Networking & Internet
Traceroute
Definition
Traceroute is a computer network diagnostic tool for displaying the path (route) and measuring transit delays of packets across an Internet Protocol (IP) network. The history of the route is recorded as the round-trip times of the packets received from each successive host (remote node) in the route.
Why It Matters
Traceroute helps diagnose network problems by showing the exact path your data takes to reach a destination. If there is a slow or failing router along the path, traceroute can help pinpoint its location.
Contextual Example
If you are having trouble connecting to a website, running a traceroute can show you which "hop" (router) along the path is causing the problem. It might be an issue with your local network, your ISP, or further down the line.
Common Misunderstandings
- Traceroute works by sending packets with increasing "Time to Live" (TTL) values.
- The command is `traceroute` on Linux/macOS and `tracert` on Windows.