How to run a traceroute (tracert) for network diagnostics
Traceroute maps the path data takes from your computer to a server. Run it on Windows, Mac, or Linux to identify where network slowdowns or connection failur...
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Traceroute (tracert on Windows) shows the route your internet traffic takes from your computer to a destination server, displaying each hop along the way with latency measurements. It helps identify exactly where a connection problem or slowdown is occurring.
What is traceroute?
Every request you send online passes through multiple routers (hops) before reaching the destination. Traceroute sends packets with incrementally increasing TTL values, forcing each router along the path to respond, and measures the time taken at each step.
The result tells you:
- How many hops between you and the server
- The IP address and hostname of each router along the path
- The latency (response time in milliseconds) at each hop
- Where a timeout or packet loss is occurring
Run traceroute on Windows
- Press Windows + R, type
cmd, press Enter - Type the following command, replacing
yourdomain.comwith the actual address:
tracert yourdomain.comWait for the trace to complete (may take 1–2 minutes). Copy the entire output.
Run traceroute on Mac or Linux
- Open Terminal (Mac: Applications → Utilities → Terminal; Linux: Ctrl+Alt+T)
- Run:
traceroute yourdomain.comOn macOS, you can also use the Network Diagnostics tool or open Network Utility (search Spotlight for it).
Reading the results
Each line represents one hop. Example output:
1 2 ms 1 ms 1 ms 192.168.1.1
2 12 ms 11 ms 12 ms 10.0.0.1
3 18 ms 19 ms 18 ms isp-router.example.com
4 25 ms 26 ms 25 ms 172.16.0.1
5 * * * Request timed out.
6 55 ms 54 ms 55 ms your-server-ip.underhost.com| What you see | What it means |
|---|---|
| Low ms values (1–30) | Normal latency-this portion of the path is fine |
| Sudden spike (e.g., 5ms → 200ms) | Latency introduced at this hop-possible congestion or routing issue |
* * * (asterisks) | The router at this hop timed out-either it dropped the packets or has ICMP filtering. One or two * hops is normal; consistent * means packet loss. |
| Trace stops mid-route | Connection is being blocked or dropped at that router-possible firewall, routing black hole, or your server is offline |
Many routers are configured to block ICMP traceroute packets as a security measure. Asterisks in the middle of a trace are often normal if the trace reaches the destination successfully. The final hop reaching your server confirms connectivity.
Share results with support
When opening a support ticket about connectivity issues, include:
- The full traceroute output (copy and paste into the ticket)
- Your public IP address (you can find it with the `curl ifconfig.io` command or in your router's status page)
- Your ISP / internet provider name
- Your approximate location (city/country)
- The time and date when you ran the trace
- A description of the issue (slow? unreachable? packet loss?)
This information allows the UnderHost network team to investigate routing issues between your location and the server.
Related: My website is down-what to check first | My website is loading slowly-what to check | Check network status | Domain not resolving-DNS troubleshooting guide
Still troubleshooting?
Use UnderHost tools for quick checks, or open a support ticket when the issue needs account or server access.
