The traceroute” command is a network diagnostic tool used to trace the route that packets take from your computer to a destination host on the Internet. It shows the IP addresses of the routers (hops) that the packets traverse, along with the round-trip time for each hop. This information can be helpful for diagnosing network connectivity issues and understanding the path packets take to reach their destination. Here’s an overview of how to use “traceroute“:
Basic Syntax:
bash
traceroute [options] destination
Common Options:
– “-I (or –icmp)“: Use ICMP Echo Request packets (default on Linux).
bash
traceroute -I example.com
– “-U (or –udp)“: Use UDP packets.
bash
traceroute -U example.com
– “-p (or –port)“: Specify the destination port for UDP.
bash
traceroute -U -p 53 example.com
– “-n (or –numeric)“: Do not resolve hostnames to IP addresses.
bash
traceroute -n example.com
– “-q (or –queries)“: Set the number of queries per hop.
bash
traceroute -q 3 example.com
Examples:
1. Basic Traceroute:
bash
traceroute example.com
2. Use ICMP Packets:
bash
traceroute -I example.com
3. Use UDP Packets:
bash
traceroute -U example.com
4. Specify UDP Port:
bash
traceroute -U -p 53 example.com
5. Show Numeric IP Addresses:
bash
traceroute -n example.com
6. Set Number of Queries:
bash
traceroute -q 3 example.com
Important Notes:
– Some systems may use “tracert” instead of “traceroute” on Windows.
– The “traceroute“command may require administrative privileges on certain systems.
– The round-trip times can vary due to network congestion and other factors.
When using “traceroute“, it’s essential to interpret the results carefully. If you see asterisks (*) in the output, it indicates that the particular router may be configured to not respond to the type of packets sent by “traceroute“. Additionally, firewalls and security policies may affect the results.