[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Section” _builder_version=”4.22.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_4,3_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”50px||||false|false” custom_css_main_element=”z-index:0!important;” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ disabled_on=”on|on|off” _builder_version=”4.22.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||||false|false” sticky_position=”top” sticky_offset_top=”100px” sticky_limit_bottom=”section” motion_trigger_start=”top” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”indice” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”||14px||false|false” link_option_url=”#1″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Sections<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_css_main_element=”z-index:0!important;” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”seccion” module_id=”1″ module_class=”ittopicscontent” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” z_index=”0″ custom_margin=”0px||0px||true|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ custom_css_main_element=”font-family:%22Pandora-Light%22;” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]Life, at least in IT, is what happens between system and network failures. And when a service is down or connectivity is down, the question is: Where is the failure? Because a ping tells you whether the service is alive or not, but that doesn’t help much. To locate bottlenecks and where the specific error is, we have the traceroute<\/a> command, which we will analyze in depth.<\/strong> Traceroute<\/a> (on Linux\/macOS) and tracert<\/strong> (on Windows) are diagnostic tools that identify the specific route that IP packets follow from your computer to a destination<\/strong>. The traceroute mechanism is ingenious, because it exploits a property of packets, the fact that the IP standard mandates the inclusion of a TTL<\/strong> (Time To Live) value<\/strong>. In this way, thanks to the TTL property, traceroute sends packets, each time with a higher TTL, that trace the path, showing each hop (each network device that touches the packet). With that, we can detect problems such as:<\/p>\n Let\u2019s take a look at how to run it, starting with Windows.<\/p>\n On our machine, we run Powershell and type, for example: 1 1 ms <1 ms <1 ms router.home [192.168.1.1] We\u2019ll analyze this output in a moment, but first let\u2019s look at Linux and its Unix cousins. Or, if you want to use ICMP like in Windows:<\/p>\n traceroute -I google.com<\/span><\/p>\n Some other useful parameters include:<\/p>\n Let\u2019s interpret the output:<\/p>\n The common causes of asterisks are:<\/p>\n From here, you may start to investigate the problem. If you\u2019re not a fan of staring into the black abyss of the terminal, need more features, or just want to avoid the hassle, there are graphical and web-based traceroute tools available. Pandora MINI makes your life easier with a variety of monitoring<\/a> and diagnostic tools, including the ability to run traceroute in a simple and visual way. However, the main advantage of Pandora MINI is that it integrates a full toolbox for network analysis and monitoring. This way, you have more tools at your fingertips when traceroute reveals an issue.<\/p>\n Imagine you need to ensure a service is working perfectly. The first thing you can do is monitor it with a ping, which tells you if it\u2019s reachable and shows its latency.<\/p>\n Another common scenario is packet loss<\/strong>.<\/p>\n If you’re a command-line wizard or just need a quick check, the terminal might do the trick. I live in it often myself\u2014not just to escape into the nostalgic silence of simpler days. Beyond limits, beyond expectations<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_code _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” width=”320px” module_alignment=”center” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n\n
\nHe will teach us all that so poetic that the important thing in a journey is the way and not the destination. <\/p>\nWhat is the traceroute (or tracert) command?<\/h2>\n
\nThe goal is that very movie-like “follow that car”, to reveal every intermediate hop it makes (router, firewall, gateway) until it gets to where we tell it to.
\nBesides being a diagnostic tool, traceroute can be used in other IT aspects, such as security, detecting firewalls or mapping the infrastructure. Or in optimization, to check if that CDN really saves hops and milliseconds, going through the optimal route between source and destination.
\nHowever, today we will focus on the fundamentals. <\/p>\nHow traceroute works: TTL, ICMP and hops<\/h2>\n
\nThis was not done to trace them, but the TTL determines how many hops, at most, can be made to the destination. Thus, a TTL=1 means that our packet will stop at the first intermediate hop (or at the destination if we reach it in one hop, which is doubtful).
\nSo traceroute does this to find out the path of a packet:<\/p>\n\n
\nAnd what is the difference between traceroute and tracert? Well, besides the operating system… <\/p>\n\n
\n
How to Run Traceroute from the Command Line<\/h2>\n
Windows (tracert)<\/h3>\n
\ntracert google.com<\/span>
\nYou\u2019ll get an output similar to this:<\/p>\n
\n2 15 ms 14 ms 16 ms dsl-10-20-30-40.isp.com [10.20.30.40]
\n3 * * * Request timed out.
\n4 30 ms 29 ms 28 ms core-router.mad.isp.com [80.40.200.1]<\/p>\n
\nIn the terminal, run:
\ntraceroute google.com<\/span><\/p>\n\n
\n
\n
\nFor example, you might want to reconfigure your \u201cprobe\u201d\u2014like in Star Trek\u2014using -I, since some systems drop UDP packets due to policy but may respond to ICMP. You may also try -w with a longer wait time (e.g., 15 seconds) in case the hop is alive but slow to respond.
