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What is MTR?

MTR (My Traceroute) combines ping and traceroute to monitor network performance and detect issues like latency or packet loss.

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Installation

  1. Linux: sudo apt install mtr (Debian/Ubuntu) or sudo yum install mtr (CentOS).
  2. Windows: Use WinMTR.

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Basic Usage

mtr <destination_ip>
Options:
  • -r -c <n>: Generate a report after n tests (e.g., mtr -r -c 10 example.com).
  • -n: Skip DNS resolution, show IPs only.
  • --tcp or -u: Use TCP/UDP instead of ICMP.
  • --max-ttl <n>: Limit hops to n.

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How to interpret the results

  1. Host: The intermediate devices (hops).
  2. Loss%: Packet loss percentage. High loss indicates issues.
  3. Last/Avg/Worst: Latency stats (in ms). High values = potential congestion.
Key Points:
  1. Consistent high loss: Likely a network issue, contact us.
  2. High latency only at the destination: Check the server, not the network.
  3. High loss on one hop: Often router configuration, not a real problem.

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Example Commands

Test with 10 pings
mtr -r -c 10 deluxhost.net > output.txt
Testing an ip-address
mtr 192.168.1.1
Specific port test
mtr --tcp --port 80 deluxhost.net
Continuous monitoring
mtr google.com