Traceroute Tool
Trace the exact path your data takes across the web. Locate network hops, identify connection delays, and see where bottlenecks occur in real time.
What is a Traceroute?
Think of a traceroute as a GPS tracker for your web traffic. Whenever you search a site or send a request, your computer sends out information packets. These packets do not travel directly to the server; instead, they pass through multiple routers, servers, and switches along the way.
A traceroute maps this trip step-by-step. By sending test messages with different expirations, it forces every single computer along the way to announce itself. This reveals the exact path your request took and precisely how many milliseconds it spent at each stop.
Why should you run a traceroute?
Pinpoint connection drops
If a website will not load, a ping test only confirms it is down. Traceroute tells you exactly where the breakdown happened—whether it was your home router, your local service provider, or the website's host.
Detect slow routing hops
If your connection feels slow, traceroute checks the delays at each router. You can easily spot if a single server in another city is taking too long to forward your network request.
Audit ISP path choices
Sometimes your internet provider chooses an inefficient route to send your data across the globe. Running a traceroute helps you see if your packets are taking unnecessary detours.
Troubleshooting network loops
In rare cases, misconfigured servers bounce data back and forth between each other forever. A traceroute will immediately reveal this cycle, allowing you to notify the network administrator.
How to check your path
Type the destination
Input the domain name or IP address you want to inspect into the bar above and click the button.
Inspect the hop timeline
Watch the path build hop by hop. Our tool lists each server passed along with its response time.
Locate failures
Look for red flags like asterisks or high latency numbers to find the server causing connection delays.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a traceroute?
Traceroute is a network diagnostic tool that displays the exact path data packets take to reach a destination. It lists every single router and gateway (known as hops) along the route, helping you see where delays or connection drops are happening on the internet.
What do the asterisks (*) mean in a traceroute result?
An asterisk means a particular router along the way did not reply within the timeout limit. This is very common, as many network routers are configured to ignore traceroute requests to save CPU power or protect themselves from hackers scanning the network.
How does traceroute know when to stop?
Traceroute stops when it receives a reply directly from the target destination, or when it reaches its maximum hop limit (usually set to 20 or 30 hops). If a router along the way blocks the signal completely, the trace might end early with timeout errors.
Why do some hops show higher latency than the final destination?
Intermediate routers prioritize forwarding traffic over responding to diagnostic requests. If a router is busy, it might delay replying to your traceroute packet, causing a temporary spike in that specific hop's latency even if the overall connection to your final server is perfectly fast.
What is the difference between traceroute and ping?
Ping only tells you if a server is online and how long a round-trip takes in total. Traceroute goes a step further by showing you the entire route, mapping every intermediate stop and measuring the response time at each hop to identify exactly where delays occur.
Can traceroute detect if my ISP is throttling me?
Traceroute itself cannot prove throttling, but it can show you if there is sudden, extreme latency at your ISP’s local gateways. To check for throttling, compare your traceroute results during normal hours against times when you suspect your connection speed is being limited.
