Ping and Traceroute Commands

- September 07, 2023

Ping and Traceroute Commands

Computers use packets to communicate through the internet. A packet contains the sender’s and destination’s address and other data a user may want to share (like an email, link, picture, etc.). A packet is sent from one computer to another computer through the use of an IP address. When the packet leaves the sender’s computer, it passes through several routers until it reaches the final destination. These packets can be traced to assist users in troubleshooting network issues.

A ping request lets users see if a device or website is accessible and how promptly it may be retrieved. Pinging an address is an excellent resource for troubleshooting. A ping can allow the user to see if there are network issues by confirming if there is connectivity between IP addresses. When pinging an address, the user can view how long a reply takes, how many packets were sent and received, and if any packets were lost. When problems occur with accessing websites on a browser, the quickest way to detect a problem is through a ping to see if there is connectivity to the destination site. If an error occurs with a ping request, it is typically due to connectivity issues, routing problems, or an inaccessible destination computer. Furthermore, if there is a significant variation within the response times of the packets or if connectivity is not established, then proceed to a traceroute for more detailed information.

A traceroute command is necessary to get more detailed information about the packet path. A traceroute presents a map of the course of a packet as it travels to its destination IP address. As a packet passes through each router on the way to its destination, it is recorded as a hop. Tracing each hop of a packet can allow the user to identify where a connectivity issue may arise. A router may have rejected the packet if an error occurs in the path. If a traceroute command times out, it could be for many reasons: the packet may be blocked by a firewall or a connectivity issue with the destination IP address.

When analyzing the traceroute, we examine each time the packet arrives at a router. This is known as a hop. The first hop is within your home network. If an error occurs at this point, then proceed to check home equipment. First, check devices to ensure Wi-Fi access is permitted. Next, check that the router, modem, and any other hardware are correctly connected and receive power. After the initial hop, the next few hops are to and within the service provider. When looking at these hops, it helps to analyze and compare packet times within each hop. Variation within packet times or an error in transmission would indicate issues with the service provider. If an issue occurs here, it may be necessary to contact the service provider. The hops taken after the packets leave the service provider show their path to their destination. If an error occurs during these hops, the issue may be high internet traffic or a particular router denying the packet. When an error occurs here, it is typically an issue with the router before the error occurs. Lastly, an error may occur when the packet reaches the destination. If this happens, it is most likely an issue with the site’s server or computer. If this were an issue when accessing the website, time would be best spent contacting the website’s company directly instead.

Below are three websites with a ping request and a traceroute command performed on them. The sites were www.Google.com, www.business.gov.au, and www.japan.go.jp. Google received the quickest ping response with an average of 41 ms, provided in Figure 1. When viewing the traceroute provided in Figure 2, Google had the least hops required at ten. The Australian website had an average ping response time of 240 ms (Figure 3), with the traceroute recording 21 hops (Figure 4). Lastly, the Japanese website had an average ping response time of 59 ms (Figure 5), with a traceroute recording 16 hops (Figure 6). From this data, we can conclude that the more hops required for a packet to reach its destination, the longer the ping response time will be. Furthermore, the physical proximity of the destination computer to the initial computer that prepared the package corresponds to the number of hops required. The approximate physical location of the initial computer that sent the packet is 6,500 miles away from Japan and 10,000 miles away from Australia. This correlates to the 16 hops required for the Japanese IP address and the 21 hops required for the Australian IP address. The physical location of the computers will directly correlate to the number of hops required to send a packet.

In conclusion, understanding how information is sent through the internet can assist a user in troubleshooting network issues. A ping request will allow the user to see if there is connectivity. A traceroute command will assist the user in pinpointing where the issue may occur. Understanding the hops taken in a traceroute will save the user time and energy in solving issues.

Firgure 1: Ping: www.Google.com