Can these tools cause harm?

Most tools are passive and safe to run anywhere: Ping, Trace, Path ping, DNS, Subnet, SSL, HTTP, WHOIS, IP info, ARP, MAC lookup, Monitor, and SNMP read. They observe — they don't change anything.

Use judgment with these:

• Port scanner — scanning hosts or networks you don't own or aren't authorized to test can violate policy or law. Scan your own gear.
• Console (SSH), Multi-host run, Provisioning and Transfer — these run real commands on, or copy files to, real devices. A bad command or the wrong file can disrupt a device. Know what a command does first.
• Local servers ▸ DHCP — a DHCP server hands out addresses to anything that asks. Started on a production LAN it becomes a rogue DHCP server; run it only on an isolated lab segment.
• Capture and Lab Testing — Capture only listens, but sniffing traffic you aren't authorized to see can be a policy or legal problem. Lab Testing's throughput test floods the link at full speed — keep it off production paths during business hours.
• Runbook show steps — runbooks can run read-only show commands on a device over SSH; the same read-only gate as Multi-host blocks anything that changes config, and output is masked for secrets.
• Discovery — an ICMP sweep is generally safe but adds traffic and may trip noisy-host alerts on monitored networks.

Important: SubnetSlinger never changes a device config or shuts a port by itself. For actions like a MAC lockout or shutting a switch port, the tool helps you gather and confirm the evidence — you perform the enforcement on the switch. Containment can cause an accidental outage if you act on the wrong port, so always verify the building, closet, and exact port first.