Traceroute helps show where traffic travels and where replies stop along a network path. It is useful when a destination is slow or unreachable beyond the local router.
How it works
Traceroute sends probes with increasing hop limits. Routers that return time-exceeded responses reveal their position in the path, while silent hops appear as timeouts.
How to use it in Network Toolkit
- Enter the destination you are authorized to test.
- Start the trace and wait for several hops to respond.
- Look for the first persistent timeout or large latency change.
- Compare with ping and DNS results before drawing a conclusion.
What information you can see
- Hop sequence
- Responding router addresses
- Per-hop timing observations
- Timeouts where a router does not answer
Common use cases
- Separate local and upstream routing issues
- Inspect the path to a server
- Compare WiFi and mobile-network routes
- Provide useful evidence to a network administrator
Limitations and Android considerations
Related network tools
Ping Tool for Android, Port Scanner for Android, Network Scanner for Android can help confirm the result from another angle.
Frequently asked questions
Why do some hops show no response?
Many routers forward traffic normally but do not answer traceroute probes, or they rate-limit those replies.
Does the slowest hop cause the problem?
Not necessarily. A router can answer diagnostic probes slowly while forwarding later traffic normally. Look for latency that persists across subsequent hops.
Can routes change between tests?
Yes. Load balancing, mobile networks, and upstream routing policies can produce different paths.