sercraig

traceroute

If you're having trouble with your internet or connecting to a website/web-based service, support may request you to send over #traceroute details. This information can help diagnose your technical issue.

This #Windows utility allows you to trace how an Internet Protocol (IP) packet takes across a network. To collect this information:

  • Open the Command Prompt by using the keyboard shortcut Windows key + R and entering cmd in the resulting window.
  • Type tracert google.com at the prompt. NOTE: google.com is used here as an example; you'll enter the URL or IP address of the site/service you're having trouble accessing.
  • Wait until the Command Prompt says the traceroute is complete. This may take several minutes.

Here is a sample of what should result from running the utility:

traceroute example

To copy this information:

  • Right-click the C: icon in the upper-left corner of the window. This will open a context menu. Select Edit > Select All.
  • Right-click the icon again and select Edit > Copy. This copies the traceroute information.
  • Paste the content into the body of an email to send to support. Alternately, you can paste it into a word processing document (Word, Notepad), save it, and then attach this file to your email.

Remember, when seeking help from any support department, more information is better. Help them help you. When you send over this, or any other information for that matter, explain your issue with as much detail as possible.

This utility also comes with options that can be added onto the initial command entered into Command Prompt:

traceroute options

Support will explain if any are needed for further details.