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If you want to check what path the packet in the network takes to reach the destination and which routers are on this path, you can use the Traceroute tool in Mikrotik.

Checking the path of packages, troubleshooting path problems, and checking network settings are among the most important uses of the Traceroute tool in Mikrotik, which has made many professionals use it to improve network performance and increase efficiency.

This tool is used like the ping tool to analyze and check the network, but they do this from different aspects. In this way, the ping tool is used to check the connection and communication between two devices in the network, but the Traceroute tool seeks to find the path that delivers packets from one device to another.

Especially people who intend to improve the security and stability of their network by purchasing a Mikrotik virtual server; by using the Traceroute tool in Mikrotik, they can analyze the network status and the path of the packets more accurately and take the necessary measures to improve the network performance.

It’s time to get to know the Traceroute tool and how to use Traceroute in Mikrotik:

Traceroute tool in Mikrotik

Route Trace is a network analysis tool that displays packets’ routes from one device to another by providing a list of routers.

This tool has many valuable features, which we mention below:

Show passing routers

Using this tool, you can easily track the path and routers of the packets and use this information to improve routing and increase efficiency.

Show reaction time

The Traceroute tool in Mikrotik also displays the time required to reach each router, which helps you check the router’s response time and, if necessary, make the needed changes.

Display the number of sent packets.

Displaying the number of packets sent and received by each router is another feature of this tool, which can be used to quickly identify problems such as packet loss and take necessary measures to resolve these problems.

Using different protocols

The Traceroute tool supports protocols like UDP and ICMP so that you can use the best result and efficiency protocol.

Ability to set parameters

One of the valuable features of the Traceroute tool in Mikrotik is the ability to adjust parameters such as the waiting time for a response, the number of packets sent, and the number of hubs. You can quickly adapt the Traceroute tool to your network needs.

So if you learn how to use this tool and its features properly, you can provide more optimal routing for your packets and ensure high network performance.

Steps to use the Traceroute tool in the Tools menu

To use this tool, you can follow the following steps:

First, connect to your Mikrotik through Winbox software.

From the left menu, click the Tools arrow and select Traceroute from the open menu.

The window related to Traceroute has the following options, each of which is included to set a specific parameter:

Traceroute To: Enter the IP address or domain name of the destination to which you want to trace the route.

Packet Size: Enter the size of the packet sent for test hubs in this section. (Its default value is 56 bytes.)

TimeOut: Enter the time you want the router to wait for a response (delay time between messages) in this section.

Protocol: Select the desired protocol for Trace; you must choose between UDP and ICMP. Otherwise, the default protocol, ICMP, will be used.

Port: If you select the UDP option in the protocol section, you must specify the destination port manually in the port section, the default value of which is 33434.

So far, these options are essential for Trace and must be set to complete. The following options are advanced settings but optional.

Use DNS: If you check this option, the IP address of each router included in the Trace list will be resolved, and its FQDN name will be returned to you.

Count: You can use this section to determine the number of sent packets.

Max Hops: You can specify the maximum number of hops to be traversed using this parameter.

Src. Address: You can specify a specific IP address using this field and instruct the Traceroute tool in Mikrotik to start the trace operation through this source address.

Interface: This option allows you to select the desired network interface for the trace operation.

DSCP: This field is included as a quality tag in packets and is used to identify and prioritize network traffic. By entering a number in this section, you can change the mechanism of sending parcels in the network.

Routing Table: If your Mikrotik has several routing tables, you can select the desired table number through this field.

Now that you know all the fields, you can set them as desired and get the output information.

An Example of how to use the Traceroute tool in Mikrotik

For this example, we enter 8.8.8.8, Google’s DNS IP address, as the destination address in Trace, and set the packet size to 56, timeout to 1000, protocol to ICMP, and then click. We click start.

The output is as follows. After going through 12 hubs, the packet has reached 8.8.8.8, and the IP address of the router of each of these hubs is also placed in the Host section.

How to use traceroute command in Winbox terminal

Although the graphical interface is a more straightforward way to set the necessary parameters for the Trace operation, you can obtain the required information about the packets’ routes and routers in the Traceroute command if you wish.

Just open Winbox and click on New Terminal.

Next, enter the traceroute command and set the parameters using the following variables.

address: IP address or domain name of the desired destination

packet-size: the size of sent packets

timeout: waiting time to receive a response

protocol: type of protocol to send the package (ICMP or UDP)

port: Destination port for UDP packets

use-dns: yes or no value to turn dns trace operation on or off

count: number of packages sent

max-hops: the maximum number of hubs to traverse the route

src-address: source IP address to start a trace

interface: the desired network interface for sending packets

DSP: determine the DSCP value of packets

routing-table: Select the desired routing table for route navigation

If we want to provide a general example of how to set these parameters, our example will be as follows. Still, it would help if you changed any of the parameters according to your needs or remove them from the command because, as We mentioned, some parameters are entirely optional.

Conclusion

The Traceroute tool in Mikrotik is developed to trace the path of packets and analyze network performance. To use this tool in Mikrotik, you can enter through Winbox or Terminal graphical interface and set the parameters as desired to get the desired output, i.e., the list of routers on the route. This tool can be used for network troubleshooting and network performance improvement and can improve the packet routing process.

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