• Open Command Prompt, and type the following:
  tracertHostName
  Or, type tracert IPAddress
  where HostName or IPAddress is the host name or IP address, respectively, of the remote computer.
  For example, to trace the path from this computer to www.microsoft.com, type the following at a command prompt:
  tracert www.microsoft.com
  If you do not want the tracert command to resolve and display the names of all routers in the path, use the -d parameter. This expedites the display of the path. For example, to trace a path from this computer to www.microsoft.com without displaying the router names, type the following at a command prompt:
  tracert -d www.microsoft.com
  

Notes

• To open a command prompt, click Start, point to All programs, point to Accessories, and then click Command prompt.
  
• The tracert command traces the path by sending Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) Echo Request and Echo Reply messages (similar to the ping command) to produce command-line report output about each router that is crossed and the roundtrip time (RTT) for each hop. Packet filtering policies on routers, firewalls, or other types of security gateways might prevent forwarding of this traffic.
  
• If tracert is unsuccessful, you can use the command output to help determine at which intermediate router forwarding failed or was slowed.
  
• For details about packet forwarding and packet loss at each router and link in the path, use the pathping command.
  

• Your server might function differently based on the version and edition of the operating system that is installed, your account permissions, and your menu settings. For more information, see Viewing Help on the Web.
  

Concepts