Traceroute is a networking troubleshooting tool that can display the path, or paths, taken by a packet of data from its source to its destination. As the packet travels through its intended route, network administrators can view the IP addresses and response times of the devices, such as routers and switches, the packet traveled through on its way to its destination. Traceroute can utilize several different network protocols, such as ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) echo packets, TCP (Transmission Control Protocol), or UDP (User Datagram Protocol), however, the most used approach to traceroute checks typically leverages ICMP.
Traceroute checks are useful for discovering and understanding where potential delays in the routing process are occurring, helping to locate any points of failure during the packets journey through the various network paths.
Field Descriptions
| Field | Type | Required/Optional | Description | |
|
Host |
string |
required |
This field specifies destination address.
Example:
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IgnoreProtocolErrors |
boolean |
optional |
When this is field is enabled, protocol errors will be skipped.
Example:
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| DNSResolveMode | string | required | POSSIBLE VALUES:
For detailed explanation please see the “DNS Mode Option” article. Example:
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| DNSserverIP | string | optional | Field for a custom DNS server IP address. For detailed explanation please see the “DNS Mode Option” article.
Example:
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| Device_Id |
int32 |
required |
READ ONLY Field. The unique device id.
Example:
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|
Id |
int32 |
required *Only for edit operations |
READ ONLY Field. The unique task id. Do not use for create operations.
Example:
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Task_Type_Id |
int32 |
required |
The type id of the task.
Example:
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Name |
string |
optional |
The task name.
Example:
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Timeout |
int32 |
optional |
This field defines maximum time value (in milliseconds) for task execution.
Example:
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Visual Traceroute with Dotcom-Monitor
The Dotcom-Monitor solution provides an easy and effective way to visualize traffic performance. Within the Dotcom-Monitor solution, you can begin IP networking monitoring by creating a Traceroute task. Simply input the IP address or hostname you with to monitor and configure additional settings, such as completion timeout and ignore or including protocol errors. Note that ignoring protocol errors will ensure you don’t receive any errors from nodes that are not within your control, even if the node responded with additional, multiple requests. Additionally, you have the option to set specific DNS Resolve Mode settings that we touched on in this article above (Device Cached, Non-cached, TTL Cached, and External DNS Server). Users can also add custom DNS hosts by assigning specific IP addresses.
Traceroute Report
The traceroute report allows network administrators to visually inspect the status of network performance connections from one or all monitoring locations. A traceroute can assist with troubleshooting network errors and determining if the issue is due to DNS, latency, or the server. Each time an error is detected by a monitoring location, a traceroute is created from that monitoring location to the target IP address or hostname.
Within the visual traceroute report, a green dot indicates a successful hop where packets passed through without any loss. An orange dot indicates a hop where packet loss occurred. A red dot indicates where a packet was unable to pass, or transfer through, that specific hop. The results can be filtered by specific start and end dates, so that results can be compared over time. Learn more about Online Reports.
For more information regarding traceroute and the benefits of utilizing our visual traceroute repot, read our Visual Traceroute Knowledge Base article.