Dataplicity LensLinux + macOS
GitHub
Suite / lens-net
Networking

See how this device reaches—and exposes—the network.

Review interfaces, addresses, routes, listening sockets and cellular registration in one navigable inventory.

Quick start

shell 
lens-net
lens-net --once
lens-net --plain
lens-net --filter 443
lens-net --json

The interactive view samples interface counters once a second and charts current receive and transmit activity without pausing navigation. Wide terminals show separate RX and TX history charts; compact terminals keep the current rates on one line. The list groups interfaces, routes, listeners and cellular modems. Press Enter on an interface to see its own current rates.

Reading the network view

Row typeWhat it answersImportant fields
InterfaceWhich local links are up, what addresses do they have and are they moving traffic?Name, state, IPv4/IPv6 addresses, received/transmitted bytes and live rates
RouteWhere will traffic to a destination go?Destination, gateway, interface and native route text
ListenerWhich local ports accept connections, and who owns them?Protocol, local address/port, state and owner
Cellular modemIs the modem registered and which radio/operator/SIM is active?State, network, access technology, signal and SIM

The activity charts show byte-rate deltas from operating-system interface counters; they begin after the second sample. A listener bound to 127.0.0.1 is local to the host. A listener on 0.0.0.0, :: or * accepts traffic on every applicable local interface, subject to firewall and network policy. Lens reports the bind state; it does not claim that an external path is reachable.

Common investigations

The device has an address but cannot reach the internet

Open the active interface, then look for a default route. A missing default route is raised in Health. If both exist, use the diagnostic shell for a deliberate reachability or DNS check while keeping the route view visible.

A port is unexpectedly open

shell 
lens-net --filter 1883
lens-top --filter-name mosquitto

Inspect the listener's bind address and owner. Where the operating system exposes a PID, Lens links it to the process and inferred service. Restricted owner information is shown as unavailable rather than guessed.

A physical interface is down

Confirm whether the interface is expected to carry traffic. Lens health avoids treating common unused virtual interfaces as failures, but an intentionally disconnected or administratively disabled physical link still needs operator context.

The route exists but uses the wrong interface

Open the route detail and compare destination, gateway and interface. Lens keeps the platform's native route text so metric or route-specific detail remains visible when it cannot be normalized.

4G/5G modems and SIM cards on Linux

Lens queries ModemManager's standard D-Bus-backed command interface. Each detected modem can include manufacturer, model, registration state, radio technologies such as LTE or 5G NR, signal quality, operator code/name and the active SIM.

StateModemManager's current modem state, including registration or connection progress.
RadioThe reported access technologies currently in use or available.
SignalModemManager's normalized quality percentage, not a raw dBm measurement.
NetworkRegistered operator name and code when the modem reports them.
SIM / ICCIDThe active SIM object and a human-readable identifier masked to its final four digits.

SIM identifiers are sensitive inventory data. Interactive and plain output mask ICCIDs; deliberate JSON output retains the full collected value. Treat exported snapshots accordingly.

One standard cellular source.

ModemManager keeps modem and SIM reporting consistent across supported hardware. Collection warnings identify service, command or permission problems separately from a successful empty inventory.

Interaction

↑ ↓ / j kMove across all network row types
EnterInspect the selected interface, route, listener or modem
EscReturn to the combined list
/Search addresses, ports, interfaces, owners or modem text
rRefresh the network inventory
!Open a local diagnostic shell alongside the view
qQuit

Filters and output

shell 
# Find a port, address, interface or owner
lens-net --plain --filter 443

# Export the complete network inventory
lens-net --json --limit 0

The default limit is 1,000 rows. JSON separates interfaces, routes, sockets and cellular_modems, with cumulative rx_bytes and tx_bytes on interfaces and relationships back to owning processes and services where known. Live rates and charts are calculated from successive interactive samples rather than written into a one-shot snapshot.

Linux and macOS sources

Linux

Lens uses standard Linux networking facilities and commands for links, addresses, routes and sockets, and ModemManager for cellular state. Owner visibility follows kernel interfaces and user permissions.

macOS

Lens reads native interface, route and listening-socket data. Use the diagnostic shell for focused native network commands while keeping the live view visible.

When network data is incomplete

Missing commands, permission restrictions and timeouts appear in collection_warnings. A blank owner means ownership could not be resolved; it does not mean no process owns the socket. An empty modem list with a ModemManager warning means collection was unavailable, not that the hardware is absent.