COMMAND
pathpingTrace a route and measure per-hop loss
pathping traces the route to a destination like tracert, then spends time sending many probes to each hop and reports the packet loss and latency at every router along the path. It is the tool for finding intermittent packet loss that a single-pass tracert would miss, at the cost of taking several minutes.
Purpose
pathping merges tracert and ping: it discovers the path, then measures the reliability of each leg by sending many probes. Where tracert answers "what is the route and is it up?", pathping answers "which hop is losing packets?", which is what you need for intermittent problems.
Run it
pathping example.comIt first prints the route immediately, then computes statistics over roughly the next few minutes:
Computing statistics for 125 seconds...
Source to Here This Node/Link
Hop RTT Lost/Sent = Pct Lost/Sent = Pct Address
0 WORKSTATION [192.168.1.37]
0/ 100 = 0% |
1 1ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% 192.168.1.1
0/ 100 = 0% |
2 12ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% 10.0.0.1
5/ 100 = 5% |
3 14ms 5/ 100 = 5% 0/ 100 = 0% isp-core [203.0.113.1]Reading it
- This Node/Link loss on the link line (between hops) points to the connection between two routers.
- This Node/Link loss on a node line points to that router itself deprioritising probes, which is often harmless if traffic through it is fine.
- Source to Here accumulates loss up to that hop.
Loss that appears at one link and continues to the destination indicates a real problem on that segment. Loss that appears at a node but does not carry forward is usually that router rate-limiting ICMP, not a fault.
Options
| Option | Effect |
|---|---|
-n | Do not resolve hop names (faster) |
-h max | Maximum hops |
-q count | Queries per hop (default 100) |
-p ms | Wait between pings |
-4 / -6 | Force IP version |
Common mistakes
- Panicking over node-line loss that does not propagate; only carried-forward loss matters.
- Using it for a fast check. For "is it up?", tracert or ping is quicker; reserve pathping for measuring loss.
There is no direct PowerShell equivalent; Test-NetConnection -TraceRoute gives the path but not per-hop loss statistics.
Frequently asked questions
When should I use pathping instead of tracert?
When a connection is unreliable rather than simply broken: dropped calls, stuttering video, intermittent timeouts. pathping quantifies loss at each hop so you can point to the router that drops packets; tracert only shows the path once.
Why does pathping take so long?
By default it sends 100 probes to each hop and waits for the results, which is where the accuracy comes from. Reduce it with -q (queries per hop) and -p (wait between pings) if you need a faster, rougher answer.