What is `traceroute`?
Ever wonder what path your data takes to get to a server across the world? The `traceroute` command (or `tracert` on Windows) is a network diagnostic tool that shows you every "hop"—typically a router—that your connection passes through to reach its destination. It's an essential tool for identifying where network slowdowns or failures are occurring.
How to Use It
Running the command is simple. You open your terminal or command prompt and type the command followed by the destination you want to trace.
Commands
| Operating System | Command |
|---|---|
| Windows | tracert google.com |
| macOS / Linux | traceroute google.com |
Understanding the Output
The command will display a numbered list. Each line represents one hop on the journey. You will typically see three time values (in milliseconds) for each hop, which represent the round-trip time for three separate test packets. You'll also see the IP address and, if available, the domain name of the router at that hop.
Example Output
Tracing route to google.com [172.217.16.174]
over a maximum of 30 hops:
1 <1 ms <1 ms <1 ms 192.168.1.1
2 8 ms 7 ms 8 ms my-isp-router.isp.com [10.0.0.1]
3 15 ms 14 ms 15 ms another-router.another-isp.com [203.0.113.1]
...
12 22 ms 21 ms 22 ms lga34s34-in-f14.1e100.net [172.217.16.174]
Trace complete.
If you see an asterisk `*` or a "Request timed out" message, it means that particular router did not respond to the request. Seeing this on a few hops can be normal, but if it happens consistently at the end of the trace, it indicates a problem reaching the final destination.