First of all, I want to thank you for this amazing project! The level of detail and the features you've implemented are truly impressive. I use it for my homelab and it has become an indispensable tool for me.
I have a few feature requests that I think could improve the usability of the application, especially for homelab users:
1. Quick Link to Ports Page from Devices → Host → Ports
When navigating to Devices → Host → Ports, it would be very helpful to have a direct link to the Ports page, pre-filtered for the selected device. This would make it much easier to quickly add ports — especially when a device has no ports configured yet and the list is empty.
2. Half-Width Unit Support in Rack View
It would be great to have the option to split rack units (HUs) in half horizontally, so that two devices can share a single U side by side — for example, two mini PCs mounted next to each other in the front of a rack. I have exactly this setup and currently there is no way to represent it accurately.
3. Port Bonding / Link Aggregation
It would be very helpful to be able to configure port bonds directly in the Ports view — for example on a switch or server. For instance: Port 1 + Port 2 → Bond1. Once ports are bonded, they should no longer be available as individual connection endpoints, preventing accidental single-port connections on a bonded interface.
4. Simplified VLAN Creation / Wizard or Improved Documentation
It took me quite a long time to figure out how to create VLANs. The current workflow using VLAN Ranges feels oversized for a homelab environment — I always have exactly one range per VLAN (e.g. VLAN 100–100), which feels redundant.
It might be helpful to either:
- Add a VLAN creation wizard that guides users through the process step by step, or
- Provide detailed documentation covering all common use cases, including simple single-VLAN setups.
5. Simplified DHCP Scope / Zone Setup and Reservations
Similar to the VLAN issue, I struggled for a long time to understand how to set up DHCP Scopes, Zones, and Reservations.
In my homelab, I only have one DHCP range for dynamically assigned IPs — everything else is statically assigned. However, I noticed that even for a simple DHCP reservation, I still need to create a Scope first before I can assign a reservation to a client. This requirement is not immediately obvious and can be confusing for new users.
A setup wizard or improved documentation (similar to what I suggested for VLANs) would be very helpful here as well.
6. Visualization Improvements
The visualization feature is one of the highlights of this project — and probably one of the most complex parts to implement. I noticed several areas where it could be improved:
6a. Cable Routing Clarity
In all views, cable routing is easy to follow when devices have only a single connection. However, as soon as multiple connections or patch panels are involved, the diagram quickly becomes cluttered — cables are either too close together or displayed too far from the devices they connect.
Better cable routing algorithms or layout options (e.g. spread, bundled, curved) could significantly improve readability in complex setups.
6b. Diagram Overlap Issues
In the diagram overview, ports and their labels overlap each other, making it hard to read. Additionally, cable routing lines collide with device boxes. When device boxes are manually dragged further apart, the parent container box does not grow to accommodate the new layout.
6c. Trace Feature – Port Selection UX
The trace feature is excellent, but it took me several hours to figure out how to use it. After activating the trace, the user is supposed to click the first port directly in the graphical view. However, ports are rendered so small that they are nearly impossible to click accurately — on a 24-port switch, for example, hitting the correct port is nearly impossible.
I would suggest changing the interaction to:
- First, select a device from a list or by clicking it
- Then, select a port from a dropdown or list
This would make the trace feature much more accessible and less frustrating to use.
6d. Theme-Dependent Cable Color Visibility
Black and white cables are difficult to distinguish in their respective themes — black cables are hard to see on a dark background, and white cables are hard to see on a light background. It would be helpful if cable colors were automatically adjusted or outlined to ensure visibility regardless of the active theme.
First of all, I want to thank you for this amazing project! The level of detail and the features you've implemented are truly impressive. I use it for my homelab and it has become an indispensable tool for me.
I have a few feature requests that I think could improve the usability of the application, especially for homelab users:
1. Quick Link to Ports Page from Devices → Host → Ports
When navigating to Devices → Host → Ports, it would be very helpful to have a direct link to the Ports page, pre-filtered for the selected device. This would make it much easier to quickly add ports — especially when a device has no ports configured yet and the list is empty.
2. Half-Width Unit Support in Rack View
It would be great to have the option to split rack units (HUs) in half horizontally, so that two devices can share a single U side by side — for example, two mini PCs mounted next to each other in the front of a rack. I have exactly this setup and currently there is no way to represent it accurately.
3. Port Bonding / Link Aggregation
It would be very helpful to be able to configure port bonds directly in the Ports view — for example on a switch or server. For instance: Port 1 + Port 2 → Bond1. Once ports are bonded, they should no longer be available as individual connection endpoints, preventing accidental single-port connections on a bonded interface.
4. Simplified VLAN Creation / Wizard or Improved Documentation
It took me quite a long time to figure out how to create VLANs. The current workflow using VLAN Ranges feels oversized for a homelab environment — I always have exactly one range per VLAN (e.g. VLAN 100–100), which feels redundant.
It might be helpful to either:
5. Simplified DHCP Scope / Zone Setup and Reservations
Similar to the VLAN issue, I struggled for a long time to understand how to set up DHCP Scopes, Zones, and Reservations.
In my homelab, I only have one DHCP range for dynamically assigned IPs — everything else is statically assigned. However, I noticed that even for a simple DHCP reservation, I still need to create a Scope first before I can assign a reservation to a client. This requirement is not immediately obvious and can be confusing for new users.
A setup wizard or improved documentation (similar to what I suggested for VLANs) would be very helpful here as well.
6. Visualization Improvements
The visualization feature is one of the highlights of this project — and probably one of the most complex parts to implement. I noticed several areas where it could be improved:
6a. Cable Routing Clarity
In all views, cable routing is easy to follow when devices have only a single connection. However, as soon as multiple connections or patch panels are involved, the diagram quickly becomes cluttered — cables are either too close together or displayed too far from the devices they connect.
Better cable routing algorithms or layout options (e.g. spread, bundled, curved) could significantly improve readability in complex setups.
6b. Diagram Overlap Issues
In the diagram overview, ports and their labels overlap each other, making it hard to read. Additionally, cable routing lines collide with device boxes. When device boxes are manually dragged further apart, the parent container box does not grow to accommodate the new layout.
6c. Trace Feature – Port Selection UX
The trace feature is excellent, but it took me several hours to figure out how to use it. After activating the trace, the user is supposed to click the first port directly in the graphical view. However, ports are rendered so small that they are nearly impossible to click accurately — on a 24-port switch, for example, hitting the correct port is nearly impossible.
I would suggest changing the interaction to:
This would make the trace feature much more accessible and less frustrating to use.
6d. Theme-Dependent Cable Color Visibility
Black and white cables are difficult to distinguish in their respective themes — black cables are hard to see on a dark background, and white cables are hard to see on a light background. It would be helpful if cable colors were automatically adjusted or outlined to ensure visibility regardless of the active theme.