What is MTR (My Traceroute)?

MTR (My Traceroute) is a network diagnostic tool that combines the functionality of traceroute and ping commands. It continuously sends packets to track the network path to a destination while providing real-time statistics about packet loss and latency for each hop along the route.

How does this MTR tool work?

This tool sends packets from our servers to your target destination, tracking every network hop (router) along the path. Unlike traditional traceroute that shows the path once, MTR continuously monitors the route and provides ongoing statistics for each hop.

What information does MTR provide?

MTR displays detailed statistics for each network hop including: hostname/IP address of each router, packet loss percentage, number of packets sent, best/average/worst/last round-trip times, and standard deviation of response times.

How do I interpret MTR results?

Look for hops with high packet loss (>1%) or significantly higher latency than neighboring hops. Packet loss at intermediate hops may indicate network congestion or router issues. The final destination's statistics are most important for end-to-end connectivity assessment.

What does packet loss in MTR results mean?

Packet loss indicates that some network packets didn't reach their destination or return successfully. High packet loss (>5%) suggests network congestion, faulty equipment, or routing issues. Some routers may deprioritize ICMP packets, causing false positives.

What is the ideal packet count for MTR testing?

For quick diagnostics, 10-30 packets provide sufficient data. For detailed analysis or intermittent issues, use 50-100 packets. More packets provide better statistical accuracy but take longer to complete. Our tool allows 5-50 packets for optimal balance.

Can MTR detect network routing problems?

Yes, MTR excels at identifying routing issues by showing the complete network path. It can detect routing loops, suboptimal paths, asymmetric routing, and points where packets are dropped. This makes it invaluable for network troubleshooting.

Why do some MTR hops show no response?

Some routers are configured to not respond to ICMP packets for security reasons, showing as timeouts or asterisks. This doesn't necessarily indicate a problem if subsequent hops respond normally. It's common with firewalls and security-hardened networks.

What protocols does MTR use?

MTR primarily uses ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) packets, similar to ping and traceroute. Some implementations can use UDP or TCP packets. Our online tool uses ICMP through GlobalPing's infrastructure for accurate network path analysis.

When should I use MTR instead of other network tools?

Use MTR when you need to identify where network problems occur along the path, diagnose intermittent connectivity issues, analyze network performance over time, or troubleshoot complex routing problems. It's more comprehensive than ping and more detailed than basic traceroute.

Online MTR Tool

Advanced network analysis combining ping and traceroute. Get detailed hop-by-hop statistics, measure latency, and identify network bottlenecks with My Traceroute.

Analyze Network Path

Enter a domain or IP address to analyze the network path with detailed hop-by-hop statistics.

Host (IPv4/IPv6 or Domain)

MTR Test Locations

Run MTR from 6 different continents worldwide

Number of Packets

MTR Protocol

Internet Control Message Protocol - Standard MTR protocol, works through most firewalls

Diagnose Your Network Connection

MTR is the advanced tool for network path analysis. Our tool helps you understand your connection's health by measuring hop-by-hop latency and identifying network bottlenecks, which are key indicators of network performance along the entire path.

Analyze Network Path

Trace the complete path to any server and identify where network issues occur. See every hop your data takes on its journey.

Measure Hop-by-Hop Latency

See the round-trip time (in ms) for each network hop along the path. Identify bottlenecks and high-latency nodes in the route.

Identify Packet Loss Points

Packet loss at specific hops indicates network problems at those points. Our MTR tool pinpoints exactly where data is being lost in transit.

Why Use Our MTR Tool?

Advanced Network Diagnosis

Identify connectivity issues and measure latency at every hop along the network path to any destination worldwide.

Path Analysis

Analyze the complete network route to your servers and identify performance bottlenecks along the way.

Comprehensive Latency Analysis

Evaluate round-trip times for every network hop to understand connection quality and optimize routing decisions.

Professional Tool Made Simple

An intuitive interface that makes advanced network analysis accessible to both technical and non-technical users.

How It Works

Enter the domain name (e.g., example.com) or an IP address (e.g., 8.8.8.8).
Select the desired number of MTR packets to send for statistical analysis.
Click the "Start Global MTR" button to initiate the network path analysis.
Review the detailed hop-by-hop statistics and latency measurements that appear below.

Interpreting MTR Results

Hop Latency: Measured in milliseconds (ms), this is the round-trip time to each network hop. Lower values are better. Generally:

< 50ms: Excellent
50-100ms: Good
100-250ms: Fair, might be noticeable
> 250ms: Poor, likely to impact performance

Packet Loss per Hop: The percentage of packets lost at each network hop. Any significant packet loss at a specific hop indicates problems at that network node.

Hop Addresses: The IP addresses and hostnames of each router/server along the network path. This shows the exact route your data takes to reach the destination.

Trust, Quality & Data Transparency

Expertise & Experience

Network path analysis & routing troubleshooting experience from production incident response guides hop-by-hop interpretation and bottleneck identification. We designed the MTR Tool features around realistic operational workflows.

Data Sources

Continuous ICMP probes through distributed vantage points tracking each network hop with latency statistics, packet loss percentages, and routing path analysis.

Update Cadence & Quality

Probe infrastructure & hop detection algorithms reviewed weekly; path analysis accuracy improvements deployed continuously. The rating component reflects genuine user feedback (one rating per browser client ID) and is filtered for abuse.

Privacy & Ethics

Target hosts and intermediate network hops are not retained beyond the active measurement session; only aggregated performance metrics kept. See our Privacy Policy for details. No personal account is required.

Accountability

Questions or accuracy concerns? Reach out via the Contact page or learn more About Us. We iterate quickly based on feedback.

Frequently Asked Questions

Continue Your Investigation

Based on your current task, you might find these tools useful for your next step.

Ping Tool

Test network connectivity and latency.

Traceroute Tool

Trace the network path to a destination.

IP Geolocation

Trace any IP to its geographic location.

Optimize Your Network Today

Use our MTR Tool to easily diagnose network path problems, identify bottlenecks, and ensure optimal network performance.

Advanced network insights at your fingertips.