Traceroute is a network diagnostic command that shows the hop-by-hop route from your device to a destination and measures the round-trip time (RTT) to each responding hop. It can help you separate a problem on your home network from congestion or filtering farther along the route to a game server, voice service, or website. It cannot, by itself, prove that a particular router is causing lag.
The command is built into Windows as tracert and is commonly available as traceroute on Linux and macOS. Run it, read each row as one step in the path, and compare repeated traces rather than treating one snapshot as a permanent map of the internet.
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What traceroute does
Traceroute discovers intermediate routers by deliberately sending probes with a limited IP Time To Live (TTL), which acts as a hop counter. Every router that forwards a packet reduces the TTL by one. When the value reaches zero, the router normally sends an ICMP Time Exceeded message back to the sender. Traceroute records that router, measures how long the reply took, then sends another probe with a higher TTL. The process continues until the destination replies or the maximum hop count is reached.
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RFC 5388 defines the purpose precisely: “Traceroute is a network diagnostic tool used to determine the hop-by-hop path from a source to a destination and the Round Trip Time (RTT) from the source to each hop.” The classic method described in RFC 2151 sends three probes for each TTL value, although defaults and protocols differ between implementations.
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- Start at TTL 1. The first probe expires at the first router, so its response identifies the first hop beyond your local network.
- Increase the TTL. A probe with TTL 2 passes the first router and expires at the second, revealing the next hop.
- Measure each response. The command displays the elapsed time between sending a probe and receiving the diagnostic reply.
- Stop at the destination or a limit. Windows uses a default maximum of 30 hops, configurable with
/h. Other implementations use their own defaults and options.
The destination response is not always identical to the response from an intermediate router. Classic traceroute commonly uses UDP probes, while some implementations use ICMP Echo or TCP probes. Windows documentation describes tracert as sending ICMP or ICMPv6 echo requests with incrementing TTL values. These differences matter because firewalls and routers may treat UDP, ICMP, and TCP traffic differently.
Why traceroute is useful for online gaming
Games expose the symptoms of network trouble clearly: delayed actions, rubber-banding, voice-chat gaps, and disconnects. Traceroute gives you context for those symptoms by showing how far a test packet travels and how long replies take at each responding hop.
- Local versus upstream clues: If the first hop is already slow across repeated tests, investigate Wi-Fi, Ethernet, the home router, or the access link before blaming a game provider.
- Route visibility: A path can leave your access provider, cross a transit network, and enter a hosting or game network. The sequence of responding addresses can show where the route changes.
- Persistent delay: When higher RTT begins at one hop and remains elevated at every later responding hop, that point is a useful boundary for an escalation report.
- Method-specific evidence: A game may use TCP or UDP while your traceroute uses ICMP or another protocol. Similar paths are informative, but the results are not a direct measurement of the game session.
Traceroute measures control or diagnostic replies, not frame rate, server tick rate, input latency, or the complete path of every game packet. Use it as one piece of evidence alongside in-game network graphs, ping, application tests, and provider monitoring.
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Basic command
- Open Command Prompt or PowerShell.
- Run
tracert example.com, replacing the hostname with a game server name or another destination you are allowed to test. - Wait for the command to finish, then save the complete output with the date, your network (home broadband, mobile hotspot, or other), and the exact destination.
Windows prints a numbered row for each TTL value. The default maximum is 30 hops. If the destination is farther away, or if intermediate routers do not answer, the trace can end before a final response appears.
Useful Windows options
| Command | What it changes | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
tracert /d example.com |
Skips reverse-DNS name resolution and displays addresses without waiting for names. | Use it when name lookups make the trace slow or when you want unambiguous numeric addresses. |
tracert /h 50 example.com |
Raises the maximum hop count from the documented default of 30 to 50 in this example. | Use it when the destination may be more than 30 hops away. |
tracert /w 2000 example.com |
Sets the wait time for each reply to 2,000 milliseconds. | Use a longer wait on a high-latency link, understanding that the command will take longer to finish. |
Options can be combined, for example tracert /d /w 2000 example.com. Keep the options in your notes because changing name resolution, timeout, or hop limit changes how the output should be interpreted.
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How to run traceroute on Linux and macOS
Basic command
- Open Terminal.
- Run
traceroute example.com. - Record the operating system, command options, date, source connection, and destination with the output.
Classic traceroute syntax includes controls for maximum hops (-m), probes per TTL (-q), timeout (-w), and destination port (-p). Linux implementations also expose options for protocol selection, initial TTL, packet size, and MTU-related probing. The exact flags vary by implementation, so consult man traceroute on the machine where you are running the test.
If the command is missing
Some Linux distributions do not install traceroute by default. Install the distribution’s traceroute package through its normal package manager, using the package name and command documented for that distribution. Package names and installation commands differ, so do not copy an installation command intended for another distribution. macOS normally includes a traceroute command in Terminal.
