![Cover image for I built a visual traceroute game that transforms network routes into art [AMA]](https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=1000,height=420,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https%3A%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Farticles%2F4khhkh8x2okkuft0bvu7.png)
The Story
I got tired of staring at traceroute output like this:
1 192.168.1.1
2 10.0.0.1
3 72.14.215.85
4 108.170.252.129
And wanted something more... beautiful.
What is Routerino?
Routerino lets you:
- Trace routes to any website and see them on an interactive world map
- Collect badges for countries, cities, and companies you discover
- Generate downloadable art from your traces
- Compare routes in Route Atlas
Tech Stack
- Frontend: React + TypeScript (Vite)
- Backend: FastAPI + SQLAlchemy
- Database: Neon PostgreSQL
- Deployment: Hetzner VPS + Cloudflare Pages
Try it out
Would love feedback on the concept! AMA about the tech, design, or anything else
Top comments (2)
Really cool idea — turning traceroute data into visual art is both fun and genuinely educational. The app feels fast and responsive, and the FastAPI + React stack is a great choice that clearly shows in the overall experience. While testing it, I observed some routes where traceroute discovered up to 16 packets/hops, including paths going through places like St. Petersburg, which made the visualization especially interesting to explore. Overall, this is a well-executed and creative project with a lot of potential to help developers better understand real-world network routing. Thanks for sharing it and great job on the project!
Thanks for the kind words! Glad you'd like it!