What is a traceroute?

Traceroute is a network diagnostic tool that shows the path that packets take across the internet to reach a destination. It displays each router hop, response times, and can reveal where network issues might be occurring.

Why do some hops show asterisks (*) instead of times?

Asterisks indicate that a router didn't respond to the traceroute request. This is common and usually not a problem - many routers are configured not to respond to ICMP packets for security reasons, but still pass the traffic along.

How accurate is the geographical location information?

The geographic locations are based on IP geolocation databases, which provide an approximation of where a server might be physically located. While generally reliable for country-level information, city-level accuracy can vary.

Can traceroute help diagnose connection problems?

Yes, traceroute can help identify where in the network path problems are occurring. If the trace stops at a particular hop or shows very high latency at a specific point, it can indicate where the network issue is located.

Online Traceroute Tool | MyIPReveal.com

Trace Network Routes

Traceroute shows the path that packets take to reach a destination, revealing each network router (hop) along the way, response times, and geographic locations.

About Traceroute

Traceroute is a network diagnostic tool that maps the journey taken by packets of information across the internet. It shows the sequence of routers (hops) packets travel through to reach a destination, helping diagnose network problems and understand internet routing.

Network Diagnostics

Identify where network issues occur by pinpointing slow or unresponsive network segments along the route.

Try Example: Google DNS (8.8.8.8)

Route Mapping

Visualize the geographical path your data takes across networks and countries to reach a destination.

Try Example: GitHub.com

How Traceroute Works

Traceroute sends packets with incrementally increasing TTL (Time To Live) values:

First packet has TTL of 1, causing it to expire at the first router
The router sends back an ICMP "time exceeded" message
Next packet has TTL of 2, reaching the second router
Process continues until destination is reached

This method reveals each router in the path and measures response times, giving insight into network performance and routing.

Common Uses for Traceroute

Troubleshooting network connectivity issues
Identifying slow network segments
Verifying routing configurations
Detecting network changes or outages
Understanding ISP routing paths