io: only if you press the button, it receives your router's public address and returns the ports and vulnerabilities Shodan has already seen (a snapshot refreshed weekly) |
| Network security: “Outside scan” | portscan.com: only if you press the button, it sees the public address of your connection and tries 32 common TCP ports; the service scans only the address the request comes from, never others |
| Diagnosis report | the router, the PC's DNS server, Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) and Google (8.8.8.8) for a few pings; on those DNS servers a lookup of www.microsoft.com, and an HTTPS connection to www.microsoft.com; the report stays on your PC |
| Option “No external services” | in Settings it blocks the requests to third-party services for public IP, location, Tor network, RDAP registries, port check, ports test from outside, Shodan view, outside scan, IEEE lists and hop locations; it does not block the tools you start towards addresses or servers you choose (ping, DNS, whois, HTTP and certificate checks, DNS over HTTPS, speed test, blacklist) |
The app sends these services only what the request needs (for example the domain or address to check); their handling of data is governed by their own policies.
The results of command-line commands (/json) are written only to the terminal or to the file you specify.
Microsoft Store
If you install the app from the Microsoft Store, download, installation, updates, free trial and purchase are handled by Microsoft under the Microsoft Privacy Statement; the app only reads the licence status from Windows.
Your rights
Since netDesk.IT does not receive personal data through the app, there is nothing for us to provide, correct or delete. For any question write to info@netdesk.it.
Changes
If the way the app works changes significantly for privacy, this page will be updated and the date above changed.