How to Trace Route | Running a Traceroute?

A traceroute helps you diagnose network issues by tracking the path your data takes from your device to a destination IP address or domain. It shows each hop the data passes through, which is useful for identifying where slowdowns or failures occur.

Running a Traceroute on Windows

1. Press Windows Key + R to open the Run window.

2. Type cmd and press Enter to open the Command Prompt.

3. Type the following command:

    

   tracert www.example.com

   (Replace www.example.com with the actual domain or IP address you want to trace.)

4. Press Enter.

The system will begin tracing the route and display each hop until it reaches the destination.

Running a Traceroute on macOS

1. Click the Spotlight icon in the Menu Bar (magnifying glass icon).

2. Type Network Utility into the search field.

3. Click on Network Utility in the results.

4. Navigate to the Traceroute tab.

5. Enter the IP address or web address for the destination and click Trace.

The traceroute results will be displayed, showing the path taken to reach the target server.

Traceroutes are helpful for troubleshooting connectivity issues or identifying points of failure in the network.