VisualRoute combines the tools Traceroute, Ping, and Whois into an easy-to-use graphical interface that analyzes Internet connections to quickly locate where an outage or slowdown occurs. In addition, VisualRoute identifies the geographical location of IP addresses and Web servers on a global map--key information for security purposes to help identify network intruders and Internet abusers.

Several new edition options provide advanced tracing options, such as reverse tracing and remote tracing via a web browser, port testing and application availability testing. A new report graph displays an instant picture of connection performance, tabbed display enables views of multiple test reports.

The ping capabilities provide a good idea of whether or not the site is live, while traceroute will help determine where along the route the problem lies. VisualRoute's traceroute provides three types of data: an overall analysis, a data table, and a geographical view of the routing. The analysis is a brief description of the number of hops, where problems occurred, and the type of Web server software running at the site you are trying to reach. The data table lists information for each hop, including the IP address, node name, geographical location and the major Internet backbone where each server resides. The World map gives a graphical representation of the actual path of an Internet connection. Users can zoom in/out and move the map around to position it as desired. A mouse click on a server or network name opens a pop-up Whois window, providing instant contact information for problem reporting.