---
title: "tracert"
description: "tracert traces the network path packets take to a destination, listing each router hop and its latency. See how it helps diagnose slow or failing routes."
url: "https://nodea.io/en/glossary/tracert"
lang: "en"
updated: "2026-07-13"
---

# tracert

> tracert (traceroute) is a diagnostic command that maps the path packets take to a destination, showing each router hop along the way and its response time.

**tracert** (called *traceroute* on Unix-like systems) is a network diagnostic command that maps the route packets take from your computer to a destination host. It lists every intermediate router, or hop, along the way and reports how long each one takes to respond, giving a step-by-step picture of the path traffic follows across the internet.

## How tracert works

tracert relies on a clever use of the TTL (time to live) field in each packet. It first sends a packet with a TTL of 1, so the first router decrements it to zero, discards the packet and returns an error message — revealing its address. Then it sends a packet with a TTL of 2 to reach the second router, then 3, and so on. By gradually increasing the TTL, tracert coaxes each router along the path into identifying itself, building the full list of hops and their round-trip times.

## What tracert is used for

tracert is a first-line tool for diagnosing connectivity and performance problems. If a site is slow or unreachable, a trace shows where along the path latency spikes or packets stop, helping distinguish a problem on your network from one at your provider or the destination. Administrators use it to investigate routing issues when reaching a [VPS](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/vps) or a service behind a [reverse proxy](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/reverse-proxy), and to confirm that traffic is taking a sensible path. Because it often shows router hostnames resolved through [DNS](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/dns-server), a trace also hints at which networks and regions traffic crosses. Results should be read with care: some routers hide from traces or de-prioritise these packets, so a single slow or missing hop does not always indicate a real fault. Still, tracert remains an essential, universally available tool for understanding how [DNS](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/dns)-resolved destinations are actually reached.

### What is the difference between tracert and traceroute?

They do the same thing — map the path to a host — but tracert is the Windows command, while Unix-like systems use traceroute. Windows also uses ICMP by default, whereas traceroute often uses UDP.

## Related

- [DNS](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/dns)
- [DNS Server](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/dns-server)
- [VPS](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/vps)
- [Reverse Proxy](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/reverse-proxy)

---

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