traceroutetracert

traceroutetracert is a network diagnostic tool used to map the path that packets take from a source computer to a destination host. It identifies all the routers, also known as hops, that lie along the route. The tool works by sending a series of Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) echo request packets, each with a progressively increasing time-to-live (TTL) value. The TTL value determines how many router hops a packet can pass through before being discarded. As each router receives a packet, it decrements the TTL value. When the TTL reaches zero, the router sends back an ICMP "time exceeded" message to the source. traceroutetracert records the IP address of the router that sent this message and the round-trip time it took for the message to return. By incrementing the TTL value, traceroutetracert can discover successive routers along the path until the destination is reached. The output typically lists each hop with its IP address and the latency observed for packets reaching that point. This information is invaluable for troubleshooting network connectivity issues, identifying bottlenecks, and understanding network latency. On Unix-like systems, the command is typically named traceroute, while on Windows, it is named tracert. Despite the different names, both tools perform the same fundamental function.