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.

JSON Object Example
{
    "Timeout": 0,
    "Server": "123",
    "Port": 123,
    "DNSResolveMode": "Device Cached",
    "DNSserverIP": "",
    "Device_Id": 87303,
    "Id": 211738,
    "Task_Type_Id": 12,
    "Name": "123"
}

Field Descriptions

Field Type Description

Host

String

 This field specifies destination address.

Example:
"Server": "dotcom-monitor.com"

IgnoreProtocolErrors

Boolean

 When this is field is enabled, protocol errors will be skipped.

Example:
"IgnoreProtocolErrors": true
DNSResolveMode String Available modes:

  • Device Cached. Device cached is the default option and means the cached name server (NS) address retrieved during monitoring of a previous task (device cache) will initially be used for monitoring.
  • Non-cached. Non-cached means the device cache (cache of preceding tasks) will not be used, so each new execution demands a separate inquiry to DNS root servers.
  • TTL Cached. TTL Cached means NS cache formed during monitoring of preceding tasks (device cache) will initially be used for monitoring.
  • External DNS Server. External DNS Server means a specified IP address will be considered as a DNS server address and polled for NS data.

For a more detailed explanation, please read our DNS Mode Options Knowledge Base article.

Example:
"DNSResolveMode": "External DNS Server"

 
DNSserverIP String Field for a custom DNS server IP address. For a more detailed explanation, please read our DNS Mode Options Knowledge Base article.

Example:
"DNSserverIP": "8.8.8.8"

 
Device_id

Int32

 READ ONLY Field. Unique device ID

Example:
"Device_Id": 8550

Id

Int32

 READ ONLY Field. Unique task id

Example:
"Id": 17720

Task_Type_Id

Int32

 Type of the task field. Please check Potential values for “Task_type_id” in appropriate table

Example:
"Task_Type_Id": 60

Task_Name

String

 Task name

Example:
"Name":"Trace Task"

Timeout

Int32

 This field defines maximum time value (in milliseconds) for task execution.

Example:
"Timeout": 400
 

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.