How to perform a Traceroute and Ping
To gather diagnostic information about the line, you might want to run a few tests if your network speeds are slow.
To obtain correct results, make sure you do these tests using a LAN cable rather than Wi-Fi.
What is a Traceroute?
A traceroute is used to ascertain the route a data packet takes across the network from your computer to the address or source you’re attempting to access.
A traceroute records the amount of time taken for each hop the data packet makes on route to its destination.
What is a Ping?
A ping test sends a small packet of data from your computer to the server and measures the amount of time it takes to get there.
The purpose of this is to determine whether there is any latency between the two devices.
How to Perform a Traceroute on Windows
- Open the Start menu.
- Click on Run.
- Type cmd and then press the OK button to open a command prompt.
- At the prompt, type: tracert www.google.co.za and press the Enter key.
- To copy the traceroute results from the command prompt, right-click on the MS-DOS window and choose Mark.
- Then select the text with your mouse and right-click or press Enter on your keyboard to save the marked text to your clipboard.
- Then you can paste it by pressing Ctrl+V into a text file or your email.
How to Perform a Ping on Windows
- Open the Start menu.
- Click on Run.
- Type cmd and then press the OK button to open a command prompt.
- At the prompt, type: ping www.google.co.za and press the Enter key.
- To copy the Ping from the prompt, please right-click on the MS-DOS window and choose Mark.
- Then select the text with your mouse and right-click or press Enter on your keyboard to save the marked text to your clipboard.
- Then you can paste it by pressing Ctrl+V into a text file or your email client.
How to Perform a Traceroute on Mac OS
- Launch Network Utility.
- Click Traceroute.
- Enter www.google.co.za
- Click Trace.
- Select and copy the results.
- Paste the text into a text editor (TextEdit, etc.) and save the file.
How to Perform a Ping on Mac OS
- Launch Network Utility.
- Click Ping.
- Enter www.google.co.za
- Click Ping.
- Select and copy the results.
- Paste the text into a text editor (TextEdit, etc.) and save the file
Latency Results
- If the latency is on the first hop (to your router) it is probably a local network problem.
- If the latency is to the second hop, then it could be Telkom exchange congestion.
- If the latency occurs at the end of the traceroute, then it could be the load on the server you are trying to access.
When latency appears to suddenly spike is an indication of where the problem is. Try connecting with a different ISP account (or a different router) and see if the problem persists.
In reference to the router, disconnect every device, turn off the Wi-Fi, and then connect just one device. Next, try connecting each device individually to determine whether it only happens when the WiFi is restored or if one of the devices is the source of the issue.