Comparison

HE.NET Network Tools vs knock(1)

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

HE.NET Network Tools

A comprehensive suite of network diagnostic tools for professionals. It offers features like ARP/NDP lookup, DNS queries, IP calculations, bandwidth testing, and port scanning. Securely manage two-factor authentication codes and view network routing tables.

Highlights
  • ARP/NDP lookup
  • DNS lookup
  • IP Calculator
  • iperf bandwidth test
  • Port Scan
  • SSL/TLS Information
  • Two-factor authentication code storage
Features
Read full description

This suite of networks tools implements most of the network diagnostics that you need as a Network Engineer or System Administrator. Please help us improve it by giving us feedback. + ARP / NDP: Lookup local devices found on your network using either ARP (IPv4) or NDP (IPv6). + Bonjour Browser: See what DNS-SD/Bonjour services are available on your network + DNS lookup: Search for a servers DNS zone records such as SOA, NS, A, AAAA, MX, PTR. + Interface Information: Get information regarding your device's current network state. + IP Calculator: Calculate the Netmask, Wildcard, Network, Host range, and Broadcast for a given subnet. + iperf: Check bandwidth against remote iperf services. + One Time Password: Securely store and view your TOTP and HOTP (two-factor authentication) codes. TOTP codes are available on the Apple Watch. + Ping: Send ICMP packets to a single IPv4/IPv6 address. + Ping Sweep: Send ICMP packets to an entire subnet range. + Traceroute: Find the route packets take to reach your destination. + Progressive Traceroute: Get detailed statistics for a given route. + Port Scan: Scan a list of TCP ports on any server. + Routing Table: See your local device's routing table. + SSL/TLS Information: Check available ciphers, protocols and what's being used when connecting to a remove service. + Whois: Get information regarding network resources. + NO ADS! Note: Recent iOS releases secure certain low-level network information, and as such will not be available in-app, such as MAC addresses for other network devices.

About

knock(1)

This utility app allows you to remotely open firewall ports on your server using a saved sequence of connection attempts from your iPhone. It supports TCP or UDP for each port and provides live feedback on the connection status.

Highlights
  • Save and reuse multiple host configurations
  • Per-port TCP or UDP selection
  • Configurable inter-packet delay
  • Live per-port result display
  • Native SwiftUI interface
  • No tracking or analytics
Features
Read full description

Knock is a minimal, native port-knocking client for iOS. Open ports in your firewall - SSH, VPN, admin panels - by sending a saved sequence from your iPhone. Save named configurations with a host, a list of ports, a delay, and a timeout. Each port can be independently TCP or UDP. Run the sequence with a single tap and watch each knock's result stream in live. FEATURES • Save and reuse multiple host configurations • Per-port TCP or UDP selection • Configurable inter-packet delay and socket timeout • Live per-port result display • Clean SwiftUI interface, native look and feel • No tracking, no analytics, no accounts HOW IT WORKS Port knocking is a technique for opening firewall ports on demand: your server watches for a specific sequence of connection attempts (for example, TCP/7000, UDP/8000, TCP/9000), and only opens a protected service like SSH after seeing the right pattern. knock(1) lets you send those sequences from your phone, allowing you to connect to your servers on the go. COMPATIBLE knock(1)'s behavior matches the reference jvinet/knock client - if your server runs knockd, knock(1) works out of the box. PRIVACY knock(1) connects only to the hosts you configure. It does not send telemetry, does not use analytics SDKs, and does not require an account. Your saved configurations stay on your device.

Screenshots

HE.NET Network Tools4 screens
knock(1)4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: knock(1) at 5.0 against HE.NET Network Tools's 4.0. HE.NET Network Tools's advantage is ratings volume (70 vs 1) and device support (4 vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

knock(1) holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HE.NET Network Tools has 70 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
HE.NET Network Tools versus knock(1): the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHE.NET Network Toolsknock(1)
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (70 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews77.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings70 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS13.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHurricane Electric, LLCJeffrey Cousens

Bugs and requests

HE.NET Network Tools

Reported bugs

12 issues
  • Interface Information crashes app immediately
  • iperf3 fails with 'operation not permitted' error
  • iperf2 crashes on iOS 8+
  • DNS lookups not responding after updates
  • iperf3 only runs for 1 second despite longer duration settings
Show 7 more
  • iperf3 fails to start intermittently
  • App crashes when selecting tools from menu
  • Crashes on iOS 11 and later versions
  • Neighbor Discovery crashes on iPhone 6
  • Dark mode text hard to read on iPhone
  • App crashes on iPad for multiple functions
  • Ping and basic tools crash on iOS 11+

Requested features

12 requests
  • Vision Pro compatibility and controls
  • SRV record lookup in DNS tool
  • IPv6 subnet calculator
  • WOL (Wake-on-LAN) magic packet support
  • MTR (My Traceroute) tool
Show 7 more
  • Telnet command for port testing
  • Stop/pause button for running tests
  • Multiple iperf test execution
  • Configurable iperf parameters and bandwidth limits
  • LAN device scanning capability
  • Dark mode text color options
  • Apple Watch app with full functionality

knock(1)

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

HE.NET Network Tools

No in-app purchases

None

knock(1)

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is HE.NET Network Tools free?
HE.NET Network Tools is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is knock(1) free?
knock(1) is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, HE.NET Network Tools or knock(1)?
knock(1) is rated higher. HE.NET Network Tools averages 4.0 out of 5 from 70 ratings, while knock(1) averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do HE.NET Network Tools or knock(1) have ads?
Neither HE.NET Network Tools nor knock(1) shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HE.NET Network Tools or knock(1)?
HE.NET Network Tools ships an update every 2 months, and knock(1) every 2 months. Most recently, HE.NET Network Tools was updated on September 27, 2026 and knock(1) on September 26, 2026.

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