tracert Command – Complete Reference (Windows)The tracert (Trace Route) command traces the path that packets take to reach a network host. It displays each hop (router) along the path and the time taken to reach it.
tracert [options] <hostname or IP>
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
-d |
Do not resolve IP addresses to hostnames (faster output) |
-h <max_hops> |
Set maximum number of hops to search (default: 30) |
-j <host_list> |
Loose source route (IPv4 only; rarely used) |
-w <timeout> |
Timeout per reply in milliseconds (default: 4000ms) |
-R |
Trace round-trip path (IPv6 only) |
-S <src_addr> |
Source address to use (IPv6 only) |
-4 |
Force using IPv4 |
-6 |
Force using IPv6 |
tracert google.com
Shows each hop from your computer to google.com.
tracert -d facebook.com
Displays only IPs, skips hostname resolution.
tracert -h 10 yahoo.com
Stops after 10 hops.
tracert -w 7000 example.com
Waits 7 seconds per hop for reply.
tracert -4 cloudflare.com
tracert -6 ipv6.google.com
Force protocol version used for tracing.
Tracing route to google.com [142.250.182.206]
over a maximum of 30 hops:
1 2 ms 1 ms 2 ms 192.168.1.1
2 10 ms 9 ms 8 ms 203.0.113.1
3 15 ms 14 ms 16 ms 142.250.182.206
Trace complete.
| Task | Command |
|---|---|
| Basic trace route | tracert example.com |
| Skip DNS resolution | tracert -d example.com |
| Set max hops | tracert -h 15 example.com |
| Set custom timeout | tracert -w 8000 example.com |
| Force IPv4 or IPv6 | tracert -4/-6 example.com |
The tracert command is a critical diagnostic tool that maps the route to a network host. It's useful for troubleshooting network latency, identifying bottlenecks, and understanding how data travels through the internet.