Getting client information in C#

Question

I have an application that scans the local network for connected PC's.

enter image description here

I want to get the client information (IP address, MAC address, Host name...) and the connection state (download rate, upload rate), and put them in the ListView, but the problem is that this information is not constant!

How could I get this information in real time? The info in the ListView changes every time the info of the client changes?

My current code:

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Data;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Collections;
using System.Text;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using NetUtils;
using System.Net;


namespace WindowsFormsApplication5
{


public partial class Form1 : Form
{
    private IPScanner _scanner;

    private class HostSorterByIP : IComparer
    {
        public int Compare(object x, object y)
        {
            byte[] bytes1 = ((IPScanHostState)((ListViewItem)x).Tag).Address.GetAddressBytes();
            byte[] bytes2 = ((IPScanHostState)((ListViewItem)y).Tag).Address.GetAddressBytes();

            int i = bytes1.Length - 1;
            for (; i > 0 && bytes1[i] == bytes2[i]; i--)
                ;

            return bytes1[i] - bytes2[i];
        }
    }

    public Form1()
    {
        InitializeComponent();

        _scanner = new IPScanner((int)_spnConcurrentPings.Value, (int)_spnPingsPerScan.Value, _cbContinuousScan.Checked,
            (int)_spnTimeout.Value, (int)_spnTTL.Value, _cbDontFragment.Checked, (int)_spnBufferSize.Value);

        _scanner.OnAliveHostFound += new IPScanner.AliveHostFoundDelegate(_scanner_OnAliveHostFound);

        _scanner.OnStartScan += new IPScanner.ScanStateChangeDelegate(_scanner_OnStartScan);
        _scanner.OnStopScan += new IPScanner.ScanStateChangeDelegate(_scanner_OnStopScan);
        _scanner.OnRestartScan +=new IPScanner.ScanStateChangeDelegate(_scanner_OnRestartScan);
        _scanner.OnScanProgressUpdate +=new IPScanner.ScanProgressUpdateDelegate(_scanner_OnScanProgressUpdate);

        _lvAliveHosts.ListViewItemSorter = new HostSorterByIP();

        _cmbRangeType.SelectedIndex = 0;
    }

    private void _scanner_OnAliveHostFound(IPScanner scanner, IPScanHostState host)
    {
        if (InvokeRequired)
        {
            BeginInvoke(new IPScanner.AliveHostFoundDelegate(_scanner_OnAliveHostFound), scanner, host);
            return;
        }

        ListViewItem item = new ListViewItem();
        item.Tag = host;

        item.BackColor = Color.GreenYellow;
        item.SubItems.Add(host.Address.ToString());
        item.SubItems.Add("");
        item.SubItems.Add("");
        item.SubItems.Add("");

        _lvAliveHosts.Items.Add(item);
        _lvAliveHosts.Sort();

        host.OnHostNameAvailable += new IPScanHostState.HostNameAvailableDelegate(host_OnHostNameAvailable);
        host.OnStateChange += new IPScanHostState.StateChangeDelegate(host_OnStateChange);

        if (!host.IsTesting())
        {
            item.ImageIndex = (int)host.QualityCategory;
            item.SubItems[2].Text = host.AvgResponseTime.ToString("F02") + " ms";
            item.SubItems[3].Text = ((float)(host.LossCount) / host.PingsCount).ToString("P");
            item.SubItems[4].Text = host.HostName;
        }

        //AddLogEntry("Host [" + host.Address.ToString() + "] is alive.");

        Timer newTimer = new Timer();
        newTimer.Tag = item;
        newTimer.Interval = 2000;
        newTimer.Tick += new EventHandler(newTimer_Tick);

        newTimer.Enabled = true;
    }

    void host_OnHostNameAvailable(IPScanHostState host)
    {
        if (InvokeRequired)
        {
            BeginInvoke(new IPScanHostState.HostNameAvailableDelegate(host_OnHostNameAvailable), host);
            return;
        }

