McAfee Visual Trace

Traceroute is a computer network diagnostic utility than can be used to preview the path that packets take across a network. Unlike other similar tools, McAfee Visual Trace provides three different types of visualization for such traceroutes, and users can choose the mode they like best.

Following a brief installation, McAfee Visual Trace requires users to define their home location so as to make sure the application is accurate in its calculations and the paths it depicts. Users can either download the country list from a central server (it might take some time due to its large size) or they can choose the Advanced mode and simply specify the coordinates of their location (i.e. the latitude and longitude).

Once this step has been completed, users can start performing traceroutes for the IP or URL they choose, changing the preview mode as they like. Nodes can be further analyzed, so as to display the full IP address and response time (in milliseconds) – one can also choose to print the details pertaining a certain node without needing to leave the application.

In addition to traceroutes, McAfee Visual Trace can also be used to ping IP addresses and check their status using one of the built-in additional tools. Also, it is possible to check uptime of a web server or connect via FTP to a user-defined location.

McAfee Visual Trace comes in handy not only to network admins, but also to regular computer users who want to get extra information about the location of their preferred website or about a specific IP that has been frequently connecting to their PC (which might even be caused by a malware infection). However, this application has not been updated in several years, so those who need a reliable and updated tracerouting application need to look elsewhere as this one stops functioning after the trial period is over.