Master Linux Network Diagnostics with the mtr Command: A Complete Guide
This article provides a comprehensive overview of the Linux mtr tool, detailing its purpose, key features, installation methods, basic syntax, common options, output interpretation, and practical command examples to help network engineers and system administrators diagnose latency and packet loss effectively.
Overview of mtr
MTR (My Traceroute) combines traceroute and ping functionalities to probe network paths by sending ICMP or UDP packets, displaying each hop’s response time in real time. It helps network engineers and system administrators identify latency, packet loss, and overall connection quality.
Key Features
1. Dynamic Routing Display
Unlike traditional traceroute, MTR continuously updates the route status, making it useful for detecting transient network issues.
2. Packet Type Selection
By default MTR sends UDP packets, but it can be configured to use ICMP Echo requests, similar to the ping command.
3. Latency and Loss Reporting
MTR shows round‑trip time (RTT) for each hop and marks hops where packets are lost.
4. Filtering and Logging
Users can apply filters to focus on specific routers or network segments and optionally save diagnostic results to log files.
5. Network Probing Flexibility
MTR can operate over different protocols and ports to suit various testing requirements.
Basic Usage
1. Basic Syntax
Run mtr target_ip_or_hostname to start a live trace.
2. Help Information
Use mtr --help (or mtr -h) to display the full list of options.
3. Common Options
-r: Report mode – send a specified number of packets and then stop (e.g., mtr -r 10 www.example.com). -c: Continuous mode – send packets indefinitely for ongoing monitoring. -i: Interval between packets in seconds (default 1 s). -s: Set packet size in bytes (default 50 B). -u: Use UDP instead of ICMP, useful when ICMP is blocked. -P: Choose ICMP type (default type 8).
Output Explanation
The typical MTR output includes columns such as:
Host : IP address or hostname of the hop.
Loss% : Packet loss percentage at that hop.
Snt : Number of packets sent.
Last : RTT of the most recent packet.
Avg : Average RTT.
Best : Minimum RTT.
Wrst : Maximum RTT.
StDev : Standard deviation of RTT.
Command Examples
1. Basic Trace
mtr www.example.com2. Report Mode
mtr -r www.example.com3. Set Ping Interval
mtr -w 1 www.example.com4. Show IPs Only (no DNS)
mtr -d www.example.com5. Limit Packet Count
mtr -c 10 www.example.com6. Disable DNS Resolution
mtr -n 8.8.8.87. Adjust Packet Size
mtr -s 1500 www.example.com8. Use UDP Probing
mtr -u www.example.com9. Save Output to File
mtr www.example.com > mtr_output.txt10. Batch Mode for Scriptable Output
mtr -b www.example.com > output.txt11. Combine Multiple Options
mtr -s 100 -p 80 www.example.com(sets packet size to 100 B and probes port 80).
Installation
APT (Debian/Ubuntu)
sudo apt-get install mtrYUM (Red Hat/CentOS)
sudo yum install mtrVerification
After installation, run mtr --help to confirm the tool is available and view its usage information.
Signed-in readers can open the original source through BestHub's protected redirect.
This article has been distilled and summarized from source material, then republished for learning and reference. If you believe it infringes your rights, please contactand we will review it promptly.
Liangxu Linux
Liangxu, a self‑taught IT professional now working as a Linux development engineer at a Fortune 500 multinational, shares extensive Linux knowledge—fundamentals, applications, tools, plus Git, databases, Raspberry Pi, etc. (Reply “Linux” to receive essential resources.)
How this landed with the community
Was this worth your time?
0 Comments
Thoughtful readers leave field notes, pushback, and hard-won operational detail here.