Windows 8 In Depth

tracert

The tracert command is similar to ping: it sends packets to a remote host and sees whether packets return. However, tracert adds a wrinkle: it checks the connectivity to each individual router in the path between you and the remote host. (Routers are the devices that connect one network to another. The Internet itself is the conglomeration of a few million networks all connected by routers.) If your computer and Internet connection are working but you still can’t reach some or all Internet sites, tracert can help you find the blockage.

In the output of tracert, the address it tests first is your local network’s gateway (if you connect to the Internet via a high-speed connection or a LAN) or the modem-answering equipment at your ISP’s ...