🛰️ Traceroute
The Traceroute tool lists every router (hop) between your device and a destination, along with the time to reach each one. It reveals the path your traffic takes across the internet.
What it does
The Traceroute tool lists every router (hop) between your device and a destination, along with the time to reach each one. It reveals the path your traffic takes across the internet.
How to use it
Enter a destination hostname or IP and run the trace. Each line shows one hop — usually a router — with its response time. Asterisks indicate a hop that did not respond (common, as many routers deprioritize trace packets).
Real-world example
When a connection to a server is slow, run a traceroute to see where the delay appears. If times are low until hop 9 (a specific carrier) and then spike, the bottleneck is on that provider's network, not yours — useful evidence for a support ticket.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do some hops show '* * *'?
Many routers are configured not to reply to trace packets, or rate-limit them. An occasional unresponsive hop is normal and does not by itself indicate a problem.
How is traceroute different from ping?
Ping measures the round-trip time to a single destination. Traceroute shows the full chain of routers in between and the time to each, which helps locate where slowness occurs.
Can traceroute be blocked?
Yes. Firewalls and some networks filter the UDP/ICMP probes traceroute uses, producing incomplete output. That is a visibility limit, not necessarily a connectivity failure.