utility of path

As stated above, traceroute (Tracert) utilizes the TTL field within the IPv4 header. The TTL field provides the ability to limit the number of hops that will be taken by a specific IP packet. For example, if a packet is never to go over one hop away from a source then the TTL will always be set to 1. The traceroute utility uses this mechanism to find the specific path that a packet is taking from source to destination. The first packet will be sent out using a TTL of 1; if it reaches the destination then a response will tell the utility to stop continuing to look for further hops. If the destination is not reached, the next packet will be sent with a TTL of 2, and this process will repeat until the destination is reached; the responses that are returned from each iteration are compiled by the utility to visualize the path from source to destination. Knowing what path a packet is taking from a source to destination can be used for a number of different troubleshooting situations.

Hi friend.

Traceroute is a diagnostic tool that displays the path and transit delays of a packet from your machine to a chosen IP address or DNS name on the local network or across the Internet. It breaks down each hop of a packet’s journey from source to destination, displaying IP and DNS information of each hop.

This comes in very handy when you have tried to ping a device but cannot get a response – the traceroute tool will help show you where the break in the path is happening.

Thanks.