diff --git a/Netdisco/lib/Netdisco/DB/ResultSet/DevicePort.pm b/Netdisco/lib/Netdisco/DB/ResultSet/DevicePort.pm
index 5b8a028a..deeb3c3e 100644
--- a/Netdisco/lib/Netdisco/DB/ResultSet/DevicePort.pm
+++ b/Netdisco/lib/Netdisco/DB/ResultSet/DevicePort.pm
@@ -21,5 +21,23 @@ sub by_mac {
     );
 }
 
+# confusingly the "name" field is set using IOS "descrption"
+# command but should not be confused with the "descr" field
+sub by_name {
+    my ($set, $name) = @_;
+    return $set unless $name;
+
+    return $set->search(
+      {
+        'me.name' => { '-ilike' => $name },
+      },
+      {
+        order_by => [qw/ me.ip me.port /],
+        columns => [qw/ ip port descr name vlan device.dns /],
+        join => 'device',
+      },
+    );
+}
+
 1;
 
diff --git a/Netdisco/lib/Netdisco/Web.pm b/Netdisco/lib/Netdisco/Web.pm
index 434f7c0e..91a04690 100644
--- a/Netdisco/lib/Netdisco/Web.pm
+++ b/Netdisco/lib/Netdisco/Web.pm
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package Netdisco::Web;
 use Dancer ':syntax';
 use Dancer::Plugin::Ajax;
 use Dancer::Plugin::DBIC;
-use Dancer::Exception ':all';
 
 use Digest::MD5 ();
 use Socket6 (); # to ensure dependency is met
@@ -43,8 +42,9 @@ ajax '/ajax/content/search/node' => sub {
     return unless $node;
     content_type('text/html');
 
-    try {
-        my $mac = Net::MAC->new(mac => $node);
+    my $mac = Net::MAC->new(mac => $node, 'die' => 0, verbose => 0);
+    if (eval { $mac->as_IEEE }) {
+
         my $ips = schema('netdisco')->resultset('NodeIp')
           ->by_mac(param('archived'), $mac->as_IEEE);
         return unless $ips->count;
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ ajax '/ajax/content/search/node' => sub {
           ports => $ports,
         }, { layout => undef };
     }
-    catch {
+    else {
         my $set;
 
         if (my $ip = NetAddr::IP::Lite->new($node)) {
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ ajax '/ajax/content/search/node' => sub {
         template 'ajax/node_by_ip.tt', {
           results => $set,
         }, { layout => undef };
-    };
+    }
 };
 
 # devices carrying vlan xxx
@@ -97,6 +97,20 @@ ajax '/ajax/content/search/vlan' => sub {
     }, { layout => undef };
 };
 
+# device ports with a description (er, name) matching
+ajax '/ajax/content/search/port' => sub {
+    my $name = param('q');
+    return unless $name;
+
+    my $set = schema('netdisco')->resultset('DevicePort')->by_name($name);
+    return unless $set->count;
+
+    content_type('text/html');
+    template 'ajax/port.tt', {
+      results => $set,
+    }, { layout => undef };
+};
+
 get '/search' => sub {
     my $q = param('q');
     if ($q and not param('tab')) {
diff --git a/Netdisco/views/ajax/port.tt b/Netdisco/views/ajax/port.tt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ecfa0ba7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Netdisco/views/ajax/port.tt
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+<table class="bordered-table condensed-table zebra-striped">
+  <thead>
+    <tr>
+      <th>Name</th>
+      <th>Description</th>
+      <th>Vlan</th>
+      <th>Port</th>
+    </tr>
+  </thead>
+  </tbody>
+    [% WHILE (row = results.next) %]
+    <tr>
+      <td>[% row.name %]</td>
+      <td>[% row.descr %]</td>
+      <td>[% row.vlan %]</td>
+      <td><a href="/device?q=[% row.ip %]&port=[% row.port %]">[% row.ip %] [ [% row.port %] ]</a>
+        [% ' (' _ row.device.dns.remove(settings.domain_suffix) _ ')' IF row.device.dns %]
+        </td>
+    </tr>
+    [% END %]
+  </tbody>
+</table>