How To Use The Traceroute Command

This guide will teach you how to Traceroute an IP Address.
Traceroutes are a primary troubleshooting tool that trace the actual networking path between you and the destination IP Address. Notice: Windows and Mac computers will use slightly different commands.

Step 1) Open the Command Prompt/Terminal

Windows Command Prompt:
1) Open your Start Menu and go to "Run", or use the HOTKEY Combination WINKEY+R
2) In the RUN box type in "cmd" without the quotes, then hit Enter or click "OK"

Mac Terminal:
1)Go to Applications > Utilities > Terminal

Step 2) Running the Traceroute Command

Windows Command Prompt:
tracert IP_ADDRESS

Example:
C:\ tracert 72.249.170.248

Mac/Linux Terminal:
traceroute IP_ADDRESS

Example:
Desktop:User ~ $ traceroute 72.249.170.248

The output from a traceroute will be longer than that of a ping. When completed it will look similar to this:
tracert 72.249.170.248

Tracing route to 72.249.170.248 over a maximum of 30 hops
1 <1 ms <1 ms <1 ms Wireless_Broadband_Router.home [192.168.1.1]
2 4 ms 5 ms 5 ms lo0-100.XYZ-VFTTP-313.verizon-gni.net [72.73.238.1]
3 11 ms 13 ms 14 ms B4313.XYZ-LCR-22.verizon-gni.net [100.41.136.98]
4 * * * Request timed out.
5 8 ms 8 ms 8 ms 0.ae12.GW10.EWR6.ALTER.NET [140.222.235.119]
6 8 ms 37 ms 38 ms 157.130.91.86
7 12 ms 10 ms 10 ms nyk-bb3-link.telia.net [213.155.130.29]
8 52 ms 54 ms 52 ms dls-b21-link.telia.net [213.155.133.177]
9 53 ms 51 ms 51 ms tierpoint-ic-310923-dls-b21.c.telia.net [213.248.71.138]
10 53 ms 51 ms 53 ms 174.136.31.209
11 52 ms 62 ms 54 ms 65.99.234.42
12 54 ms 53 ms 51 ms 72.249.170.248

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