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🛰 Traceroute

Trace the network path to any server and visualize every hop with latency and packet loss data

What is Traceroute

Traceroute is a diagnostic tool that shows the path data packets take from our server to the target host. Each hop displays the IP address, hostname, and response time. This helps identify problematic network segments and determine where delays or packet loss occur.

Traceroute reveals each network hop between our server in Russia and the target host, showing IP addresses, hostnames, and latency at every point. Use it to diagnose routing problems, identify slow network segments, and compare ISP paths.

Combine with ping to measure overall latency and packet loss, or use DNS lookup to verify name resolution at each hop. Traceroute is particularly useful when debugging CDN routing, peering issues, or geo-restricted content delivery.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is traceroute?

Traceroute is a utility that shows the path packets take from your server to a target host. Each "hop" is an intermediate router. It helps diagnose exactly where delays or packet loss occur.

How to read traceroute results?

Each line is one hop: number, IP address/hostname, response time (3 attempts). Asterisks (*) mean the hop did not respond (may be a firewall). A sharp increase in time indicates a bottleneck.

What does packet loss at a hop mean?

Loss at an intermediate hop does not always mean a problem — some routers limit ICMP. If there is loss at an intermediate hop but the endpoint works fine, everything is OK. Loss at the last hop is a real problem.

What is the difference between MTR and traceroute?

MTR (My Traceroute) combines traceroute and ping — continuously sends packets and shows loss and latency statistics for each hop in real time. More informative for diagnosing intermittent issues.

Why does traceroute show asterisks?

Asterisks mean the hop did not respond within the timeout. Causes: firewall blocks ICMP/UDP, router configured not to respond, high load. This is normal for intermediate hops.

How to use traceroute for diagnostics?

Run traceroute to the problematic server. Look for: sharp latency increase (bottleneck), loss at last hops (hosting issue), routing loops (same IPs repeating). Compare with traceroute to a working server.