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Which Windows command shows each router hop on the path to a destination?

tracert traces the route, hop by hop, to a destination.

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  1. tracert ✔
  2. whoami
  3. hostname

Why: tracert sends ICMP echo requests with a time to live that grows by one each round. That reveals the path, one router at a time.

Huh, didn't know that: By default tracert searches up to 30 hops; the /h option changes that limit.

The dad joke
Why did the packet get lost? Every router told it to go somewhere else.
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References

Answer: tracert. tracert sends ICMP echo requests with a time to live that grows by one each round. That reveals the path, one router at a time.

  1. tracert command reference, Microsoft Learn learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/tracert
    determines the path taken to a destination by sending Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) echo Request
    Checked 2026-10-10.
  2. tracert command reference, Microsoft Learn learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/tracert
    The maximum number of hops is 30 by default and can be specified using the /h parameter.
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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