- The command tracert stands for trace route
- The tracert command shows the route a packet takes to get to its destination, including devices the packet passes through and how long each hop between devices takes
- Used to troubleshoot bottlenecks or to troubleshoot when user is having trouble reaching a particular destination
- Example: tracert chivalry.com
- On Mac/Linux it is traceroute
- The tracert command uses ICMP protocol. It specifically takes advantage of an error message of ICMP called Time to Live Exceeded. Not all devices reply with this Time to Live Exceeded error message. Some firewalls may filter ICMP.
- The TTL time refers to hops, not seconds or minutes. TTL=1 is the first router. TTL=2 is the second router, and so on.
- Not all traceroutes are the same. There may be minor differences in the transmitted payload.
For a more in depth look at when to use traceroute and how it works, refer to the below video:
