How To: Trace Route (Windows)

Summary

This article provides instructions on performing a traceroute on a Windows computer.

How-To

Windows has a command-line tool for performing a traceroute. It is called "tracert."

Instructions

Step 1 - Open a command prompt. The easiest way to do that is to go to Start->Run and type in "cmd" then click "OK."

Step 2 - From the command prompt (which will look like the following image), type in `tracert <destination>` or, for a somewhat faster response `tracert -d <destination>`

Step 3 - For <destination> enter the IP address or name of the site you wish to reach. For example, to trace route to www.unh.edu you would enter `tracert -d www.unh.edu` and press enter.

Note: The "-d" is simply to prevent the resolution of IP addresses into names. You can leave out the "-d" and have the names resolve if you wish.

Here is an example of the results:

Note: Copying data from the command prompt window is a bit different than most other Windows interfaces. To do it,

1. Press "Ctrl-M" for "Mark"
2. Use the white rectangle to highlight the part of the window you want to copy.
3. Press "Enter" to copy selection to your clipboard
4. Paste the selected text elsewhere, such as in an email or document.

The results of the traceroute will continue until the destination is reached or until the maximum number of "hops" is reached. That maximum is generally 30. Not all "hops" will necessarily respond, and it is not unusual for some "hops" to respond with a "Request timed out." If several "hops" in a row time out, then the trace route is almost certainly not going to complete and you can cancel it with a ctrl-C.

When finished you can close the command-line window by typing `exit` and hitting Enter.

A traceroute can be useful in troubleshooting in a number of situations, for example, when you are having trouble reaching a resource. It can give good information both about where the communication is failing and what path is being taken to the resource.

Outcome

You have performed a traceroute on a Windows computer.

Further Readings

How To: Trace Route (MAC OS X)

How To: Nslookup (Mac OS X)

How-To: NSLookup (Windows)

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