\nIf it still doesn\u2019t reply, it could be a firewall explicitly configured to drop responses.
\nThat said, when it comes to diagnosing and troubleshooting<\/A> in even moderately complex infrastructures, CLI tools like traceroute face common limitations: inconvenient output formatting, possible requirement for elevated permissions, and lack of visibility into other metrics like jitter…<\/p>\nGraphical and Online Alternatives<\/h2>\n
\nA quick search will show you online tools like this one<\/a> or this other one<\/A>, but they\u2019re often not very useful\u2014because they run from their own servers, not yours. Plus, many are so restricted that you\u2019ll end up seeing more asterisks than in your Wi-Fi password.
\nThat\u2019s why one of the most convenient options is to use the 100% free Pandora MINI app for Windows. Sure, there are others like MyTraceroute<\/A>, but they\u2019re far more limited in terms of functionality.<\/p>\nRoute Analysis with Pandora MINI<\/h2>\n
\nOnce installed like any other Windows software, all you need to do is select the Tools option from the top menu and, in the dropdown, choose Check Traceroute.
\nOn the screen that appears, you can easily configure the process without having to mess with terminal parameters.
\nYou\u2019ll then be able to intuitively see the ordered hops, the latency of each one, and all the information provided by traceroute\u2014no need for a terminal or elevated privileges.<\/p>\nOther Useful Network Functions in Pandora MINI<\/h2>\n
\nTraceroute is very useful, though it\u2019s just the beginning of a proper network diagnosis. Thanks to the additional built-in tools, you can carry out a much more complete diagnosis with:<\/p>\n\n
Common Use Cases<\/h2>\n
\n
\n
\nAs we can see, traceroute\/tracert<\/a> is an essential tool for any technician.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\nHowever, for quick support scenarios, on-site audits, or when you’re less comfortable with CLI<\/strong>, a graphical tool like Pandora MINI<\/strong> offers the simplicity and all-in-one advantage we’ve explored.[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_button button_url=”@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9saW5rX3VybF9wYWdlIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsicG9zdF9pZCI6IjM2MjI3MCJ9fQ==@” button_text=”\u2190 Back to IT Topics” button_alignment=”left” _builder_version=”4.22.0″ _dynamic_attributes=”button_url” _module_preset=”default” custom_button=”on” button_text_size=”1em” button_text_color=”#0C312F” button_bg_color=”#FFFFFF” button_bg_color_gradient_direction=”90deg” button_bg_color_gradient_stops=”#82B92E 0%|#3CB92E 100%” button_bg_color_gradient_start=”#82B92E” button_bg_color_gradient_end=”#3CB92E” button_border_width=”1px” button_border_color=”#eaeaea” button_border_radius=”100px” button_use_icon=”off” z_index=”0″ custom_margin=”60px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”10px|50px|10px|50px|true|true” custom_padding_tablet=”” custom_padding_phone=”10px|20px|10px|20px|true|true” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_css_main_element=”right:0!important;||font-family:%22Pandora-Bold%22!important;” global_module=”367749″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” button_bg_color__hover_enabled=”on|desktop” button_bg_color_gradient_start__hover=”#eaeaea” button_bg_color_gradient_end__hover=”#f4f4f4″ button_bg_color__hover=”#eaeaea” button_bg_enable_color__hover=”on” button_bg_use_color_gradient__hover=”on” button_bg_color_gradient_stops__hover=”#eaeaea 0%|#f4f4f4 100%”][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ custom_padding_last_edited=”on|desktop” admin_label=”Final CTA” _builder_version=”4.22.0″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#161327″ use_background_color_gradient=”on” background_color_gradient_stops=”rgba(22,19,39,0.5) 17%|rgba(22,19,39,0.5) 100%” background_color_gradient_overlays_image=”on” background_image=”https:\/\/pandorafms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Try-Pandora-FMS-scaled.webp” background_position=”top_center” background_vertical_offset=”0%” z_index=”1″ max_width=”1080px” max_width_tablet=”98%” max_width_phone=”98%” max_width_last_edited=”on|tablet” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”80px||80px||true|false” custom_padding=”40px|20px|160px|20px|false|true” custom_padding_tablet=”40px|0px|120px|0px|false|true” custom_padding_phone=”40px|0px|120px|0px|false|true” scroll_scaling=”40|55|85|100|100%|120%|100%” motion_trigger_start=”top” background_last_edited=”off|desktop” border_radii=”off|20px|20px|20px|20px” border_color_all=”#ffffff” box_shadow_style=”preset1″ box_shadow_vertical=”0px” box_shadow_blur=”80px” box_shadow_color=”#506da0″ global_module=”367110″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”2″ make_equal=”on” _builder_version=”4.22.0″ _module_preset=”default” max_width=”550px” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”0px||0px||true|false” custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px|true|true” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.22.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” header_2_font_size=”2em” text_orientation=”center” module_alignment=”left” custom_margin=”0px||20px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||true|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n