Traceroute Tool
Trace the network path from your location to any destination. See every hop (router) your data passes through and identify where slowdowns occur.
Discover the complete network path your data travels. Our traceroute tool shows every router and hop between your device and the destination, helping you diagnose routing issues and identify network bottlenecks.
Traceroute Tool
Quick Examples
What is Traceroute?
Traceroute is a network diagnostic tool that displays the route (path) and measures transit delays of packets across an IP network. It shows you every hop (router or gateway) your data passes through from source to destination, along with the time it takes at each hop.
Think of it as a GPS tracker for your internet packets—instead of showing road turns, it shows network routers. This is invaluable for identifying where in the network path problems occur, whether it's at your ISP, a peering point, or the destination's network.
How Traceroute Works
- TTL Manipulation: Sends packets with incrementing Time-To-Live (TTL) values starting from 1
- Router Response: Each router decrements TTL by 1; when TTL reaches 0, router sends back an ICMP "Time Exceeded" message
- Progressive Discovery: By increasing TTL, traceroute discovers each hop along the path sequentially
- Latency Measurement: Records the time taken for each response to calculate hop latency
- Complete Path: Continues until reaching the final destination or maximum hop count (typically 30)
Understanding Traceroute Results
✅ Successful Hop
Router responded with hostname/IP and latency
- Shows router DNS name and IP address
- Displays round-trip time in milliseconds
- Indicates a functioning network segment
- Low latency increase (1-20ms) between hops is normal
⚠️ Timeout (* * *)
Router didn't respond within timeout period
- Router may be configured to not respond to ICMP
- Doesn't necessarily indicate a problem
- Packets are still being forwarded
- Common in security-hardened networks
❌ Consecutive Timeouts
Multiple hops showing no response
- May indicate network congestion or filtering
- Could be a firewall blocking ICMP packets
- If trace completes, routers are simply not responding
- If trace fails, indicates actual routing problem
Common Traceroute Patterns
| Pattern | What It Means | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Gradual latency increase | Normal routing through geographic distance | No action needed |
| Sudden latency spike | Congested hop or slow network segment | Identify problem hop |
| High latency at first hop | Local network or router issue | Check local network |
| Trace stops mid-path | Routing problem or firewall | Contact ISP or admin |
| Many timeout hops | ICMP filtering (often intentional) | Normal if trace completes |
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between traceroute and ping?
Ping only tests connectivity and latency to the final destination, while traceroute shows the entire path including every router (hop) between you and the destination. Use ping for quick connectivity checks; use traceroute to diagnose where in the network path problems occur.
Why do some hops show * * * (asterisks)?
Asterisks indicate the router didn't respond within the timeout period. This is often intentional—many routers are configured to not respond to traceroute probes for security or performance reasons. As long as subsequent hops respond and your trace completes successfully, these timeouts are usually nothing to worry about.
How many hops is normal?
Typical internet routes have 10-20 hops. Local destinations may have only 5-8 hops, while international routes can have 15-25 hops. The number depends on network topology, peering agreements, and geographic distance. More hops don't necessarily mean worse performance if each hop is fast.
Why does latency sometimes decrease in later hops?
This can happen because different routers have different processing priorities for ICMP responses. A busy router might delay responding to traceroute probes while still forwarding your packets quickly. Also, routers farther along the path might be geographically closer or on faster network segments, resulting in genuinely lower latency.
Can traceroute show the physical location of routers?
Sometimes. Router hostnames often include city codes (like "nyc" for New York, "lon" for London) that indicate location. You can also look up the IP addresses using geolocation services. However, this isn't always accurate, and routers may be located differently than their DNS names suggest.
What if traceroute shows a routing loop?
A routing loop occurs when packets circulate between the same routers repeatedly. You'll see the same router IPs appearing multiple times. This indicates a routing misconfiguration and will prevent your traffic from reaching the destination. Contact your ISP or network administrator—this is a serious problem that needs immediate attention.
Why does my traceroute take different paths each time?
Internet routing is dynamic. Networks use load balancing to distribute traffic across multiple paths, and routing protocols automatically select the best path based on current conditions. Seeing different paths is normal and healthy—it demonstrates network redundancy and adaptive routing.
What's a good latency increase per hop?
Each hop typically adds 1-10ms for nearby routers and 10-50ms for long-distance hops. Sudden jumps of 50-100ms or more at a single hop indicate potential congestion or problem areas. Overall, the cumulative latency matters most—a 15-hop route with 50ms total latency is better than a 10-hop route with 150ms.
Can I use traceroute to diagnose packet loss?
Yes, partially. Consistent timeouts at a specific hop suggest packet loss at that router. However, standard traceroute runs single probes. For accurate packet loss measurement, you need tools like MTR (My Traceroute) that send continuous probes and calculate loss percentages over time.
Is traceroute safe to use on any network?
Traceroute is generally safe and intended for legitimate network troubleshooting. However, some networks may consider frequent or automated traceroutes as reconnaissance and potentially block or monitor them. Always use traceroute responsibly—avoid excessive testing of networks you don't control, and respect terms of service.