        ListViewItem item = FindListViewItem(host);
        if (item != null)
            item.SubItems[4].Text = host.HostName;
    }

    private ListViewItem FindListViewItem(IPScanHostState host)
    {
        foreach (ListViewItem item in _lvAliveHosts.Items)
        {
            if (item.Tag == host)
                return item;
        }

        return null;
    }

    private void host_OnStateChange(IPScanHostState host, IPScanHostState.State oldState)
    {
        if (InvokeRequired)
        {
            BeginInvoke(new IPScanHostState.StateChangeDelegate(host_OnStateChange), host, oldState);
            return;
        }

        if (!host.IsTesting())
        {
            ListViewItem item = FindListViewItem(host);
            if (item != null)
            {
                if (host.IsAlive())
                {
                    item.ImageIndex = (int)host.QualityCategory;
                    item.SubItems[2].Text = host.AvgResponseTime.ToString("F02") + " ms";
                    item.SubItems[3].Text = ((float)(host.LossCount) / host.PingsCount).ToString("P");
                }
                else
                {
                    //AddLogEntry("Host [" + host.Address.ToString() + "] died.");

                    host.OnStateChange -= host_OnStateChange;
                    host.OnHostNameAvailable -= host_OnHostNameAvailable;

                    item.BackColor = Color.IndianRed;

                    Timer removeTimer = new Timer();
                    removeTimer.Tag = item;
                    removeTimer.Interval = 2000;
                    removeTimer.Tick += new EventHandler(removeTimer_Tick);

                    removeTimer.Enabled = true;
                }
            }
        }
    }

    void newTimer_Tick(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        Timer timer = (Timer)sender;

        timer.Stop();
        timer.Tick -= newTimer_Tick;

        ListViewItem item = (ListViewItem)timer.Tag;
        item.BackColor = Color.White;
    }

    void removeTimer_Tick(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        Timer timer = (Timer)sender;

        timer.Stop();
        timer.Tick -= newTimer_Tick;

        ListViewItem item = (ListViewItem)timer.Tag;
        _lvAliveHosts.Items.Remove(item);
    }

    private void _scanner_OnStartScan(IPScanner scanner)
    {
        if (InvokeRequired)
        {
            BeginInvoke(new IPScanner.ScanStateChangeDelegate(_scanner_OnStartScan), scanner);
            return;
        }

        foreach (ListViewItem item in _lvAliveHosts.Items)
        {
            ((IPScanHostState)item.Tag).OnStateChange -= host_OnStateChange;
            ((IPScanHostState)item.Tag).OnHostNameAvailable -= host_OnHostNameAvailable;
        }

        _lvAliveHosts.Items.Clear();

        _prgScanProgress.Value = 0;

        EnableSettings(false);
    }

    private void EnableSettings(bool enable)
    {
        _cmbRangeType.Enabled = _tbRangeStart.Enabled = _tbRangeEnd.Enabled = _spnTimeout.Enabled = _spnTTL.Enabled = _spnBufferSize.Enabled = _cbDontFragment.Enabled =
            _spnConcurrentPings.Enabled = _spnPingsPerScan.Enabled = _cbContinuousScan.Enabled = enable;

        _btnStartStop.Text = enable ? "&Start" : "&Stop";
        if (enable)
            _prgScanProgress.Text = "Scanner is not running!";
    }

    private void _btnStartStop_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        if (!_scanner.Active)
        {
            try
            {
                _scanner.Start(_cmbRangeType.SelectedIndex == 0
                    ? new IPScanRange(IPAddress.Parse(_tbRangeStart.Text), IPAddress.Parse(_tbRangeEnd.Text))
                    : new IPScanRange(IPAddress.Parse(_tbRangeStart.Text), int.Parse(_tbRangeEnd.Text)));
            }
            catch (FormatException)
            {
                MessageBox.Show(this, "Cannot parse IP range or subnetmask!", "Error!", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Error);
            }
        }
        else
            _scanner.Stop(false);
    }

    private void _scanner_OnStopScan(IPScanner scanner)
    {
        if (InvokeRequired)
        {
            BeginInvoke(new IPScanner.ScanStateChangeDelegate(_scanner_OnStopScan), scanner);
            return;
        }

        EnableSettings(true);


        _prgScanProgress.Value = 0;
    }

    void _scanner_OnRestartScan(IPScanner scanner)
    {
        if (InvokeRequired)
        {
            BeginInvoke(new IPScanner.ScanStateChangeDelegate(_scanner_OnRestartScan), scanner);
            return;
        }


