RouteX is a graphical interface for people who can't be bothered to learn Apple's non-standard route flags. Because honestly, who can remember two different sets of flags for a command with the same name? And don't even get me started on the bizarre CIDR shorthand or "invisible" routes.
This app gives you a nice, clickable interface to manage your network routes without having to memorize macOS's quirky command-line syntax. Perfect for network administrators who prefer GUIs over man pages, and power users who just want to get things done without the terminal gymnastics.
- Add, Edit, Delete Routes: Complete route lifecycle management with elevated privileges
- Route Type Control: Explicit selection between Auto, Network, and Host routes
- Smart Destination Interpretation: Automatic handling of macOS routing shorthand and CIDR notation
- Real-time Validation: Input validation with helpful error messages and suggestions
- Route Flags Support:
- Static (S): Manually configured routes
- Reject (R): Emit ICMP unreachable when matched
- Blackhole (b): Silently discard packets
- Link Info (L): Validly translates protocol address to link address
- Advanced Metrics: MTU, hop count, RTT, RTT variance, send/receive pipe, SS threshold
- Interface Scope: Route traffic through specific network interfaces
- Gateway Types: IP addresses, interface names, and MAC addresses
- Blackhole/Reject Detection: Automatically discovers routes that don't appear in
netstat - Persistent Tracking: Maintains cache of phantom routes across app restarts
- Visual Indicators: Orange eye-slash icon (👁️🗨️) for phantom routes in the route list
- macOS Shorthand Support:
"172.1"→"172.0.0.1"(host) or"172.1.0.0/16"(network)"192.168"→"192.168.0.0/16"(network)
- CIDR Notation: Full support including shorthand (
"172.16.42/24") - Special Cases:
/32CIDR treated as host route, others as network routes
- Mutual Exclusion Checking: Prevents conflicting flag combinations (e.g., Blackhole + Reject)
- Route Editability: Only user-manageable routes can be modified (system routes protected)
- Input Sanitization: IPv6 zone identifier handling and address validation
- SwiftUI Interface: Native macOS design with proper spacing and typography
- Advanced Options Panel: Collapsible section for power-user features
- Search & Filter: Find routes by destination, gateway, or interface
- Route Specificity Sorting: Most specific routes displayed first
- Status Indicators: Clear visual feedback for route types and states
- macOS 12.0 or later
- Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) or Intel Mac - Universal binary supports both architectures
- Administrator privileges (required for route modification)
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/routex.git
cd routex
./build.shThe built application will be located at build/RouteX.app and includes a universal binary that works on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.
- Open
RouteX.app - Grant administrator privileges when prompted for route modifications
- Start managing your network routes!
-
Click "Add Route" to open the route creation dialog
-
Configure Basic Settings:
- Destination: Enter IP address, network, or use macOS shorthand
- Gateway: IP address, interface name (e.g.,
en0), or MAC address - Interface: Select specific interface or leave blank for automatic
- Route Type: Choose Auto, Network, or Host
-
Advanced Options (optional):
- Route Flags: Select Blackhole, Reject, or Link Info as needed
- Metrics: Configure MTU, hop count, RTT values, etc.
-
Click "Add Route" and provide administrator credentials
| Type | Description | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Auto | RouteX determines type based on destination format | General use, recommended |
| Network | Forces network route (-net flag) |
Routing to subnets/networks |
| Host | Forces host route (-host flag) |
Routing to specific hosts |
| Flag | Symbol | Description | Command |
|---|---|---|---|
| Static | S | Manually configured route | -static |
| Reject | R | Send ICMP unreachable | -reject |
| Blackhole | b | Silently drop packets | -blackhole |
| Link Info | L | Link-level information | -llinfo |
| Input | Host Route Result | Network Route Result |
|---|---|---|
172.1 |
172.0.0.1/32 |
172.1.0.0/16 |
192.168.1 |
192.168.0.1/32 |
192.168.1.0/24 |
172.16.42/24 |
Invalid | 172.16.42.0/24 |
10.0.0.1/32 |
10.0.0.1/32 |
10.0.0.1/32 (special case) |
10.0.0.1 |
10.0.0.1/32 |
10.0.0.1/32 |
RouteX uses Swift Package Manager for building and testing:
- Build Command:
swift build -c release - Test Command:
swift test - Package Structure: Standard Swift Package Manager layout
- Dependencies: Managed through
Package.swift - Universal Binary: Built for both Apple Silicon (ARM64) and Intel (x86_64) architectures
RouteX integrates with macOS routing using:
- Route Commands:
/sbin/route add/delete/get - Network Status:
/usr/sbin/netstat -rn - Elevated Execution:
osascriptwith administrator privileges - Interface Detection:
/sbin/ifconfig
Commands are generated with proper flag ordering:
/sbin/route add -net -blackhole 192.168.97.0 192.168.1.1Some routes (blackhole, reject) don't appear in netstat but exist in the kernel:
- Detection: Uses
route get <destination>to find hidden routes - Caching: Stores phantom destinations in
UserDefaults - Visual Feedback: Special UI indicators for phantom routes
- Route Cache: Phantom route destinations cached across sessions
- User Preferences: Route type preferences and UI state
- No Route Storage: Routes are managed entirely by macOS kernel
"Access denied" errors
- Ensure you're providing administrator credentials when prompted
- RouteX requires elevated privileges to modify system routing table
Routes not appearing after creation
- Check if route has blackhole/reject flags (appears as phantom route with eye-slash icon)
- Verify destination format is correct
- Use "Refresh" to reload route list
Input validation errors
- Review destination format (use examples above)
- Check for conflicting flag combinations (Blackhole + Reject)
- Ensure gateway format matches selected type (IP/Interface/MAC)
For technical support, check Console.app for RouteX debug output when creating routes.
- RouteManager: Core routing logic and system integration
- RouteModel: Data structures and route interpretation
- AddRouteView: Route creation/editing interface
- ContentView: Main route list and management
- CustomTooltip: Enhanced help system
build.sh: Swift Package Manager build script with app bundle creationrun_tests.sh: Test runner using Swift Package Manager- GitHub Actions: Automated CI/CD with Swift Package Manager
- Safety First: Protect system routes from accidental modification
- User-Friendly: Hide complexity while providing power-user features
- macOS Native: Follow Apple's design guidelines and system integration patterns
- Robust Validation: Prevent invalid configurations before they reach the system
Please see CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines on contributing to RouteX.
RouteX is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0. See LICENSE for details.
- macOS Routing Documentation: References from AnalysisMan's macOS routing guide
- Enterprise Routing: Inspired by enterprise firewall routing interfaces like Sophos Firewall
- SwiftUI Community: For modern macOS app development patterns