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A hostname tests name resolution as well as routing. If you already know a server’s numeric address, testing the address avoids a DNS lookup for the destination itself. Test a destination that represents the problem you are investigating: a game service, a voice server, or a neutral endpoint in the same region. Do not assume that a public website follows the same route as your game.
How to read traceroute output
A typical row contains a hop number, one or more router names or addresses, and an elapsed time for each probe. With three probes, a row may show three millisecond values. The following fields answer different questions:
| Output element | Meaning | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Hop number | The TTL value used for that row. | It is a logical probe limit, not necessarily a count of every physical device. |
| Router name | A reverse-DNS name returned for an address. | The name can be missing, generic, outdated, or misleading; /d on Windows suppresses the lookup. |
| IP address | The address that sent the diagnostic response. | Different probes can show different addresses because routing and load balancing vary. |
| Milliseconds | Measured round-trip time from your device to the responding hop and back. | It is not one-way delay and is not necessarily the latency of normal application traffic. |
* |
No reply arrived before that probe’s timeout. | Filtering, rate limiting, or an implementation choice can hide a response without stopping forwarding. |
What the milliseconds mean
Each number is the RTT for one probe to that hop. A first-hop value of 2 ms and later values around 25 ms usually indicate that most delay is beyond the local router, but the values are not additive: the 25 ms measurement already includes the trip through earlier hops. Variation between probes is called jitter in ordinary troubleshooting discussions, but traceroute itself simply displays separate elapsed times.
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An intermediate router may answer diagnostic packets slowly while forwarding ordinary traffic quickly. Routers often prioritize forwarding over generating ICMP or other control replies. Therefore, one row showing 150 ms followed by later rows around 30 ms is not proof that the 150 ms router is adding 120 ms to the path. Look for a rise that starts at a hop and remains present through all later responding hops.
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What * * * means
An asterisk means that a particular probe did not produce a response within the configured wait period. Three asterisks mean all three probes for that TTL missed the deadline. The router may be forwarding traffic normally while refusing or rate-limiting TTL-expired messages. A firewall between you and the router can also prevent the reply from arriving.
If a row is missing but later hops and the destination respond normally, treat it as missing measurement rather than a confirmed outage. If asterisks begin at a hop and continue through every later row, the trace may be filtered at that point, the route may have changed, or the destination may be unreachable. Traceroute alone cannot distinguish those cases.
Why names and hops can change
Reverse DNS is an optional naming service, not a topology database. Names can identify a provider or location, but they do not prove the physical location of a router. Equal-cost or policy-based load balancing can send successive probes along different paths, so the addresses in one row may differ. Internet routes also change with maintenance, congestion, failures, and policy decisions; one trace is a snapshot.
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Use a repeatable process so that an escalation contains evidence rather than a single alarming line.
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- Establish a baseline. Run a trace to the affected hostname and save the full output. Record the date, time zone, source network, device connection (wired or Wi-Fi), destination, and all options.
- Repeat under the same conditions. Run the command several times when the problem is present and again when the game works normally. Compare the first hop, later responding hops, and the destination response.
- Test another destination. A neutral endpoint in the same broad region helps show whether the behavior is general or limited to one service. A different destination does not prove the game route is healthy, but it provides a useful control.
- Change the access network when possible. A mobile hotspot, another household connection, or a workplace network can reveal whether the issue follows your home access link. Keep in mind that the alternative network has a different route and may be treated differently.
- Find a sustained change. Mark the first hop where RTT rises substantially or where replies stop, then check every later responding hop. A sustained rise is more significant than an isolated slow intermediate response.
- Corroborate the observation. Use ping, the game’s own network statistics, an application-level test, or provider-side monitoring. Escalate only after the symptom is reproducible and the supporting tests agree.
Using pathping on Windows
When you need estimates of latency and packet loss for each router or link, Windows provides pathping. Microsoft specifically points to it for this purpose. It sends probes over time and calculates statistics, so it takes longer than tracert. Run pathping destination.example, wait for the analysis to complete, and read the results as estimates for the test interval rather than permanent properties of the route.
Evidence to include in a support ticket
- The exact destination hostname or address, with sensitive information removed if necessary.
- The complete command, including timeout, hop-limit, protocol, or port options.
- Date, time, time zone, and whether the problem was occurring during the test.
- Your access type and whether the device used Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
- At least one repeated trace, plus a comparison trace when the service was working.
- Any in-game latency or packet-loss indicator and the results of ping or pathping.
