Traceroute vs Ping vs MTR: Which Tool to Use When

Q: What is the difference between ping and traceroute?

Ping measures whether one host is reachable and how long a round trip takes, but it does not show the route in between. Traceroute maps every router along the path to that host using the TTL field. Ping answers whether a host is up and how fast, while traceroute answers where the problem is on the path.

Q: What is MTR and how is it different from traceroute?

MTR, short for My TraceRoute, runs traceroute and ping together and keeps updating continuously. It reports per-hop packet loss and latency over time, rather than taking a single snapshot. This makes it better than a one-off traceroute for catching intermittent problems.

Q: Does tracert on Windows use the same protocol as traceroute on Linux?

No. Windows tracert sends ICMP echo requests by default, while Linux and macOS traceroute send UDP packets by default. Both tools include flags to switch protocols, which helps when a firewall blocks one method but allows another.

Q: How does traceroute use TTL to find each hop?

Traceroute sends a packet with the Time To Live set to 1, which the first router decrements to zero and discards, returning a TTL-exceeded message that identifies it. It then repeats with TTL 2, TTL 3, and so on, discovering one hop further each time. This walks the entire path router by router.

Q: When should I use ping instead of traceroute?

Use ping when you only need to know if a single host is reachable and how fast it responds. It is the quickest check for one endpoint. Switch to traceroute when ping shows a problem and you need to locate where on the path it occurs.

~/sheets/traceroute-vs-ping-vs-mtr.md

Ping, traceroute, and MTR are the three core tools for diagnosing network reachability and latency, and they answer different questions. Ping tells you whether one host is reachable and how fast. Traceroute maps the whole path to that host. MTR combines both and watches the path over time. This page explains what each does and when to reach for it. You can run a live trace with our traceroute tool.
Ping: Reachability and Latency to One Host
Ping sends an ICMP echo request to a single host and measures how long the echo reply takes to come back. It answers two questions: is this host reachable, and what is the round-trip latency? Ping does not show the path in between, only the endpoint. Use it for the fastest possible is-it-up-and-how-slow check against one target. To check whether a host is reachable from outside, see the is it down tool, and for connection latency see the speed test.
Traceroute: The Full Path, Hop by Hop
Traceroute (called tracert on Windows) maps every router between you and a destination. It works using the Time To Live (TTL) field in the IP header: it sends a packet with TTL set to 1, which the first router decrements to zero and discards, returning a TTL-exceeded message that reveals that router. Then it sends TTL 2, then TTL 3, and so on, walking the path one hop further each round. Use traceroute when you need to know where on the path a problem appears. For how to interpret the result, see how to read traceroute.
MTR: Continuous Traceroute Plus Ping
MTR (My TraceRoute) combines traceroute and ping into one continuously updating view. Instead of running once, it repeatedly probes every hop on the path and reports the packet loss percentage and latency for each hop over time. This makes intermittent problems visible that a single traceroute run would miss. Use MTR when a problem comes and goes, or when you need to see which specific hop is losing packets under sustained load.
The TTL Mechanism They Share
TTL is a counter in every IP packet that each router decrements by one. When it hits zero, the router discards the packet and reports back. Traceroute and MTR both exploit this to discover hops; ping does not, because it only cares about the endpoint. The concept of packets carrying this counter is covered in what is a network packet.
Default Protocols Differ by Platform
The probe protocol is not the same everywhere. On Windows, tracert uses ICMP echo requests by default. On Linux and macOS, traceroute uses UDP packets by default. Both have command-line flags to switch the method, which matters because some firewalls drop one protocol but allow another. This protocol difference also relates to TCP vs UDP.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between ping and traceroute?
Ping measures whether one host is reachable and how long a round trip takes, but it does not show the route in between. Traceroute maps every router along the path to that host using the TTL field. Ping answers is-it-up-and-how-fast, while traceroute answers where-is-the-problem-on-the-path.
What is MTR and how is it different from traceroute?
MTR, short for My TraceRoute, runs traceroute and ping together and keeps updating continuously. It reports per-hop packet loss and latency over time, rather than taking a single snapshot. This makes it better than a one-off traceroute for catching intermittent problems.
Does tracert on Windows use the same protocol as traceroute on Linux?
No. Windows tracert sends ICMP echo requests by default, while Linux and macOS traceroute send UDP packets by default. Both tools include flags to switch protocols, which helps when a firewall blocks one method but allows another.
How does traceroute use TTL to find each hop?
Traceroute sends a packet with the Time To Live set to 1, which the first router decrements to zero and discards, returning a TTL-exceeded message that identifies it. It then repeats with TTL 2, TTL 3, and so on, discovering one hop further each time. This walks the entire path router by router.
When should I use ping instead of traceroute?
Use ping when you only need to know if a single host is reachable and how fast it responds. It is the quickest check for one endpoint. Switch to traceroute when ping shows a problem and you need to locate where on the path it occurs.
Last updated: April 2026