Tracepath works by tracing the route that packets take from the source to a specified destination on a computer network. It operates similarly to traceroute but uses different techniques and protocols to achieve its goal. Tracepath sends packets with increasing TTL (Time to Live) values towards the destination, and each router along the path decrements the TTL of the packet. When the TTL reaches zero, the router discards the packet and sends an ICMP TTL exceeded message back to the sender. By analyzing these ICMP messages, tracepath determines the path taken by packets to reach the destination and calculates round-trip times.
The tracepath command is used to discover the network path that packets take to a specific destination. It provides insights into the routers and network segments that packets traverse, displaying the IP addresses and round-trip times for each hop along the path. Tracepath is particularly useful for diagnosing network routing issues, identifying network congestion points, and verifying the expected path of packets through the internet or local network infrastructure.
Traceroute works by sending ICMP or UDP packets with incrementally increasing TTL values towards a destination host or IP address. As each packet travels through routers on the network, the TTL expires at successive hops, causing routers to send back ICMP TTL exceeded messages to the sender. Traceroute records the IP addresses of routers that return these messages, thereby mapping the route from the source to the destination. It repeats this process multiple times to gather more comprehensive information about the network path and measure packet transit times.
The Tracepath route refers to the sequence of network routers and links that packets traverse when traveling from the source to the destination. Tracepath identifies and displays each router along this route, showing the IP addresses and sometimes hostnames of intermediate devices. This route information helps network administrators and users understand the topology of the network path, diagnose latency issues, and troubleshoot connectivity problems between network endpoints.
Traceroute determines it has reached the destination by observing the ICMP Port Unreachable message or an ICMP Echo Reply from the destination host. When the packet with an incrementally increasing TTL value finally reaches the destination host, the destination sends back an ICMP Echo Reply message to the sender. Traceroute recognizes this response as confirmation that it has reached the final destination and stops further probing. This mechanism allows traceroute to map the complete network path from the source to the destination and provide valuable insights into network routing and performance.