Traceroute Utilities

Overview From time to time you'll encounter Web pages that seem to load slowly or that don’t load at all. Traceroute utilities can help you figure out what is causing the delay and where the delay is occurring. Most PCs come equipped with a command line utility called “tracert” that displays information about the specific machines and connections established while connecting to another computer via the Internet. There are also freeware and commercial traceroute utilities available online for  download. Other Web sites offer a Web-based traceroute utility that allows users to enter an IP address and run a traceroute from within a Web page.

General Information A good starting point for understanding how traceroute utilities work is Webopedia.com. Here you will find a definition of the term, as well as links to other related terms. Geographical traceroute utilities offer the added feature of displaying a real-world map with the location of routers along your data’s route. These types of utilities are useful in helping you to visualize the paths that your traceroute follows across the Internet. Visit the cybergeography.org page “An Atlas of Cyberspace” for screenshots, links, and explanations of many geographical traceroute programs. This About.com page is a great reference for traceroute utility downloads as well as for information on other network utilities. Check out the selection of shareware utilities available at www.labmice.net/Utilities/traceroute.htm. You can read about, download, or purchase a variety of tools at this site.

Web-based Traceroute Utilities Many Web sites provide a traceroute utility that’s built right into their Web pages. These tools offer a quick, accurate, and convenient traceroute function without having to download, install, configure and run a traceroute program from your hard drive. Visit any of the following Web pages to find Web-based traceroute utilities. Many of these sites also offer other interesting and useful network tools such as Ping, Finger, ISP lookup, and Whois.

• www.phaster.com/find_info_net_traffic.html
• www.ipaddressguide.com
• www.nwtools.com
• nts.jhmi.edu/utilities.cfm
• www.fifi.org/services/traceroute

Traceroute Utility Downloads Many traceroute programs are available online for download. There are both freeware and commercial versions. Many of the commercial versions are available on a free trial basis to help you decide whether or not you’d like to purchase the product. The Web page centralops.net/co also offers downloads of traceroute and network utilities. Are you interested in trying a professional traceroute program? If so, then visit  www.fileedge.com where you can download a 15-day trial version of X-NetStat Professional.

Additional Links Other Internet utilities, such as bandwidth meters and browser plug-ins, can also provide a PC user with insight into networking. Visit reviews.cnet.com to use their free bandwidth meter and rate the speed of your Internet connection. For a combination Ping and traceroute utility, visit www.bitwizard.nl/mtr to download their MTR program.