How to perform an MTR test

MTR Traceroute is a network diagnostic tool that combines the functionality of ping and traceroute. It continuously sends packets to a specified host, measuring the response time and packet loss at each hop along the network path. This provides a dynamic view of network performance and helps pinpoint where latency or packet loss may be occurring.

When to use My Traceroute

MTR (My Traceroute) is particularly useful for:

• Diagnosing network connectivity issues.
• Identifying bottlenecks or points of congestion.
• Troubleshooting slow network performance.
• Monitoring network health over time.

How to Install MTR Traceroute

Windows

In Windows, MTR My Traceroute is often implemented by tools like WinMTR.

1. Download WinMTR: Go to the official WinMTR website or a trusted software download site to get the latest version: https://winmtr.net/ 
2. Installation: WinMTR is often a standalone executable and does not require a formal installation process. Simply extract the downloaded archive (if it’s a ZIP file) to a folder of your choice. More details can be found here: http://winmtr.com/#Installing%20and%20Running%20WinMTR 

macOS

MTR Traceroute can be installed on macOS using Homebrew, a popular package manager.

1. Install Homebrew (if not already installed): Open Terminal (Applications > Utilities > Terminal) and run:

2. Install MTR My Traceroute: Once Homebrew is installed, run:

Linux

On Red Hat-based systems (like CentOS or RHEL), use yum or dnf.

1. Install MTR (My Traceroute):

or

How to Run an MTR Traceroute Test

Windows (using WinMTR)

1. Open WinMTR: Navigate to the folder where you extracted WinMTR and double-click WinMTR.exe.
2. Enter Hostname/IP: In the Host field, enter the IP address or hostname of the target server you want to test (for example, google.com or 8.8.8.8).
3. Start Test: Click the Start button.
4. Observe Results: WinMTR continuously updates results, showing hops, packet loss percentage, and latency metrics (Last, Avg, Best, and Wrst).
5. Stop Test: To stop, click the Stop button.
6. Export Results (Optional): You can export the results to a text or HTML file using the Export TEXT or Export HTML buttons for sharing.

macOS and Linux (using Terminal)

1. Open Terminal:
   • macOS: Applications > Utilities > Terminal.
   • Linux: Open your preferred terminal application.
2. Run My Traceroute command: In the terminal, use the mtr command followed by the target hostname or IP address.

For example:

or

3. Stop MTR Traceroute: Press Ctrl+C to stop the My Traceroute test.

Interpreting MTR Traceroute Results

• High Loss% at a specific hop, but not subsequent hops: This result often indicates an issue with that particular router (for example, it’s dropping ICMP packets, or there’s congestion at that point).
• High Loss% starting at a specific hop and continuing through subsequent hops: This outcome often points to a problem with the network link before or at that first hop where the loss began.
• High Avg (Average) latency that increases at a specific hop and remains high: This result suggests a bottleneck or congestion at or after that hop.
• High Wrst (Worst) latency that is much higher than Avg and Best: This outcome can indicate intermittent network issues or sudden bursts of traffic.

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