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To run MTR on Linux, install it (sudo apt install mtr-tiny on Ubuntu/Debian, sudo dnf install mtr on AlmaLinux/Rocky) and run mtr -rwc 100 203.0.113.10 for a 100-cycle report. For a single trace use traceroute 203.0.113.10. On Windows, use the built-in tracert 203.0.113.10 or pathping 203.0.113.10, or WinMTR for an MTR-style report.

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Before you start

  • A hop is one router on the way between two computers. Traceroute lists each hop; MTR keeps probing every hop and adds loss and latency statistics.
  • Commands below use sudo for a non-root user. If you are logged in as root, leave it out.
  • To find what the numbers mean and where a problem sits, see network latency troubleshooting.

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How to install MTR and traceroute

mtr-tiny is MTR without the graphical interface, which is what you want on a server.

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How to run an MTR report

1

Run the report

This sends 100 cycles (about 100 seconds at the default one-second interval), then prints the report and exits.
2

Save it to a file

3

Check the output

The last line is the destination. Loss on the last line is what affects real traffic.

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Useful MTR options

Use TCP mode when a firewall on the path drops ICMP, or to test the same port your service uses:

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How to run traceroute on Linux

By default traceroute sends 3 UDP probes per hop and stops after 30 hops. Useful variants:
-I and -T need root privileges; without sudo you get “You do not have enough privileges to use this traceroute method”.

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How to run tracert and pathping on Windows

Open PowerShell or Command Prompt and run:
-d skips name lookups. tracert stops after 30 hops and waits 4 seconds per reply by default. For per-hop loss statistics, use pathping. It first lists the route, then sends 100 queries to each hop, so it takes a few minutes:
In PowerShell you can also run Test-NetConnection 203.0.113.10 -TraceRoute.

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WinMTR

1

Start WinMTR

Open WinMTR.exe and type the server IP in Host.
2

Run the test

Click Start and let it run for at least 100 packets (about 2 minutes), ideally while the problem is happening.
3

Copy the results

Click Stop, then Copy Text to clipboard and paste the result into your ticket.

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Frequently asked questions

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Why does traceroute stop or show * * * before the destination?

A firewall on the path or on the server drops the probes. Try a different method: sudo traceroute -T -p 443 on Linux or mtr -T -P 443. Single hops with * in the middle are normal when the later hops answer.

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Should I run MTR from my computer or from the server?

Both. The route back from the server is often different from the route to it. Run one report each way during the problem and compare.

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Is MTR the same as WinMTR?

WinMTR is a separate Windows program that shows the same kind of per-hop statistics. Results are comparable, but use the same packet count for both.

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How long should MTR run?

At least 100 cycles. Short runs (10 cycles) hide occasional loss.

VPS and dedicated server guides

Every guide in this section.

Diagnose network latency

Read the results and find the cause.

Test speed with iperf3

Measure throughput between two hosts.

Enable ICMP on Windows

Let your Windows server answer ping.

Check if a port is open

Test a service from outside.
Checked against the Ubuntu mtr man page and Microsoft Learn (tracert, pathping, Test-NetConnection) on 4 November 2026; Linux commands tested on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (mtr 0.95, traceroute 2.1.5). Commands can differ on other distributions or releases.

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Last Updated: November 2026