Traceroute is a network diagnostic tool that maps the path packets take from the source to a destination IP address. It reveals every router (hop) along the route, the IP address and hostname of each hop, and the round-trip time (latency) to each one. This makes it useful for diagnosing slow connections, routing problems, and network outages.

How does traceroute work?

Traceroute sends packets with an incrementally increasing TTL (Time To Live) value. When a packet's TTL reaches zero, the router that received it sends back an ICMP 'Time Exceeded' message — which reveals that router's IP address. By starting with TTL=1 and incrementing by 1 each time, traceroute builds the complete hop-by-hop path to the destination.

Why do some hops show * * * (asterisks)?

Asterisks mean the router at that hop did not respond. This happens when the router is configured to drop ICMP packets (for security), rate-limits its responses, or when packets are simply lost. A hop showing * * * is not necessarily a problem — if the traceroute completes and reaches the destination, the overall path is working.

What is latency in a traceroute?

Latency (shown in milliseconds) is the round-trip time for a packet to reach that hop and return. Normal internet latency is 1–10 ms for local hops, 10–50 ms within a country, 50–150 ms across continents, and 150–300 ms for intercontinental links. A sudden spike in latency at a particular hop often points to congestion or a misconfigured link at that router.

How is traceroute different from ping?

Ping sends a single packet to the final destination and measures round-trip time — it confirms reachability but doesn't show the path. Traceroute maps every hop along the way, showing where delays or drops occur. Use ping to test basic connectivity; use traceroute to locate where in the network a problem is occurring.

Can traceroute diagnose network problems?

Yes. If the traceroute reaches the destination but latency is high at a specific hop, that hop is a bottleneck. If the traceroute stops at a particular hop and never reaches the destination, the routing is broken at or after that point. Comparing traceroutes before and after a network change quickly confirms whether the change improved or degraded routing.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is traceroute?

How does traceroute work?

Why do some hops show * * * (asterisks)?

What is latency in a traceroute?

How is traceroute different from ping?

Can traceroute diagnose network problems?

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