In a computer network system, a command line interface system is described having a text-based browser for browsing details of host devices coupled to the network. The command line interface system data includes logic to monitor and manage network devices by allowing a user to traverse the network using text-based commands to view hierarchy and topology information of the network and the hosts. The command line interface browsing system advantageously ensures a command status state change in one hierarchy level of the host device being browsed is retained and communicated to other hierarchy levels as the user browses the network.