        _prgScanProgress.Value = 0;
    }

    void _scanner_OnScanProgressUpdate(IPScanner scanner, IPAddress currentAddress, ulong progress, ulong total)
    {
        if (InvokeRequired)
        {
            BeginInvoke(new IPScanner.ScanProgressUpdateDelegate(_scanner_OnScanProgressUpdate), scanner, currentAddress, progress, total);
            return;
        }

        int prog = (int)((100 * progress) / total);
        _prgScanProgress.Value = prog;
        _prgScanProgress.Text = prog.ToString() + "%" + " [" + currentAddress.ToString() + "]";
    }

    private void _cmbRangeType_SelectedIndexChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        if (_cmbRangeType.SelectedIndex == 0)
        {
            _lRangeSep.Text = "-";
            _lRangeEnd.Text = "Range &End:";
            _tbRangeEnd.Size = new Size(130, _tbRangeEnd.Size.Height);
        }
        else
        {
            _lRangeSep.Text = "/";
            _lRangeEnd.Text = "Subnet &Mask:";
            _tbRangeEnd.Size = new Size(32, _tbRangeEnd.Size.Height);
        }
    }

    //private void _lvAliveHosts_DoubleClick(object sender, EventArgs e) { _btnAddHost_Click(sender, e); }

    private void IPScanForm_FormClosing(object sender, FormClosingEventArgs e) { _scanner.Stop(true); }

    private ListViewItem.ListViewSubItem _activeTooltipSubitem = null;

    private static string[] QualityCategoryNames = { "Very Poor", "Poor", "Fair", "Good", "Very Good", "Excellent", "Perfect" };

    private void _lvAliveHosts_MouseMove(object sender, MouseEventArgs e)
    {
        ListViewItem item = _lvAliveHosts.HitTest(e.Location).Item;
        if (item != null)
        {
            ListViewItem.ListViewSubItem subitem = _lvAliveHosts.HitTest(e.Location).SubItem;
            if (subitem != null && item.SubItems.IndexOf(subitem) == 0)
            {
                if (_activeTooltipSubitem != subitem)
                {
                    _ttQuality.Show("Quality: " + QualityCategoryNames[item.ImageIndex], _lvAliveHosts, item.SubItems[1].Bounds.X, subitem.Bounds.Y);
                    _activeTooltipSubitem = subitem;
                }

                return;
            }
        }

        _activeTooltipSubitem = null;
        _ttQuality.Hide(_lvAliveHosts);
    }


}
}

What did you already try? and what does "but the problem that those informations are not constants" mean? — evgenyl, Mar 24 '13 at 12:02
i tried to get the connected clients infos and put them in the listview, the clients infos change in real time but not in the listview !!!! — NoobMaster69, Mar 24 '13 at 12:07
No-one is going to read this much code. Is there not a to-the-point example that you could have used? And also, what's not working about the code you've posted? — antonijn, Mar 24 '13 at 12:17

omer schleifer · Accepted Answer · 2013-03-24T12:27:10.110

2

I would create the list of clients and show them in the listview.

Than, in a background thread, every X seconds, poll all of the current clients. Next , compare the list of updated clients to a list of clients from last update.

What remain to do is to add any new client to the list, and remove any client which no longer exists.

Pay attention to the context, use InvokeRequired() to get access to the UI control from the background thread.

EDIT:

here is how to run a background thread:

static void Main(string[] args)
        {

            Thread worker = new Thread(DoBackgroundWork);
        }

        public static void DoBackgroundWork()
        {


            while (true)
            {
                //Sleep 10 seconds
                Thread.Sleep(10000);

                //Do some work and than post to the control using Invoke()

            }

        }

edited Mar 24 '13 at 12:27

answered Mar 24 '13 at 12:06

omer schleifer

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that's exactly what i want to do , but the problem is how i can get the information from the client every x second ? do have a method to that ? – NoobMaster69 Mar 24 '13 at 12:15
I've edited my answer. you can also look at timers:http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/cc164015.aspx . since I suspect you are new to c#, I want to emphesize again that you will not be able to access the control from the background thread. see: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2367718/automating-the-invokerequired-code-pattern – omer schleifer Mar 24 '13 at 12:27

Getting client information in C#

1 Answers1