Quickly locate latency and packet loss along a route using a single interactive command-line tool. 16.11.2025 | reading time: 3 min mtr is a hybrid of traceroute and ping that measures latency and packet loss per hop; run it to see which router or link adds delay or drops packets. Run a quick live test Try this practical test to get hands on: run a short report of 10 probes and inspect per-hop stats. ```bash $ mtr -r -c 10 -w example.com Start: 2025-11-16 12:00:00 HOST: mymachine Loss% Snt Last Avg Best Wrst StDev 1.|-- 192.168.1.1 0.0% 10 0.4 0.6 0.3 1.2 0.3 2.|-- 203.0.113.1 0.0% 10 2.1 2.3 1.5 3.8 0.6 3.|-- 93.184.216.34 0.0% 10 30.5 31.2 30.0 34.5 1.2 ``` This output shows loss percentage, probe count and latency statistics for each hop from source to destination. Read the numbers Look at "Loss%" first to spot where packets are lost, then compare "Avg" and "Wrst" to find spikes; stable low "Avg" and low "StDev" indicate consistent latency, while a hop that shows loss but downstream hops do not usually means that intermediate routers deprioritize ICMP. Useful command options Common switches to remember are `-r` for report mode, `-c` to set probe count, `-w` for wide output, `-i` to change interval, `-u` for UDP probes, `-T` for TCP mode and `-4` or `-6` to force IP version; combine these to script tests or emulate real traffic types. Practical troubleshooting scenarios Use mtr when users report intermittent slowness to see where spikes occur, when validating a new VPN route to compare paths, or when comparing CDNs to determine which PoP is adding latency. Tools that pair well with mtr mtr pinpoints suspect hops, then follow up with `tcpdump` to capture packets on the local interface, `ss` or `netstat` to inspect sockets and connections, and `traceroute` or `tcptraceroute` when you need different probe types or deeper path control. Finish and next steps Once you can read per-hop latency and loss you can form concrete hypotheses and test them repeatedly; deepen that skill by learning packet captures and routing basics, and consider formal study such as CompTIA Linux+ or LPIC-1 with intensive exam preparation at bitsandbytes.academy to turn hands-on skill into a credential. Join Bits & Bytes Academy First class LINUX exam preparation. network utilities troubleshooting
