PathPing


The PathPing command is a command-line network utility included in Windows NT operating systems since Windows 2000 that combines the functionality of ping with that of tracert. It is used to locate spots that have network latency and network loss.

Overview

The command provides details of the path between two hosts and ping-like statistics for each node in the path based on samples taken over a time period, depending on how many nodes are between the start and end host.
The advantages of PathPing over ping and traceroute are that each node is pinged as the result of a single command, and that the behavior of nodes is studied over an extended time period, rather than the default ping sample of four messages or default traceroute single route trace. The disadvantage is that it takes a total of 25 seconds per hop to show the ping statistics.

Syntax

The command-syntax is:
pathping

target_name
Options:
  • -g host-list Loose source route along host-list.
  • -h maximum_hops Maximum number of hops to search for target.
  • -i address Use the specified source address.
  • -n Do not resolve addresses to hostnames.
  • -p period Wait period milliseconds between pings.
  • -q num_queries Number of queries per hop.
  • -w timeout Wait timeout milliseconds for each reply.
  • -P Test for RSVP PATH connectivity.
  • -R Test if each hop is RSVP aware.
  • -T Test connectivity to each hop with Layer-2 priority tags.
  • -4 Force using IPv4.
  • -6 Force using IPv6.

Samples

Default behavior:

>pathping wikipedia.org
Tracing route to wikipedia.com
over a maximum of 30 hops:
0 simonslaptop
1 192.168.0.1
2 thus1-hg2.ilford.broadband.bt.net
3 217.32.64.34
4 217.32.64.110
5 anchor-border-1-4-0-2-191.router.demon.net
6 anchor-core-2-g0-0-1.router.demon.net
7 ny1-border-1-a1-0-s2.router.demon.net
8 ge-8-0-153.ipcolo1.NewYork1.Level3.net
9 ae-0-51.bbr1.NewYork1.Level3.net
10 so-2-0-0.mp1.Tampa1.Level3.net
11 ge-6-0.hsa2.Tampa1.Level3.net
12 unknown.Level3.net
13
Computing statistics for 325 seconds...
Source to Here This Node/Link
Hop RTT Lost/Sent = Pct Lost/Sent = Pct Address
0 simonslaptop
0/ 100 = 0% |
1 0ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% 192.168.0.1
0/ 100 = 0% |
2 18ms 1/ 100 = 1% 1/ 100 = 1% thus1-hg2.ilford.broadband.bt.net
0/ 100 = 0% |
3 18ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% 217.32.64.34
0/ 100 = 0% |
4 21ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% 217.32.64.110
0/ 100 = 0% |
5 21ms 1/ 100 = 1% 1/ 100 = 1% anchor-border-1-4-0-2-191.router.demon.net
0/ 100 = 0% |
6 --- 100/ 100 =100% 100/ 100 =100% anchor-core-2-g0-0-1.router.demon.net
0/ 100 = 0% |
7 --- 100/ 100 =100% 100/ 100 =100% ny1-border-1-a1-0-s2.router.demon.net
0/ 100 = 0% |
8 100ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% ge-8-0-153.ipcolo1.NewYork1.Level3.net
5/ 100 = 5% |
9 94ms 5/ 100 = 5% 0/ 100 = 0% ae-0-51.bbr1.NewYork1.Level3.net
0/ 100 = 0% |
10 134ms 7/ 100 = 7% 2/ 100 = 2% so-2-0-0.mp1.Tampa1.Level3.net
0/ 100 = 0% |
11 137ms 6/ 100 = 6% 1/ 100 = 1% ge-6-0.hsa2.Tampa1.Level3.net
30/ 100 = 30% |
12 131ms 41/ 100 = 41% 6/ 100 = 6% unknown.Level3.net
59/ 100 = 59% |
13 --- 100/ 100 =100% 0/ 100 = 0% win2000
Trace complete.

Setting the number of queries per hop, in this case reducing it from 100 to 10 for faster completion:

>pathping -q 10 wikipedia.org
Tracing route to wikipedia.org
over a maximum of 30 hops:
0 Aaron.hsd1.mn.comcast.net.
1 air.setup
2 73.127.68.1
3 ge-1-38-ur01.minnetonka.mn.minn.comcast.net
4 68.86.232.37
5 68.86.232.33
6 68.86.232.5
7 68.86.232.1
8 * 12.116.99.41
9 tbr2.cgcil.ip.att.net
10 * ggr2.cgcil.ip.att.net
11 ar1-a3120s2.wswdc.ip.att.net
12 66.192.247.163
13 ge8-13.csw5-pmtpa.wikimedia.org
14 * rr.pmtpa.wikimedia.org
Computing statistics for 35 seconds...
Source to Here This Node/Link
Hop RTT Lost/Sent = Pct Lost/Sent = Pct Address
0 Aaron.hsd1.mn.comcast.net.
0/ 10 = 0% |
1 0ms 0/ 10 = 0% 0/ 10 = 0% air.setup
0/ 10 = 0% |
2 8ms 0/ 10 = 0% 0/ 10 = 0% 73.127.68.1
0/ 10 = 0% |
3 8ms 0/ 10 = 0% 0/ 10 = 0% ge-1-38-ur01.minnetonka.mn.minn.comcast.net
0/ 10 = 0% |
4 9ms 0/ 10 = 0% 0/ 10 = 0% 68.86.232.37
0/ 10 = 0% |
5 8ms 0/ 10 = 0% 0/ 10 = 0% 68.86.232.33
0/ 10 = 0% |
6 12ms 0/ 10 = 0% 0/ 10 = 0% 68.86.232.5
0/ 10 = 0% |
7 8ms 0/ 10 = 0% 0/ 10 = 0% 68.86.232.1
0/ 10 = 0% |
8 --- 10/ 10 =100% 10/ 10 =100% 12.116.99.41
0/ 10 = 0% |
9 20ms 0/ 10 = 0% 0/ 10 = 0% tbr2.cgcil.ip.att.net
0/ 10 = 0% |
10 18ms 2/ 10 = 20% 2/ 10 = 20% ggr2.cgcil.ip.att.net
1/ 10 = 10% |
11 --- 10/ 10 =100% 9/ 10 = 90% ar1-a3120s2.wswdc.ip.att.net
0/ 10 = 0% |
12 44ms 2/ 10 = 20% 1/ 10 = 10% 66.192.247.163
0/ 10 = 0% |
13 63ms 1/ 10 = 10% 0/ 10 = 0% ge8-13.csw5-pmtpa.wikimedia.org
0/ 10 = 0% |
14 63ms 6/ 10 = 60% 5/ 10 = 50% rr.pmtpa.wikimedia.org
Trace complete.

Do not resolve hostnames :

>pathping -n wikipedia.org
Tracing route to wikipedia-lb.eqiad.wikimedia.org over a maximum of 30 hops:
0 192.168.1.102
1 192.168.1.1
2 10.202.181.110
3 10.202.182.109
4 10.202.181.153
5 10.202.181.49
6 212.72.4.97
7 82.178.32.102
8 63.218.109.117
9 63.218.44.38
10 206.111.0.249
11 216.156.8.189
12 * * *
Computing statistics for 275 seconds...