Traceroute variants and what changes between them
There is no single universal traceroute packet. The probe protocol and implementation affect which devices answer and which filtering rules apply.
| Variant or control | Probe behavior | What the result is best for | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| UDP-based traceroute | Sends UDP probes, traditionally to selected destination ports. | Classic hop discovery on systems that use this method by default. | UDP filtering or destination-port policies can hide replies. |
| ICMP Echo traceroute | Uses ICMP/ICMPv6 echo requests with increasing TTL values; this is how Microsoft describes Windows tracert. |
Testing a path with the same broad protocol family used by ping. | ICMP may be filtered or rate-limited even while other traffic passes. |
| TCP-based traceroute | Uses TCP probes aimed at a chosen port. | Checking a path under treatment similar to a TCP application service. | Results depend on the selected port and whether the destination service accepts or filters it. |
| Packet-size or MTU probing | Varies probe size or uses implementation-specific MTU tests. | Investigating fragmentation or path-MTU-related behavior. | Flags and interpretation differ by Linux implementation; consult the local manual. |
| Reverse-DNS disabled | Displays numeric addresses without waiting for hostname lookups. | Faster, cleaner output and easier comparison between runs. | You lose any descriptive names that might help recognize a provider network. |
Cisco documentation describes the ICMP time-exceeded behavior and platform availability for its implementations, while Linux manuals document additional controls. Treat a result as specific to the protocol, port, packet size, timeout, and platform that produced it.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What traceroute cannot prove
- A missing row is not proof of a broken router. Filtering, rate limiting, and implementation differences can suppress diagnostic responses.
- A high intermediate value is not automatically the source of lag. If later hops return to normal, the router may simply be deprioritizing diagnostic replies.
- A displayed name is not a verified location. Reverse DNS can be absent or inaccurate, and a provider’s naming convention may not describe the actual physical site.
- The trace is not the game session. UDP, ICMP, and TCP receive different treatment, and the game’s outbound and return paths may not match the diagnostic path.
- The route is not permanent. Load balancing and time-varying internet routing can produce a different sequence on the next run.
- Traceroute does not measure every forwarding path. It observes the path taken by its own probes and the path used by the diagnostic replies that return to you.
- It does not identify the cause of every performance problem. A game can lag because of server load, frame-time issues, Wi-Fi interference, or congestion that does not appear as a stable traceroute pattern.
Illustrative output analysis
The following example is intentionally illustrative rather than a measurement from a particular provider:
1 2 ms 2 ms 3 ms 192.168.1.1
2 11 ms 12 ms 10 ms 203.0.113.1
3 14 ms 15 ms 14 ms 198.51.100.1
4 * * * Request timed out.
5 22 ms 21 ms 23 ms 198.51.100.9
6 24 ms 25 ms 24 ms game.exampleThe first three hops respond consistently. Hop 4 does not answer, but hop 5 and the destination do, so hop 4 has not been shown to be a forwarding failure. The destination replies in the mid-20-millisecond range, which is the relevant end-of-path measurement for this particular test; the missing intermediate response is a visibility gap.
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In a different pattern, suppose hop 3 is about 15 ms, hop 4 is about 90 ms, and every later responding hop remains near 90 ms. That sustained change deserves investigation and comparison with repeated traces. Even then, confirm the pattern with another protocol or application test before assigning blame to the router identified at hop 4.
Making results reproducible
Small procedural details can change the output. Use the same destination spelling, device, connection type, protocol, timeout, and hop limit when comparing runs. Note whether a VPN, corporate tunnel, parental-control filter, or security product was active. A VPN can move the first visible hop and alter the entire route, so traces taken with and without it are separate experiments.
Run tests during the actual symptom and during a known-good period. If the game uses a rotating server address, record the resolved address or server region shown by the game. Do not publish private addresses, account identifiers, or other sensitive data in a public support forum unless you have removed them.
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| Observation | Most useful next step |
|---|---|
| First hop is slow or unstable in every run. | Check Wi-Fi signal, Ethernet cabling, local router load, and access-link conditions; repeat with a wired connection if possible. |
| An intermediate row is slow, but later hops and the destination are normal. | Treat it as diagnostic-response prioritization unless another test shows end-to-end loss or delay. |
| Asterisks appear at one row, but later rows respond. | Record the missing measurement and continue; do not label that router down. |
| Delay begins at a hop and remains high through the destination. | Repeat at different times and from another network, then provide the sustained pattern to the access or service provider. |
| Only one protocol or port shows the problem. | Run a method appropriate to the affected application and report the protocol-specific nature of the result. |
| Traceroute looks normal while the game still lags. | Check in-game telemetry, packet loss, server status, Wi-Fi interference, device performance, and application-level tests. |
Bottom line
Traceroute answers two narrow but valuable questions: which responding hops a probe encountered, and how long the round trip to each one took. Run tracert on Windows or traceroute on Linux and macOS, compare repeated traces, and look for a sustained change that continues to the destination. Treat asterisks and isolated slow rows as missing or low-priority measurements—not automatic proof of an outage—and corroborate any escalation with pathping, ping, or application data.
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