Is it possible knowing which network switch and socket you're plugged in using network tools?

Question

I'm in a house, where my computer is possibly indirectly connected to a router via switches. There are lot of computers all over the house and it's very hard to trace my RJ45 to the right switch and socket. Anyone know any network tools that i can use to determine which socket i'm connected to?

I maybe asking too much and i have a feeling that the answer is no but it doesn't hurt to ask.

Answer 1

If your house has enterprise class switches/users with a management interface, the answer is yes - Log in and perform a few queries. I cannot give examples as it is very different depending on manufacturer / model.

If you do not have access to a management interface, it is impossible to know exactly where you are plugged into.

If you have just normal switches before a single router, there is simply no way to know.

If you have a few routers, you can go to Command Prompt / Terminal and type something such as "Tracert www.google.com" and you will see the amount of routers your connection passes through

For example, I have a few switches and only one router that I go through, typing tracert I see -

Tracing route to www.l.google.com [66.102.9.105]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1    <1 ms    <1 ms    <1 ms  192.168.0.1
2     *        *        *     Request timed out.
3     *        *        *     Request timed out.
4     *        *        *     Request timed out.

2, 3 and 4 are already outside of my network.

Even using this method, there is no way to know what port you are connected to, with standard unmanged switches.

Answer 2

I realize that you are looking for a network or software based solution to your problem. However, have you tried looking at the switches and see which ports are active and then unplugging your system and seeing which port goes dark? Or, take a digital photo of the switches before and after the disconnect?

I am presuming that you have physical access to the switches.

Answer 3

please check this one, Managed Switch Port Mapping Tool

The Managed Switch Port Mapping tool is designed to communicate with a managed ethernet switch using SNMPv1/v2c and map the physical port connections to MAC and IP addresses of the attached devices. The software is designed for use on Microsoft Windows® operating systems.

Demonstration video

Answer 4

It depends on the switch you're connected to, if you're lucky it may be a switch with CDP enabled (mainly Cisco, but I think some old HP switches also had support for CDP). I have a fluke cable tester that can get CDP information, but if this is a one off it will probably be overkill for what you need. There is also a program called Cisco CDP Client that I've never used myself but have been told can provide some valuable information