VisualRoute for Mac

Analyze your Internet connectivity with this program that combines Traceroute, Ping, and Whois tools in an intuitive graphical interface. When you have connectivity problems, VisualRoute makes it possible to track down which server is faulty. We plugged in a problem URL and VisualRoute quickly generated a map showing us the jumps our connection took around the world. We were quickly able to identify the problem server and reported it to the appropriate parties. This program works great for locating suspected intruders and can pinpoint the origins of malicious e-mails. It provides city and country locations of IP addresses to identify hackers before your system is compromised, as well as domain and network contact information for abuse reporting. Our one concern with this program is the part of the license agreement which states they can track your user information to enforce license compliance. This seems a little invasive and distrustful to users, but is certainly completely harmless. In spite of this shortcoming, we like using this program's intuitive controls and the ability to check connectivity on a world-map graphical interface.