Master Network Tracing with Nexttrace: Install, Commands, and Advanced Features

Today we recommend the GitHub open‑source project sjlleo/nexttrace , which has earned over 700 stars. It is described as “An open source visual route tracking CLI tool”.

Nexttrace is a high‑performance, lightweight distributed tracing system written in Go. It is a command‑line tool that displays clear TraceRoute information and supports map‑based visualisation for instant comprehension.

Below is the project’s star trend chart, indicating its activity level:

How to Install and Use

You can install the Nexttrace tool using the following commands:

# Linux one‑click install script
bash <(curl -Ls https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sjlleo/nexttrace/main/nt_install.sh)

# GHPROXY mirror (for mainland China)
bash <(curl -Ls https://ghproxy.com/https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sjlleo/nexttrace/main/nt_install.sh)

# macOS Homebrew installation
brew tap xgadget-lab/nexttrace && brew install nexttrace

Usage Example DEMO

Nexttrace uses ICMP by default for TraceRoute requests, supporting both IPv4 and IPv6. Basic usage examples:

# IPv4 ICMP Trace
nexttrace 1.0.0.1
# URL
nexttrace http://example.com:8080/index.html?q=1

# Table output (real‑time display)
nexttrace --table 1.0.0.1

# IPv6 ICMP Trace
nexttrace 2606:4700:4700::1111

# Disable map visualization
nexttrace koreacentral.blob.core.windows.net
# MapTrace URL
https://api.leo.moe/tracemap/html/c14e439e-3250-5310-8965-42a1e3545266.html

Additional features include:

1. Fast test mode for one‑time round‑trip routing:

# Fast trace across major Chinese ISPs (IPv4/IPv6)
nexttrace --fast-trace

# Use TCP SYN instead of ICMP
nexttrace --fast-trace --tcp

2. Specify a network interface for tracing:

# Use eth0 interface
nexttrace --dev eth0 2606:4700:4700::1111

# Use a specific source IP (must match IP version of target)
nexttrace --source 204.98.134.56 9.9.9.9

3. Support for TCP and UDP protocols (UDP currently IPv4‑only):

# TCP SYN Trace
nexttrace --tcp www.bing.com

# Specify TCP port (default 80)
nexttrace --tcp --port 443 2001:4860:4860::8888

# UDP Trace (IPv4)
nexttrace --udp 1.0.0.1

# Specify UDP port (default 53)
nexttrace --udp --port 5353 1.0.0.1

Advanced options such as TTL control, concurrency limits, and mode switching are also available.