A traceroute is a network diagnostic tool that shows the path traffic takes from your computer to a destination server. It does this by listing each network hop along the way and how long it takes to reach each one.
Traceroutes are useful when troubleshooting connection issues such as slow loading, timeouts, or intermittent connectivity. They help identify where a connection is breaking down, whether that is on a local network, with an internet service provider, or further along the route to your Pressable site.
Pressable support may ask you to run a traceroute so we can better understand where a connectivity issue is occurring.
What traceroutes diagnose: Traceroutes are most useful for diagnosing routing and connectivity problems between your location and our servers. They won’t help diagnose issues with PHP workers, database queries, plugin conflicts, or other application-level problems.
What You Will Need
- A computer with an active internet connection
- Access to your operating system’s default terminal application
- The domain you want to test
If you use a VPN or proxy, consider running the traceroute both with it enabled and disabled, as these services can affect the route traffic takes and the results you see.
The examples below use the following domains:
- pressable.com
- samplesite.mystagingwebsite.com
Running A Traceroute On Windows
Opening Command Prompt
- Press the Windows key or click the Start menu.
- Type
cmd. - Select Command Prompt from the results.
Running A Traceroute
In the Command Prompt window, run the following command to trace the route to a live site:
tracert pressable.com
To trace the route to a staging site, run:
tracert samplesite.mystagingwebsite.com
The command will run automatically and display results line by line. This may take a minute or two to complete. The traceroute will attempt up to 30 hops by default before stopping.
Running A Traceroute On macOS
Opening Terminal
- Open Finder.
- Go to Applications → Utilities.
- Open Terminal.
Running A Traceroute
If you see command not found: tracetroute you may need to run the command with administrator permissions by adding sudo to the beginning of the command.
In the Terminal window, run the following command to trace the route to a live site:
traceroute pressable.com or sudo traceroute pressable.com
To trace the route to a staging site, run:
traceroute samplesite.mystagingwebsite.com or sudo traceroute samplesite.mystagingwebsite.com
The traceroute will begin immediately and display each hop as it progresses. This may take a minute or two. The traceroute will attempt up to 30 hops by default before stopping.
Running A Traceroute On Linux
Opening The Terminal
Open your preferred terminal application using your desktop environment or application menu.
Running A Traceroute
Run the following command to trace the route to a live site:
traceroute pressable.com
To trace the route to a staging site, run:
traceroute samplesite.mystagingwebsite.com
The output will appear line by line as the traceroute runs. The traceroute will attempt up to 30 hops by default before stopping.
How To Read Traceroute Results
Each line in a traceroute represents a hop, which is a router or network point that traffic passes through on its way to the destination.
Typical traceroute output includes:
- A hop number
- The hostname or IP address of the hop
- One or more response time measurements in milliseconds
Lower response times generally indicate faster connections between hops. Higher response times can indicate congestion or delays.
If you see asterisks (* * *) instead of response times, it means that hop did not respond to the traceroute request. This is often normal, as many networks intentionally block or deprioritize traceroute traffic for security reasons.
Example Traceroute Output
Here’s an example of what successful traceroute output might look like (hostnames and IPs have been simplified for clarity):
traceroute to pressable.com (192.0.2.1), 30 hops max
1 router.local (192.168.1.1) 2.345 ms 1.234 ms 1.567 ms
2 isp-gateway.net (203.0.113.1) 12.456 ms 11.234 ms 13.567 ms
3 * * *
4 core-router.net (198.51.100.1) 25.123 ms 24.567 ms 26.234 ms
5 pressable-edge.net (192.0.2.1) 28.456 ms 27.890 ms 29.123 ms
In this example:
- Hops 1-2 show your local network and ISP
- Hop 3 didn’t respond (indicated by asterisks), which is normal
- Hops 4-5 show the path to the destination with reasonable response times
Using Traceroute Results To Diagnose Issues
Traceroutes help narrow down where a connection problem is occurring:
- If the traceroute fails or shows delays within the first few hops, the issue is likely related to your local network or internet service provider.
- If problems appear partway through the route, the issue may be with an upstream network between your ISP and Pressable.
- If the traceroute reaches the destination but shows delays or failures near the final hops, this information is especially helpful for Pressable support when investigating.
Tips For Intermittent Issues
If you’re experiencing intermittent connectivity issues, run the traceroute several times over a period when the problem is occurring and record the results of each test. This can help capture variations in routing or response times that might not appear in a single test.
If connection issues occur at specific times (such as during high traffic periods or certain times of day), run the traceroute during those periods for more accurate results.
Sharing Your Results With Pressable Support
Once the traceroute has completed:
- Take a screenshot of the full traceroute output
- Copy and paste the complete results (from the command you entered through the final hop or timeout message)
You can share this information with Pressable via chat or email, using whichever method you prefer to contact Pressable support.