How to Perform a Traceroute Command to Diagnose Network Issues November 1, 2025

Network connectivity problems can be frustrating, especially on dedicated servers or VPS environments where uptime is critical.
One of the most useful tools for diagnosing these issues is the traceroute command. It helps identify where a connection to a remote server slows down or fails, giving you insight into network path issues.

In this guide, you will learn how to perform a traceroute, interpret its results, and troubleshoot network problems effectively.

What Is a Traceroute?

A traceroute is a network diagnostic tool that shows the route data takes from your computer (or server) to a target destination, such as a website or IP address.
It lists all the intermediary routers (called “hops”) between the source and destination, along with the time it takes to reach each one.

Each hop gives valuable clues about where packets are delayed or dropped, making traceroute an essential command for diagnosing routing or latency issues.

Why Use Traceroute?

You can use traceroute to:

• Pinpoint the location where a network connection experiences slowdown or failure.
• Detect routing problems between your ISP and the destination server.
• Check for latency spikes or packet loss.
• Provide diagnostic information when contacting your hosting provider’s support team.

How to Run Traceroute on Different Operating Systems

1. Windows
   1. Press Windows + R, type cmd, and press Enter to open the Command Prompt.
   2. Enter the following command:

      tracert domain.com

      (Replace domain.com with the hostname or IP address you want to test.)

   3. Sample Output:

      Tracing route to domain.com [93.184.216.34]
      over a maximum of 30 hops:
      
      1     1 ms    <1 ms    <1 ms  192.168.1.1
      2    15 ms    10 ms    20 ms  isp.gateway.net
      3    45 ms    30 ms    50 ms  example-backbone.net
      4    60 ms    62 ms    59 ms  93.184.216.34

   4. Trace complete.
2. Linux / macOS
   1. Open Terminal.
   2. Run the following command:

      traceroute domain.com

      (If traceroute isn’t installed, use sudo apt install traceroute on Debian/Ubuntu or sudo yum install traceroute on CentOS/RHEL.)

   3. Sample Output:

      traceroute to domain.com (93.184.216.34), 30 hops max, 60 byte packets
      1  192.168.1.1 (192.168.1.1)  0.678 ms  0.543 ms  0.612 ms
      2  isp.gateway.net (203.0.113.1)  15.532 ms  14.233 ms  14.122 ms
      3  example-backbone.net (203.0.113.5)  45.873 ms  44.761 ms  46.023 ms
      4  93.184.216.34 (93.184.216.34)  60.540 ms  61.234 ms  62.120 ms

Understanding Traceroute Output

1. Each line in the output represents a hop, showing:
   • The hop number (sequence in the route).
   • The hostname/IP address of the router.
   • Response times (latency) in milliseconds across three attempts.
2. Important Points:
   • * * * means the hop didn’t respond- possibly due to a firewall or timeout.
   • High latency on a specific hop indicates a network delay.
   • Timeouts in the middle of the route don’t always mean failure; some routers are configured not to reply to traceroute packets.

Common Traceroute Issues and Fixes

Issue	Possible Cause	Suggested Fix
Timeouts (* * *)	Router blocking ICMP requests	Ignore unless the route completely stops
High latency on multiple hops	ISP or routing congestion	Contact your ISP or hosting provider
Traceroute stops midway	The packet was dropped due to the firewall	Temporarily disable the firewall or test from another network
All hops show the same IP	NAT or proxy in use	Check network configuration or VPN

Conclusion

This way, running a traceroute is one of the simplest yet most effective ways to identify where network issues occur between your system and a remote server.

If you are using a dedicated server or VPS, traceroute can help you or your hosting provider quickly pinpoint routing or latency issues.
For deeper analysis or assistance with interpreting traceroute results, contact our support team; they can help you restore smooth, stable connectivity.

Want to test your network connectivity too? Learn How to use the ping command and how to perform a ping test on Linux