diff --git a/meshchatx/src/frontend/components/network-visualiser/NetworkVisualiser.vue b/meshchatx/src/frontend/components/network-visualiser/NetworkVisualiser.vue
index 9b7fd13..0408475 100644
--- a/meshchatx/src/frontend/components/network-visualiser/NetworkVisualiser.vue
+++ b/meshchatx/src/frontend/components/network-visualiser/NetworkVisualiser.vue
@@ -20,8 +20,7 @@
             :is-loading="isLoading"
             :auto-reload="autoReload"
             :enable-physics="enablePhysics"
-            :hop-filter-slider="hopFilterSlider"
-            :hop-slider-max="hopSliderMax"
+            :hop-max-filter="hopMaxFilter"
             :node-count="nodes.length"
             :edge-count="edges.length"
             :online-interface-count="onlineInterfaces.length"
@@ -30,7 +29,7 @@
             @update:is-showing-controls="isShowingControls = $event"
             @update:auto-reload="autoReload = $event"
             @update:enable-physics="enablePhysics = $event"
-            @update:hop-filter-slider="hopFilterSlider = $event"
+            @update:hop-max-filter="onUserHopMaxFilterChange"
             @update:search-query="searchQuery = $event"
             @manual-update="manualUpdate"
         />
@@ -54,6 +53,33 @@ import NetworkVisualiserLoadingOverlay from "./internal/NetworkVisualiserLoading
 import NetworkVisualiserToolbar from "./internal/NetworkVisualiserToolbar.vue";
 import NetworkVisualiserLegend from "./internal/NetworkVisualiserLegend.vue";
 
+const HOP_MAX_FILTER_STORAGE_KEY = "meshchatx.visualiser.maxHops";
+
+function readStoredHopMaxFilter() {
+    if (typeof localStorage === "undefined") return 4;
+    try {
+        const raw = localStorage.getItem(HOP_MAX_FILTER_STORAGE_KEY);
+        if (raw === null || raw === "") return 4;
+        const v = JSON.parse(raw);
+        if (v === null) return null;
+        if (typeof v === "number" && Number.isFinite(v)) {
+            return Math.max(0, Math.min(128, Math.round(v)));
+        }
+    } catch {
+        return 4;
+    }
+    return 4;
+}
+
+function writeStoredHopMaxFilter(v) {
+    if (typeof localStorage === "undefined") return;
+    try {
+        localStorage.setItem(HOP_MAX_FILTER_STORAGE_KEY, JSON.stringify(v));
+    } catch {
+        return;
+    }
+}
+
 /*
  * Yields control back to the browser so it can paint, dispatch input events,
  * and run other tasks. Prefers the prioritized task scheduler when available
@@ -138,7 +164,7 @@ export default {
 
