Master traceroute on Linux: Install, Commands, and Advanced Options

In Linux, traceroute is a network diagnostic tool that shows the route packets take to a target host.

If it is not installed, you can add it using the system package manager.

Debian/Ubuntu and derivatives

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install traceroute

CentOS/RHEL and derivatives

sudo yum install traceroute

On newer CentOS/RHEL versions you may need to use dnf instead of yum:

sudo dnf install traceroute

Basic command format

traceroute [options]... [target host]

Basic usage example

Trace the route to example.com:

traceroute example.com

Common options

-n

: Do not perform DNS lookups, show IP addresses only. -w: Set timeout in seconds. -p: Specify port number (default 33434). -m: Set maximum hop count (default 30). -s: Set source port number. -I: Use ICMP packets. -4 or -6: Force IPv4 or IPv6. -q: Set number of probe packets (default 3). -T: Use TCP for tracing. -A: Use all protocols (UDP, TCP, ICMP).

Advanced options

-P proto

: Choose protocol (tcp, udp, icmp, ip). -S srcaddr: Set source address. -g gateway: Specify a gateway to skip. -N: Use NTP mode for time queries. -F: Set “Don’t Fragment” flag to determine MTU.

Examples

Do not resolve DNS, show IPs only: traceroute -n example.com Use ICMP protocol: traceroute -I example.com Set maximum hops to 20: traceroute -m 20 example.com Use TCP protocol: traceroute -T example.com Use all protocols: traceroute -A example.com Send 5 probe packets: traceroute -q 5 example.com Set timeout to 10 seconds:

traceroute -w 10 example.com

Precautions

Some network devices may block traceroute packets, resulting in incomplete or inaccurate path information.

Use traceroute in compliance with network policies and legal regulations.

Root privileges may be required on certain Linux distributions. traceroute is an essential tool for network troubleshooting and performance analysis, helping locate latency or packet loss.