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Each dot is a router in the path. Color indicates latency: green = fast, gold = moderate, orange = high.
Network Path
Every router between source and target
Latency
Response time at each hop in ms
Bottlenecks
Where slowdowns & losses occur
Routing
ISP peering & transit paths
$ checkhost monitor --type traceroute --interval 30s
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About
Online Traceroute — Map the Network Path to Any Server
Traceroute is a network diagnostic tool that reveals the exact path data packets take from a source to a destination, showing every router (hop) along the way. At each hop, it measures the latency, helping you identify exactly where slowdowns or failures occur in the network path. This is invaluable for diagnosing: why a server is slow from certain locations, where packet loss occurs in the network, routing inefficiencies (e.g., traffic going through unnecessary continents), ISP peering issues, and network congestion points. CheckHost provides traceroute from multiple global locations, so you can see how traffic flows from different parts of the world to your server. This multi-perspective view is far more useful than a local traceroute because network paths are asymmetric — the route from New York to your server is completely different from the route from Tokyo. Understanding these paths helps you optimize CDN placement, choose better hosting locations, and diagnose connectivity problems reported by users in specific regions.
Usage
How to Run a Traceroute With CheckHost
Enter a domain name or IP address as the destination for the traceroute.
Select 'Traceroute' from the tool tabs and click Check. Traceroute takes a bit longer than ping because it tests each hop sequentially.
Each row in the results represents one hop (router) in the network path, showing the IP address, hostname (if available), and round-trip time.
Look for sudden latency jumps between hops — a big increase indicates either physical distance (crossing an ocean) or congestion at that router.
Asterisks (*) or timeouts at a hop mean that router doesn't respond to traceroute probes. This is common and doesn't necessarily indicate a problem — many routers are configured to ignore these packets.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What do asterisks (*) in traceroute mean?
Asterisks indicate a hop that didn't respond within the timeout. This usually means the router is configured to not respond to traceroute probes (ICMP TTL exceeded messages). It's very common — many ISP and cloud provider routers intentionally drop these packets for security or performance. If subsequent hops respond normally, the asterisked hop is not a problem.
Why does latency suddenly increase at a specific hop?
Large latency jumps between consecutive hops typically indicate: (1) physical distance — crossing an ocean adds 60-150ms, (2) network congestion at that router, (3) the router deprioritizing ICMP responses (the hop looks slow but traffic flows normally). If subsequent hops return to lower latency, the 'slow' hop is likely just deprioritizing traceroute packets, not actually congested.
How many hops is normal for a traceroute?
Domestic routes typically have 8-15 hops. International routes may have 15-25 hops. Anything over 30 hops is unusual and may indicate routing inefficiency. The number of hops doesn't directly correlate with speed — a 10-hop route across the Pacific will be slower than a 20-hop route within Europe. What matters is the latency at each hop.
How can traceroute help me debug connection issues?
Run traceroute from a location where users report problems. If the trace stops at a specific hop, the issue is at or near that router. If latency spikes at a particular hop and all subsequent hops are also slow, that hop is the bottleneck. Compare traces from different locations — if they all slow down at the same hop, it's a server-side or last-mile issue. If only one location is slow, it's a routing issue on that path.