Assets

Assets

Track power on/off and IP validity on Windows laptops used outside the office.

Compare commercial tools, open-source stacks, and a DIY agent that posts startup/shutdown times plus public IP checks to your server for statistics.

Open live reportsDeploy Windows agent

Recommended path

One sequence that works whether you buy software or use the DIY agent in this repo.

  1. 1

    Decide source of truth for ownership

    Every laptop must map to a person (AD/Entra ID user, asset tag, or assignment sheet). Without that, statistics are useless.

  2. 2

    Pick enrollment path

    If you have M365: Intune + Autopilot. If not: RMM agent (NinjaOne / Action1) or the DIY Outdesk agent in this repo.

  3. 3

    Collect power events

    Prefer Windows Event Log (6005/6006/1074) or agent heartbeat with boot time. Do not rely only on 'last online' from MDM — that is check-in, not power off.

  4. 4

    Define what “valid IP” means

    Examples: must be on corporate VPN, must be in allowed countries, or public IP must match known ISP ranges for the employee’s city.

  5. 5

    Ship to a server and report weekly

    Centralize in Intune/Defender advanced hunting, RMM reports, Sentinel/Power BI, or this Outdesk dashboard. Alert on missing heartbeats and invalid IPs.

Tools & software options

Pick the row that matches your stack. All of these can feed a central report for out-of-corporation Windows laptops.

Microsoft 365 / Intune stack

Best default if your company already pays for Microsoft 365 Business Premium or E3/E5. Enroll every remote Windows laptop in Intune, then report power and network signals from Endpoint analytics, Defender, and Log Analytics.

Effort: MediumIncluded with M365 Business Premium / E3+ (Defender P2 / Sentinel extra)

Best for: Microsoft shops that need policy + inventory + reporting in one place

  • Device enrollment and compliance
  • Last check-in / online status
  • Public IP and network info via Defender / Log Analytics
  • Startup/shutdown via Windows event forwarding to Log Analytics / Sentinel
ToolWhy use itPowerIPNotes
Microsoft Intune
Microsoft
Enroll, lock, wipe, and force check-in for every corporate Windows laptop outside the office.PartialYesPair with Autopilot so new laptops enroll before they leave IT.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
Microsoft
Device timeline, public IP, network connections, and investigation data for remote machines.YesYesStrong for security reporting; use advanced hunting for IP and session queries.
Azure Monitor / Log Analytics + Sentinel
Microsoft
Collect Windows Event Log IDs 6005/6006/1074 (startup/shutdown/restart) and build Power BI reports.YesYesMost accurate power on/off history when the Azure Monitor agent is installed.

RMM (Remote Monitoring & Management)

IT service tools that install a lightweight Windows agent, watch online/offline state, collect public IP, and push data to a central dashboard. Fastest path for smaller IT teams.

Effort: LowUsually per-device monthly subscription

Best for: SMBs and internal IT teams that want agent + dashboard quickly

  • Online / offline and last-seen timestamps
  • Public IP and geolocation
  • Alerts when a laptop goes dark or IP changes country
  • Scripted collection of Event Log power events
ToolWhy use itPowerIPNotes
NinjaOne
NinjaOne
Clean Windows agent, device inventory, scripting, and reporting for remote fleets.YesYesUse custom fields + scripts to store power on/off and validate IP allowlists.
Action1
Action1
Free tier for patching and remote inventory; good for first rollout.YesYesUse scripts/reports for IP and Event Log extraction.
Datto RMM / ConnectWise Automate
Kaseya / ConnectWise
Mature MSP-style monitoring with alerting and custom monitors.YesYesCommon if an MSP manages your remote laptops.
Atera
Atera
All-in-one RMM + helpdesk with agent-based online status and network info.YesYesGood when you also want ticketing in the same console.

MDM / Unified Endpoint Management

Enterprise device control with compliance rules. Stronger on inventory and policy than raw power-event history unless you also forward Windows logs.

Effort: MediumPer-device license

Best for: Larger orgs that need compliance, VPN/Wi-Fi profiles, and wipe

  • Enrollment and ownership tracking (who has which laptop)
  • Compliance: encryption, antivirus, OS version
  • Network / VPN profile push
  • Last check-in and location/IP depending on vendor
ToolWhy use itPowerIPNotes
VMware Workspace ONE / Omnissa
Omnissa
Enterprise Windows UEM with inventory, compliance, and reporting APIs.PartialYesCombine with log shipping for precise power on/off times.
ManageEngine Endpoint Central
Zoho ManageEngine
On-prem or cloud option with inventory, remote control, and reports.YesYesUseful when you prefer non-Microsoft stack with Windows focus.
Ivanti Neurons / Endpoint Manager
Ivanti
Asset + patch + remote management for mixed fleets.YesYesHeavier enterprise rollout; good if Ivanti is already in use.

Open-source / security platforms

Self-hosted collectors that query Windows machines and store results in your own server for statistics. More control, more ops work.

Effort: HighMostly infrastructure + staff time

Best for: Teams that want data ownership and can run a server

  • Scheduled OS queries (uptime, users, network interfaces)
  • SIEM-style event collection including power events
  • Custom dashboards and exports
ToolWhy use itPowerIPNotes
Fleet + osquery
Fleet / open source
SQL-like queries across every Windows laptop for uptime, users, and network adapters.PartialYesPowerful for inventory; pair with Windows Event Log for shutdown accuracy.
Wazuh
Wazuh
Open-source XDR/SIEM agent that ships Windows Event Logs to your server.YesYesMap Event IDs 6005/6006/1074 and public IP scripts into dashboards.
GLPI + FusionInventory / agent
GLPI Project
IT asset management with who owns which laptop plus inventory sync.PartialYesGreat for assignment records; add a small agent for live power/IP.

DIY Windows agent → your server

Install a signed PowerShell/Task Scheduler agent on each laptop. On startup, shutdown, and every N minutes it posts power time, public IP, VPN state, and hostname to your API for reports. This repo includes a working DIY slice.

Effort: MediumServer hosting only

Best for: Custom reports, tight budget, or proof-of-concept before buying RMM

  • Exact power on / power off timestamps
  • Public + local IP and VPN flag
  • IP allowlist / country validation
  • Central dashboard and CSV-ready API
ToolWhy use itPowerIPNotes
Outdesk agent (this project)
In-house
Minimal Windows agent + Next.js reporting server tailored to power/IP statistics.YesYesSee /agent page and agent/windows scripts. Use Group Policy or Intune to deploy.
Task Scheduler + PowerShell + Event Log
Microsoft built-in
No extra license: At startup/logon/shutdown tasks call your HTTPS endpoint.YesYesUse Event IDs 6005 (startup), 6006 (shutdown), 1074 (planned restart).

Windows signals to collect

Regardless of vendor, these are the concrete data points your server should receive.

SignalSource on WindowsReport use
StartupEvent Log System — ID 6005 / Task Scheduler At startupPower-on date/time
Shutdown / restartEvent Log System — ID 6006 / 1074Power-off date/time (best effort if forced power-cut)
Public IPHTTPS call to ipify/ifconfig or corporate egress checkWhere the laptop appears on the internet
VPN connectedGet-VpnConnection / adapter name / Intune complianceTreat VPN IP as valid corporate path
HeartbeatScheduled task every 5–15 minutesDetect still-on machines and IP changes without reboot

Try the DIY reporting slice

Demo devices are already loaded. Deploy the PowerShell agent on a Windows laptop and watch power/IP events land in Reports.

View reportsAgent setup