WhatRoute for MAC
Free network diagnostic utility for Mac with traceroute, ping, DNS and Whois lookups, traffic monitoring and a map of where your packets travel.
WhatRoute Overview
WhatRoute is a network diagnostic utility for the Mac. Its main job is traceroute: it shows each router your data passes through on its way to another computer. It can also ping, run Domain Name Service queries and Whois lookups, and monitor the traffic to and from your Mac. A geolocation service places the routers on a world map, so you can see the geographical path your packets take across the Internet, and a selected area can be opened in Apple Maps or Google Maps for a closer view.
WhatRoute is written by Bryan Christianson, who first released it in 1996 for the classic Mac OS, and it is free to download, with donations welcome. Version 2.8.2 needs macOS Sonoma 14.6 or later and is a universal app for Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. Traceroute and ping need privileged network access, so WhatRoute asks for your administrator password to set up its small helper program, WhatRouteHelper, and uses that access for nothing else. Locations come from the ip-api.com service, and the developer notes that results are sometimes inaccurate. Firewalls and routers that block ICMP packets can stop traces from working.
Key Features
WhatRoute brings classic network tools together in one Mac app.
- Traceroute: Follow the path to any host, hop by hop.
- UDP or ICMP probes: Switch packet formats when a router ignores one of them.
- Ping: Check whether a host answers and how quickly.
- DNS queries: Look up domain name records.
- Whois: Find out who an address or domain is registered to.
- Traffic monitor: Watch the traffic to and from your Mac.
- World map: See where routers are, with Apple Maps or Google Maps for detail.
- Wi-Fi monitor: Keep track of Wi-Fi networks, with location mapping.
What’s New in Version 2.8.2
WhatRoute 2.8.2 is a maintenance release.
- The minimum macOS version is now Sonoma 14.6.
- Updated to Sparkle 2.10.0 for app updates.
- Fixed a broken decode in Wi-Fi location mapping.
WhatRoute FAQ
Is WhatRoute free?
Yes. WhatRoute is free to download and use. The developer welcomes donations to support its development.
What does WhatRoute do?
WhatRoute is a network diagnostic utility. It traces the route to other computers and can also ping, run DNS queries and Whois lookups, and monitor your Mac's network traffic.
Which macOS version does WhatRoute need?
WhatRoute 2.8.2 needs macOS Sonoma 14.6 or later. The developer offers WhatRoute 1.13 for OS X 10.6 to 10.10.
Does WhatRoute run on Apple Silicon Macs?
Yes. WhatRoute is a universal app that runs natively on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.
Why does WhatRoute ask for my administrator password?
Traceroute and ping need privileged access to the network. WhatRoute uses your password only to give its WhatRouteHelper program that access.
What is the difference between UDP and ICMP traces?
They are two packet formats for probing the network. Some routers ignore one of them, so if a trace shows no results with one format, try the other.
How accurate is the WhatRoute map?
Locations come from the ip-api.com geolocation service and are sometimes inaccurate, but they give a good idea of the path your data takes.
Why do I only see red asterisks?
A firewall on your Mac, your Wi-Fi router or your modem is probably blocking the packets. WhatRoute needs ICMP packets to pass in both directions; UDP traces also need UDP ports 33435 to 33495 open for sending.
Can I install WhatRoute with Homebrew?
Yes. WhatRoute is available as a Homebrew cask: brew install --cask whatroute.
Where does the WhatRoute download on whatroute.FULLMAC.app come from?
The download button leads to the official WhatRoute download page at https://www.whatroute.net/download.html. whatroute.FULLMAC.app does not change or repackage the app.
Similar Apps
LanGuardLanGuard is a free, open-source menu bar app that turns Wi-Fi off the moment a wired network link goes up and switches it back on when you unplug. By default macOS keeps Wi-Fi running even when your Mac is docked over Ethernet, which leaves a second network route active and can send traffic out the wrong connection. LanGuard handles the switch for you. It acts only on plug and unplug moments, so if you turn Wi-Fi back on by hand while docked, it stays on until you next unplug the cable.Internet Utilities
SSH Tunnel ManagerSSH Tunnel Manager is a lightweight menu bar app for managing SSH port forwards on the Mac. Instead of typing ssh -N -L commands in Terminal and forgetting which tunnels are running, you set each tunnel up once in Settings and switch it on or off from the menu bar. It is written in native Swift and AppKit and uses the SSH that comes with macOS, with no bundled binaries.Internet Utilities
HoleberryHoleberry is a native menu bar app for people who run Pi-hole, the network-wide ad blocker. It puts your Pi-hole on the Mac menu bar, so you can check blocking status and query stats, pause blocking, and handle blocked domains without opening the Pi-hole web interface. The menu bar icon shows your Pi-hole's health at all times, and the menu shows total queries and blocked domains. When a page fails to load because Pi-hole blocked it, Holeberry detects the current tab in Safari, Orion, Chrome and Chromium browsers, Firefox, Zen and others, and unblocks that exact domain with one click, so the rest of your network stays protected.Internet Utilities
WiFi LensWiFi Lens is a native Mac app for understanding the Wi-Fi around you. It scans nearby networks across the 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz bands, charts channel occupancy, scores congestion and recommends channels for your region. For each network you can inspect the PHY generation, channel width, 802.11k/r/v support and WPA3, and for your own connection the IP, gateway, DNS, MAC, transmit rate and security summary. A roaming test monitors handoffs between access points, a heatmap compares occupancy per band, and AP Radar helps you track a selected access point by signal strength, with optional audio feedback.Internet Utilities
VPN BypassVPN Bypass is a menu bar app for macOS that decides which traffic goes through your VPN. You pick the services and domains that should skip the VPN, or the few that must use it, and the app keeps the routes right as the VPN reconnects and addresses change. It is meant for full-tunnel VPN clients that send everything through the tunnel, which can stall streaming and break AirPlay or Chromecast.Internet Utilities
TunnelblickTunnelblick is a free graphical interface for OpenVPN on macOS. It gives you easy control of OpenVPN connections from an icon in the menu bar: install the configuration file your VPN provider, school or company gives you, then connect and disconnect with a click. You can keep several configurations, see the status of each connection, and use the options for network monitoring and IPv6 that Tunnelblick offers to keep your connection behaving as expected.Internet Utilities
FULLMAC.app does not host this app. Download buttons lead to the developer’s own pages.