Networking Basics - Tracert

Tracert is an ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) echo request over TCP/IP used to report on packet routing.
It's use isnt always reliable as firewalls tend to be configured to block them on external networks.

TRACERT [hostname/ip]

Shows a list of hops taken (routers traversed) i.e the route taken by data on the network.

TRACERT /? to see options

Tracert showing route taken to local server >

C:\>tracert webserver01

Tracing route to webserver01.domain.co.uk [172.29.0.86]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 <1 ms <1 ms <1 ms 10.4.0.3 2 1 ms <1 ms <1 ms 10.0.1.53 3 1 ms 1 ms 1 ms 10.192.0.1 4 4 ms 6 ms 7 ms 172.16.253.252 5 7 ms 8 ms 8 ms webserver01.domain.co.uk [172.29.0.86] Trace complete.

Tracert showing route taken to external server >

C:\>tracert yahoo.com

Tracing route to yahoo.com [68.180.206.184]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 <1>
2 <1>
3 1 ms 1 ms 1 ms 10.192.0.1
4 3 ms 7 ms 7 ms 172.16.253.252
5 9 ms 4 ms 5 ms 193.19.88.10
6 4 ms 7 ms 4 ms dex-233-21.static.dxi.net [212.95.233.21]
7 5 ms 8 ms 4 ms gi5-2.cr1.th.hotchilli.net [217.72.167.165]
8 5 ms 9 ms 8 ms 213.152.234.99.above.net [213.152.234.99]
9 80 ms 81 ms 78 ms so-0-1-0.mpr1.dca2.us.above.net [64.125.27.57]
10 85 ms 82 ms 85 ms so-0-1-0.mpr1.lga5.us.above.net [64.125.26.98]
11 165 ms 162 ms 163 ms so-2-1-0.mpr1.sjc2.above.net [64.125.26.229]
12 161 ms 161 ms 163 ms so-4-2-0.mpr3.pao1.us.above.net [64.125.28.142]
13 166 ms 161 ms 163 ms yahoo-above-1.pao1.above.net [64.125.12.70]
14 162 ms 162 ms 162 ms ae0-p140.msr1.sp1.yahoo.com [216.115.107.49]
15 165 ms 162 ms 162 ms te-9-1.bas-a1.sp1.yahoo.com [209.131.32.23]
16 165 ms 167 ms 167 ms w2.rc.vip.sp1.yahoo.com [68.180.206.184]

Trace complete.