### **Core Features**
1. **Equipment Management**:
   - Add, edit, and delete network equipment (switches, firewalls, servers, access points).
   - View a list of all equipment with details (name, IP, location, status, etc.).
   - Search and filter equipment by type, location, or status.

2. **Status Monitoring**:
   - Implement a ping feature to check if devices are online.
   - Display real-time status (e.g., "Online", "Offline", "Degraded").
   - Add a refresh button to update statuses.

3. **Logging**:
   - Log all actions (add, edit, delete, status changes).
   - View logs in a separate tab or window.
   - Filter logs by date, action type, or equipment.

4. **Data Persistence**:
   - Save equipment data to a JSON file (or a database like SQLite for scalability).
   - Load data on application startup.

5. **User Interface Enhancements**:
   - Add a dashboard with summary statistics (e.g., total devices, online/offline counts).
   - Use a table or treeview to display equipment in a structured way.
   - Add tooltips and help messages for better usability.

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### **Advanced Features**
6. **Network Discovery**:
   - Automatically discover devices on the network using tools like `nmap` or `scapy`.
   - Add discovered devices to the system with a single click.

7. **Alerts and Notifications**:
   - Send email or desktop notifications when a device goes offline or comes back online.
   - Set thresholds for alerts (e.g., high CPU usage on a server).

8. **Backup and Restore**:
   - Allow exporting equipment data to a file (e.g., CSV, JSON).
   - Import data from a file to restore the system.

9. **Role-Based Access Control**:
   - Add user authentication (e.g., login screen).
   - Implement roles (e.g., Admin, Viewer) with different permissions.

10. **Reporting**:
    - Generate reports (e.g., list of offline devices, equipment by location).
    - Export reports to PDF or Excel.

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### **Technical Enhancements**
11. **Database Integration**:
    - Replace JSON file storage with a database (e.g., SQLite, MySQL, PostgreSQL).
    - Use an ORM like SQLAlchemy for easier database management.

12. **API Integration**:
    - Integrate with APIs from network equipment vendors (e.g., Cisco, Juniper) to fetch real-time data.
    - Use SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) to monitor devices.

13. **Multi-Threading**:
    - Use multi-threading for tasks like pinging devices to avoid freezing the UI.

14. **Customizable UI**:
    - Allow users to customize the UI (e.g., change themes, rearrange columns).

15. **Error Handling**:
    - Add robust error handling for invalid inputs, network issues, etc.
    - Display user-friendly error messages.

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### **Optional Features**
16. **Network Mapping**:
    - Create a visual map of the network topology (e.g., using Graphviz or a custom canvas).

17. **Scheduled Tasks**:
    - Schedule periodic tasks (e.g., ping devices every 5 minutes, generate daily reports).

18. **Integration with Monitoring Tools**:
    - Integrate with tools like Nagios, Zabbix, or PRTG for advanced monitoring.

19. **Mobile-Friendly**:
    - Create a web-based version of the system using Flask/Django for mobile access.

20. **Documentation**:
    - Add a help section or user manual within the application.

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### **Implementation Order**
1. Start with **Core Features** (1-5) to get a functional system.
2. Add **Advanced Features** (6-10) to enhance functionality.
3. Implement **Technical Enhancements** (11-15) for scalability and performance.
4. Add **Optional Features** (16-20) for polish and advanced use cases.