traceroute

Additional Notes

traceroute shows the routers or hops between your machine and a destination. It helps locate where latency or packet loss may appear along a path.

Some networks block or rate-limit traceroute probes, so missing hops do not always mean a broken path.

Syntax

traceroute [options] host

Parameters

• options: Flags that change how traceroute behaves.
• host: Hostname, IP address, URL, or network target.

Common Options

• -n: Do not resolve hostnames.
• -I: Use ICMP echo probes.
• -T: Use TCP SYN probes when supported.
• -p PORT: Use a destination port.
• -m HOPS: Set maximum hops.
• -w SECONDS: Set wait time for replies.

Examples

traceroute example.com

Trace the path to a domain.

traceroute -n 8.8.8.8

Trace without DNS lookups.

traceroute -I example.com

Use ICMP probes.

traceroute -T -p 443 example.com

Use TCP probes to port 443.

Practical Notes

• * * * means no reply for that hop, not always failure.
• Use ping first for basic reachability.
• Use mtr if installed for continuous traceroute-style monitoring.
• Routing can be asymmetric; the return path may differ from the shown path.