Kilobat

Kilobat CLI

Network diagnostics for macOS, in your terminal and your AI agent. Find which apps use your connection, diagnose Wi-Fi and DNS problems, trace a failing API request, and keep your Mac awake through a long build.

Free and open source under GPL-3.0-only. No account or telemetry. The CLI runs on its own; the optional Kilobat Mac app adds a menu-bar interface, recorded history, and network filtering.

Quick start · Mac app · AI agents · Build from source · Tool reference

Quick start

Requires macOS 14 or later. Homebrew builds from source and requires Xcode 16 or newer.

brew install seifip/kilobat/kilobat
kilobat diagnose

Homebrew also installs kb as a short alias for kilobat.

Find out…	Command
Which apps are using the connection	kilobat status --watch
Why a host or API won't connect	kilobat why api.github.com
How strong the Wi-Fi signal is	kilobat wifi
Which Wi-Fi channels are less crowded	kilobat channels
Whether traffic leaves through a VPN	kilobat ip
Whether this connection suits a long job	kilobat conditions

Keep your Mac awake until a command finishes:

kilobat awake -- make test

Use --json for structured diagnostic output, or --watch --json for a live traffic stream:

kilobat diagnose --json
kilobat why api.github.com --json
kilobat status --watch --json

Run kilobat --help or kilobat <command> --help for more options. Commands that change system settings may require confirmation and administrator authorization. Network checks contact test endpoints; speed tests transfer data.

Kilobat for Mac

Prefer a view you can glance at? Kilobat puts live traffic in your menu bar and brings diagnostics, usage history, Wi-Fi tools, and app-level network controls into a native Mac app.

Explore the Mac app →

The app is a separate product with free and paid features, under its own terms. You don't need it for standalone CLI diagnostics or MCP setup.

Capability	What it needs
Live traffic, connection diagnostics, Wi-Fi signal and channels	CLI alone
Wi-Fi network names	Running app with macOS Location permission; otherwise names appear hidden
Recorded history and per-network budgets	Data recorded or supplied by the app
Enforcing app and destination blocking	App with its signed Network Extension activated and approved in macOS

Some app-backed features also depend on the app's license tier and configuration. Saving a rule through the CLI does not by itself enable filtering.

Use with AI agents (MCP)

kilobat mcp runs a local stdio Model Context Protocol server. Install the CLI first, then connect your agent:

Claude Code

claude mcp add kilobat -- kilobat mcp

Codex CLI

codex mcp add kilobat -- kilobat mcp

Claude Desktop: configure a local stdio server with the full executable path returned by /usr/bin/which kilobat and argument mcp. See the local-server setup guide.

Cursor, Windsurf, Zed, Gemini CLI, Cline, and other MCP clients: add a stdio server with command kilobat and argument mcp.

Try asking:

• “Why is my internet slow?”
• “Is this a metered connection before I download 5 GB?”
• “Why can't this API connect from my Mac?”
• “Keep the Mac awake until this build finishes.”

Tools that change settings carry confirmation requirements in their descriptions; the client controls permission prompts. Connected clients discover available tools, input schemas, and annotations with tools/list.

See the agent setup guides for client-specific instructions. Optional agent skills teach agents when and how to use Kilobat:

npx skills add seifip/kilobat-skills

Build from source

Requires macOS 14 or later and Swift 6.

git clone https://github.com/seifip/kilobat-cli.git
cd kilobat-cli
swift build -c release
.build/release/kilobat --help

Run the tests with swift test.

MCP tool reference

The following names and titles are defined in v0.45.1. Use your installed server's tools/list for its full descriptions, input schemas, and annotations. Availability and returned data can depend on the companion app, its license tier, permissions, and configuration.

Browse the MCP tools

Tool	Purpose
get_status	Live traffic snapshot
diagnose_network	Diagnose connection
scan_wifi	Nearby Wi-Fi networks
run_speedtest	Speed and bufferbloat test
get_usage_report	Usage history
compare_usage	Compare with a router or provider
list_rules	Profile rules
set_profile	Set profile
set_app_rule	Allow or block an app
set_dns	Set DNS servers
get_fastest_dns	Fastest DNS for this network
set_fastest_dns	Switch to the fastest DNS automatically
set_dns_fallback	Set the fallback DNS
get_wifi	Wi-Fi connection
get_wifi_nodes	Wi-Fi mesh nodes
reconnect_wifi	Move to the closer Wi-Fi node
suggest_wifi_channel	Least crowded channel
get_network_history	Network history
benchmark_dns	Compare DNS resolvers
check_url	Time one website
list_connections	Open connections by process
list_devices	Devices on the local network
trace_route	Trace the route to a host
get_route_history	Route to a host over time
compare_speed_tests	Why two speed tests differ
get_plan_check	Speed against the plan
get_router_checkup	Router check-up
get_weekly_digest	Weekly digest
get_outage_credit	Outage credit from the provider
get_service_speed	Real speed to GitHub, iCloud, Steam and more
get_hotspot_throttling	Is the carrier capping the phone hotspot?
get_exit_path	Where traffic leaves: VPN and public IP
run_lan_test	Throughput to a device on the network
list_networks	Known networks
get_conditions	Conditions for a long run
get_updaters	Updaters paused on metered networks
get_uploads	Big uploads and held ones
diagnose_connection	Why something can't connect
list_sessions	Awake sessions and agent runs
agent_network_log	Agent network log
create_support_report	Report for an ISP or IT desk
get_proxy_status	Proxy apps and routes
test_proxy_nodes	Test proxy nodes
check_vpn	VPN leak and conflict check
check_vpn_leaks	VPN leak test
get_call_reports	Call quality reports
get_remote_session_reports	SSH and remote desktop session reports
get_stream_reports	OBS stream reports
check_stream_readiness	Check before going live
get_cloud_gaming	Cloud gaming sessions
get_household	Paired Macs on the home network
get_home_usage	Every device's usage at home
check_smart_home	Matter, Thread and HomeKit check
service_status	Is it them or me?
explain_connection	What is this process or host?
get_captive_portal	Wi-Fi sign-in page (captive portal)
get_starlink_status	Starlink dish status
keep_awake	Keep the Mac awake
release_awake	Let the Mac sleep again
set_budget	Set the data budget
get_data_pack	Data packs and when they run out
set_data_pack	Add, correct or end a data pack
set_network_cost	Set a network's data cost
set_updater_pause	Pause updaters on metered networks
set_kill_switch	VPN kill switch
hold_upload	Send an upload later
set_app_quota	Set an app's data quota
get_app_bandwidth	One app's bandwidth over time
get_access_policy	Connections an app declares
set_new_app_mode	How new apps are treated
list_approvals	Apps waiting for approval
decide_approval	Allow or block a waiting app
block_destination	Block a domain or IP
list_blocked_connections	Recently blocked connections
explain_verdict	Why Kilobat allows or blocks a connection
clear_history	Clear history or forget a site
check_host_reputation	Is a host known to be malicious?
get_protection_status	Protection status
set_protection	Change Protection
run_stutter_test	Find latency spikes
get_game_ping	Ping game data centers
get_nearby_radios	AirDrop and Bluetooth
get_bluetooth_audio	Bluetooth audio: why headphones crackle
check_local_network	Can I cast or print here?
set_airdrop_visibility	Change AirDrop visibility

License

Kilobat CLI code is licensed under the GNU General Public License version 3.0 only; see LICENSE. Bundled geolocation and device-manufacturer data have additional licenses documented in THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md. Kilobat's name and artwork are not licensed for use as trademarks. The separate Kilobat desktop app is distributed under its own terms.