What Is MTR?
MTR (My Traceroute) is a combined ping and traceroute utility that continuously probes each hop between your computer and a destination host, giving you a live view of network health.
How MTR Works
While traditional traceroute maps the path, MTR adds real-time statistics by sending ICMP echo requests to every hop and tracking loss and delay.
- Packet loss percentage shows how many probes fail at each hop.
- Latency measurements reveal round‑trip times and spikes.
Running MTR
Open a terminal and execute mtr example.com (Linux) or use the Windows binary. You can specify TCP or UDP to test firewall behavior, and you can even input private IP ranges to troubleshoot home networks.
Interpreting Results
Look for hops with high loss or sudden latency jumps – those are the likely trouble spots. A first‑hop loss often means the local router is discarding pings, while later loss points to ISP or upstream equipment.
Tips and Best Practices
- Run MTR from both ends of a connection for a clearer picture.
- Combine MTR data with speed tests to differentiate bandwidth limits from latency issues.
- Document recurring problem hops and share them with your ISP’s support team.