The Windows tracert command shows the path your computer takes toward another computer or website. Think of it like seeing the stops along a road trip instead of seeing only the final destination.

Try the Basic Command

tracert microsoft.com

Open Command Prompt, type the command, and press Enter. Windows will begin listing the stops, called hops, between your computer and the destination.

Think of Hops as Stops

If you drive across town, you may pass several intersections before arriving. Internet traffic can also pass through several network devices before reaching a destination. tracert lets you see those steps.

Simple Example

tracert microsoft.com

1    2 ms    1 ms    2 ms    192.168.1.1
2   12 ms   11 ms   13 ms    ...
3   20 ms   19 ms   21 ms    ...

The number at the left is the hop number. The times shown in ms are milliseconds. For this beginner lesson, simply remember: each new line is another step along the route.

Familiar Examples

• Gaming: You can inspect the route from your Windows PC toward an online destination when learning about network delay.
• Websites: You can see the network path toward a website.
• Home networking: The first hop is often a device on your local network, such as your router.

What Does an Asterisk Mean?

You may sometimes see * instead of a time. That does not automatically mean the Internet is broken. Some devices along a route do not return the response that tracert expects.

Video Reference

This Windows 10 and Windows 11 demonstration shows how to open Command Prompt, run tracert, and read the hops returned by the command.

Quick Practice

1. Open Command Prompt.
2. Run tracert microsoft.com.
3. Find hop number 1.
4. Count how many hops appear before the trace finishes.
5. Explain a hop in your own words.

Key Takeaway

tracert shows the path toward a network destination one hop at a time. Microsoft documents it as a Windows diagnostic tool for determining the path to a destination.