---
title: "IT and OT sensor discovery | Lansweeper Platform"
slug: "discover-assets-with-the-it-and-ot-sensor"
description: "Discover assets with the Lansweeper IT and OT sensor. Scan the subnets and VLANs where you deploy it, and use credentials for a deeper asset inventory."
updated: 2026-09-17T17:52:03Z
published: 2026-09-17T17:52:03Z
canonical: "docs.lansweeper.com/discover-assets-with-the-it-and-ot-sensor"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.lansweeper.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Discover assets with the IT and OT sensor

The IT and OT sensor scans your network directly. You deploy it in a subnet or VLAN, and it finds and identifies the assets in that segment.

## How the sensor collects data

The sensor runs on a machine inside your network and collects data about the devices around it, using two methods together:

- **Active scanning**: it scans the IP ranges you define, querying devices to identify them.
- **Passive detection**: with [network visibility](/docs/configure-network-visibility) enabled, it also picks up assets on the segments it can see, without scanning them directly.

Credentials decide how much you get back. With them, the sensor authenticates to devices and collects the operating system, hardware, installed software, and users. Without them, it still identifies devices through fingerprinting, but with less detail.

## What the sensor discovers

- Device type, manufacturer, and operating system, through fingerprinting.
- Subnet and switch-port relationships, which build your network topology diagrams.
- Full authenticated inventory for the devices you supply credentials for.

You can deploy several sensors across different segments for wider coverage. Each one sends its results to a connected hub. The sensor runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS.

## Compared with the traffic sensor

The IT and OT sensor covers the segments where you deploy it and goes deep on each asset. The traffic sensor covers assets across subnets and VLANs by reading network traffic, with no credentials and no scope to define. For a side-by-side comparison, see [Choose your sensor](/docs/choose-your-sensor).

## Get started

1. Check the [IT and OT sensor requirements](/docs/discovery-hub-and-sensor-requirements).
2. Install the sensor and hub on [Windows](/docs/install-network-discovery-windows), [Linux](/docs/install-network-discovery-linux), or [macOS](/docs/install-network-discovery-macos).
3. [Create discovery credentials](/docs/create-discovery-credentials) so the sensor can authenticate to your devices.
4. [Create a discovery action](/docs/create-a-network-discovery-action) to define what to scan and when.