             pageSize: 1000,
             searchQuery: "",
-            hopFilterSlider: 0,
+            hopMaxFilter: readStoredHopMaxFilter(),
             hopFilterDebounceTimer: null,
             abortController: new AbortController(),
             currentLOD: "high",
@@ -158,16 +184,8 @@ export default {
         offlineInterfaces() {
             return this.interfaces.filter((i) => !i.status);
         },
-        hopSliderMax() {
-            let m = 0;
-            for (const e of this.pathTable) {
-                if (e.hops != null && e.hops > m) m = e.hops;
-            }
-            return Math.min(256, Math.max(1, m));
-        },
         hopFilterMax() {
-            if (this.hopFilterSlider === 0) return null;
-            return this.hopFilterSlider;
+            return this.hopMaxFilter;
         },
     },
     watch: {
@@ -256,12 +274,7 @@ export default {
             // we don't want to trigger a full update from server, just re-run the filtering on existing data
             this.processVisualization();
         },
-        hopSliderMax() {
-            if (this.hopFilterSlider > this.hopSliderMax) {
-                this.hopFilterSlider = this.hopSliderMax;
-            }
-        },
-        hopFilterSlider() {
+        hopMaxFilter() {
             if (this.hopFilterDebounceTimer) clearTimeout(this.hopFilterDebounceTimer);
             this.hopFilterDebounceTimer = setTimeout(() => {
                 this.hopFilterDebounceTimer = null;
@@ -363,6 +376,10 @@ export default {
         this.init();
     },
     methods: {
+        onUserHopMaxFilterChange(v) {
+            this.hopMaxFilter = v;
+            writeStoredHopMaxFilter(v);
+        },
         async getInterfaceStats() {
             try {
                 const response = await window.api.get(`/api/v1/interface-stats`, {
diff --git a/meshchatx/src/frontend/components/network-visualiser/internal/NetworkVisualiserToolbar.vue b/meshchatx/src/frontend/components/network-visualiser/internal/NetworkVisualiserToolbar.vue
index 4f3eaa8..b4fe4bc 100644
--- a/meshchatx/src/frontend/components/network-visualiser/internal/NetworkVisualiserToolbar.vue
+++ b/meshchatx/src/frontend/components/network-visualiser/internal/NetworkVisualiserToolbar.vue
@@ -121,20 +121,31 @@
                             class="text-sm font-semibold text-gray-700 dark:text-zinc-300 cursor-pointer"
                             >{{ $t("visualiser.max_hops_filter") }}</label
                         >
-                        <span
-                            class="text-xs font-bold text-blue-600 dark:text-blue-400 tabular-nums min-w-[4rem] text-right"
-                            >{{ hopFilterSlider === 0 ? $t("visualiser.all") : hopFilterSlider }}</span
-                        >
+                        <input
+                            id="hop-max-hops-input"
+                            type="text"
+                            inputmode="numeric"
+                            autocomplete="off"
+                            maxlength="4"
+                            :aria-label="$t('visualiser.max_hops_filter')"
+                            class="w-[3.25rem] shrink-0 rounded-lg border border-gray-200 bg-white px-1.5 py-1 text-center text-xs font-bold text-blue-600 tabular-nums shadow-sm focus:border-blue-500 focus:outline-none focus:ring-1 focus:ring-blue-500/40 dark:border-zinc-600 dark:bg-zinc-800 dark:text-blue-400 dark:focus:border-blue-500"
+                            :value="hopMaxInputShown"
+                            :placeholder="$t('visualiser.all')"
+                            @focus="onHopMaxInputFocus"
+                            @input="onHopMaxInputInput"
+                            @blur="onHopMaxInputBlur"
+                        />
                     </div>
                     <input
                         id="hop-filter-slider"
-                        :value="hopFilterSlider"
                         type="range"
                         min="0"
-                        :max="hopSliderMax"
+                        :max="hopSliderPosAll"
                         step="1"
+                        :value="hopSliderUiPos"
+                        :aria-valuetext="hopSliderAriaText"
                         class="w-full h-2 rounded-lg appearance-none cursor-pointer bg-gray-200 dark:bg-zinc-700 accent-blue-600 dark:accent-blue-500"
-                        @input="$emit('update:hopFilterSlider', Number($event.target.value))"
+                        @input="onHopSliderInput"
                     />
                 </div>
 
@@ -224,6 +235,7 @@
 
 <script>
 import Toggle from "../../forms/Toggle.vue";
+import { HOP_SLIDER_POS_ALL, hopSliderPosToMaxHops, hopMaxHopsToSliderPos } from "./hopMaxFilterSliderMap.js";
 
