Traceroute Test Tool: Visualize Network Path
Visualize the path your data takes from your computer to a destination server. This helps identify network bottlenecks and troubleshoot connectivity issues by showing each hop along the route.
About Traceroute
What does this tool do?
Our Traceroute tool tracks the pathway taken by data packets from your computer to a destination server on the internet. It reveals each router or device (hop) your data passes through and measures the time it takes to reach each point along the route.
Why is this useful?
Traceroute helps identify network bottlenecks, diagnose connectivity issues, and understand how data travels across the internet. It's essential for troubleshooting slow connections, identifying points of failure, and optimizing network performance.
Who uses this tool?
- Network administrators - Diagnose routing issues and network path problems
- IT professionals - Troubleshoot connectivity and performance issues
- Website owners - Understand how users reach their servers and identify bottlenecks
- Security analysts - Verify data paths and identify unexpected routing
- Internet users - Understand connection issues and identify where problems occur
How to perform a traceroute
- Enter a hostname (like google.com) or IP address in the input field
- Choose IPv6 if you want to trace the IPv6 path (optional)
- Set the maximum number of hops to limit the trace length
- Click "Trace Route" to start the network path analysis
- Review the visual path and analyze latency at each hop
Example
Tracing to google.com typically shows 10-15 hops through your ISP's network, then through internet backbone providers, and finally to Google's servers. Each hop represents a router forwarding your data closer to the destination.
Understanding your results
- Hop Number
- Each numbered step represents a router or device that forwards your data toward the destination.
- IP Address
- The unique network identifier of each router or device in the path.
- Hostname
- The domain name associated with the IP address, if available and resolvable.
- Latency
- The round-trip time (in milliseconds) for packets to reach that hop and return.
- Timeout (*)
- Occurs when a hop doesn't respond within the expected time, often due to firewall rules.
Normal Patterns
- Gradual latency increase: Normal as packets travel through more hops and greater distances
- Occasional timeouts: Some routers are configured not to respond to traceroute packets
- ISP hops first: Initial hops typically belong to your internet service provider
Potential Issues
- Large latency jumps: May indicate network congestion or long-distance connections
- Consistent timeouts: Could indicate routing problems or network filtering
- Path loops: Seeing the same IPs repeatedly might indicate routing loops
Important notes
- Traceroute paths can change between runs due to dynamic routing
- Some networks block traceroute packets, causing timeouts
- Load balancers may cause different paths to appear on repeated tests
- Geographic locations are approximate and may not always be accurate
Common use cases
Network Troubleshooting
Identify where connectivity problems occur by examining each hop along the path to a destination server.
Performance Analysis
Locate network bottlenecks by analyzing latency increases at specific hops in the routing path.
Route Verification
Confirm that network traffic is taking the expected path and identify any unexpected routing changes.
Network Mapping
Document network infrastructure and understand the topology between different network segments.
How traceroute works
Traceroute sends packets with incrementing Time To Live (TTL) values. Each router decrements the TTL, and when it reaches zero, the router returns an ICMP Time Exceeded message, allowing traceroute to map the path step by step.