VisualRoute

Type of Program:Visual (World map),traceroute with analysis
Supported Platforms:Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 or later; Windows 95/NT
Company Name:Datametrics
Version:3.2a
Price:$29.00
Installed Size:1.5Mb

Download/Homepage

The installation was no problem at all, just a bit different from what I am used to. The installation program itself, not setup, is inside a zipped file. No problem there though, there is a readme file also in the zip file that tells you what to do, in other words extract the file and run it.

I must admit that when I was given the assignment to review this program I was a bit excited. You see I had tried an earlier version and liked it. Well this version is GREAT! First of all though there is no Help file in the program, instead it sends you automatically to their web site for the Help. Nothing really wrong with that, just different. Also it allows them to keep the Help always up to date.

Now for the Nits and Gritties. This program doesn't need a Help file. All you need to know how to do is to enter in the domain you want the route traced to. It is that easy. The results have to be seen to be believed. Go to:
http://www.visualroute.com/demo.html
Here is what you get after entering in that domain name, a detailed chart showing every conceivable piece of information about every stop along the way to your domain, and the real kicker is that there is a map showing you the route, so you don't have to visualize some of those crazy hops in your head. Every thing is intuitive, you can with right and left clicks enlarge and shrink areas of the map, all of the windows wedges are dragable.

In conclusion if you have any need for a Trace Route program you will find that this is the best there is.

Author's Note:

VisualRoute requires a Java VM to be installed (since most of VisualRoute was written in Java). We primarily support the Microsoft Java VM--which is automatically installed by installing Internet Explorer, but the Sun JDK Java VM can also be used. This is why we mention Microsoft IE--installing it is easy for the average user and they more than likely already have it installed.

It is our experience that the Microsoft Java VM runs VisualRoute several times faster than any other Java VM we have tested (A side note: We have some benchmark programs that show that Microsoft's Java VM comes very close, and in some cases beats, the speed of native C/C++. Other Java VM's run several times slower than native C/C++).

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Reviewed by Jorge LLaverada

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