 export default {
     name: "NetworkVisualiserToolbar",
@@ -234,8 +246,12 @@ export default {
         isLoading: { type: Boolean, default: false },
         autoReload: { type: Boolean, default: false },
         enablePhysics: { type: Boolean, default: true },
-        hopFilterSlider: { type: Number, default: 0 },
-        hopSliderMax: { type: Number, default: 1 },
+        hopMaxFilter: {
+            default: 4,
+            validator(v) {
+                return v === null || (typeof v === "number" && Number.isFinite(v) && v >= 0 && v <= 128);
+            },
+        },
         nodeCount: { type: Number, default: 0 },
         edgeCount: { type: Number, default: 0 },
         onlineInterfaceCount: { type: Number, default: 0 },
@@ -246,9 +262,63 @@ export default {
         "update:isShowingControls",
         "update:autoReload",
         "update:enablePhysics",
-        "update:hopFilterSlider",
+        "update:hopMaxFilter",
         "update:searchQuery",
         "manual-update",
     ],
+    data() {
+        return {
+            hopMaxInputDraft: null,
+        };
+    },
+    computed: {
+        hopSliderPosAll() {
+            return HOP_SLIDER_POS_ALL;
+        },
+        hopSliderUiPos() {
+            return hopMaxHopsToSliderPos(this.hopMaxFilter);
+        },
+        hopMaxInputShown() {
+            if (this.hopMaxInputDraft !== null) return this.hopMaxInputDraft;
+            if (this.hopMaxFilter === null) return "";
+            return String(this.hopMaxFilter);
+        },
+        hopSliderAriaText() {
+            if (this.hopMaxFilter === null) return this.$t("visualiser.all");
+            return String(this.hopMaxFilter);
+        },
+    },
+    methods: {
+        onHopSliderInput(e) {
+            const v = hopSliderPosToMaxHops(Number(e.target.value));
+            this.$emit("update:hopMaxFilter", v);
+        },
+        onHopMaxInputFocus() {
+            this.hopMaxInputDraft = this.hopMaxFilter === null ? "" : String(this.hopMaxFilter);
+        },
+        onHopMaxInputInput(e) {
+            const raw = e.target.value.replace(/\D/g, "");
+            this.hopMaxInputDraft = raw;
+            if (raw === "") return;
+            const n = parseInt(raw, 10);
+            if (!Number.isFinite(n)) return;
+            const clamped = Math.max(0, Math.min(128, Math.round(n)));
+            this.$emit("update:hopMaxFilter", clamped);
+            this.hopMaxInputDraft = String(clamped);
+        },
+        onHopMaxInputBlur() {
+            const d = this.hopMaxInputDraft;
+            this.hopMaxInputDraft = null;
+            if (d === null) return;
+            const trimmed = (d || "").trim();
+            if (trimmed === "") {
+                this.$emit("update:hopMaxFilter", null);
+                return;
+            }
+            const n = parseInt(trimmed, 10);
+            if (!Number.isFinite(n)) return;
+            this.$emit("update:hopMaxFilter", Math.max(0, Math.min(128, Math.round(n))));
+        },
+    },
 };
 </script>
diff --git a/meshchatx/src/frontend/components/network-visualiser/internal/hopMaxFilterSliderMap.js b/meshchatx/src/frontend/components/network-visualiser/internal/hopMaxFilterSliderMap.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..03c2ea6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/meshchatx/src/frontend/components/network-visualiser/internal/hopMaxFilterSliderMap.js
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: 0BSD AND MIT
+
+/** Rightmost slider index: no hop limit (show all paths). */
+export const HOP_SLIDER_POS_ALL = 2047;
+
+const LOW_MAX_POS = 1599;
+const TRAN_POS = 1600;
+const HIGH_END_POS = 2046;
+
+/**
+ * @param {number} pos
+ * @returns {number|null} Inclusive max hops, or null when unlimited.
+ */
+export function hopSliderPosToMaxHops(pos) {
+    const p = Math.round(Number(pos));
+    if (!Number.isFinite(p) || p >= HOP_SLIDER_POS_ALL) return null;
+    if (p <= LOW_MAX_POS) {
+        return Math.min(32, Math.round((p / LOW_MAX_POS) * 32));
+    }
+    if (p >= HIGH_END_POS) return 128;
+    const span = HIGH_END_POS - TRAN_POS;
+    const frac = span > 0 ? (p - TRAN_POS) / span : 1;
+    return Math.min(128, Math.max(33, Math.round(33 + frac * (128 - 33))));
+}
+
+/**
+ * @param {number|null|undefined} maxHops null = unlimited
+ * @returns {number} Slider position 0 .. HOP_SLIDER_POS_ALL
+ */
+export function hopMaxHopsToSliderPos(maxHops) {
+    if (maxHops === null || maxHops === undefined) return HOP_SLIDER_POS_ALL;
+    const h = Math.max(0, Math.min(128, Math.round(Number(maxHops))));
+    if (h <= 32) {
+        return Math.round((h / 32) * LOW_MAX_POS);
+    }
+    const span = HIGH_END_POS - TRAN_POS;
+    return Math.min(HIGH_END_POS, TRAN_POS + Math.round(((h - 33) / (128 - 33)) * span));
+}
diff --git a/tests/frontend/hopMaxFilterSliderMap.test.js b/tests/frontend/hopMaxFilterSliderMap.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..579c6c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/frontend/hopMaxFilterSliderMap.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+import { describe, it, expect } from "vitest";
+import {
+    HOP_SLIDER_POS_ALL,
+    hopSliderPosToMaxHops,
+    hopMaxHopsToSliderPos,
+} from "@/components/network-visualiser/internal/hopMaxFilterSliderMap.js";
+
+describe("hopMaxFilterSliderMap", () => {
+    it("maps rightmost slider position to unlimited hops", () => {
+        expect(hopSliderPosToMaxHops(HOP_SLIDER_POS_ALL)).toBe(null);
+        expect(hopSliderPosToMaxHops(HOP_SLIDER_POS_ALL + 10)).toBe(null);
+    });
+
+    it("round-trips every hop count 0..128", () => {
+        for (let h = 0; h <= 128; h++) {
+            const pos = hopMaxHopsToSliderPos(h);
+            expect(hopSliderPosToMaxHops(pos)).toBe(h);
+        }
+    });
+
+    it("round-trips null as the all position", () => {
+        expect(hopMaxHopsToSliderPos(null)).toBe(HOP_SLIDER_POS_ALL);
+        expect(hopSliderPosToMaxHops(HOP_SLIDER_POS_ALL)).toBe(null);
+    });
+});