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 g host-list h maximum_hops i address n p period q num_queries w timeout P R T 4 6target_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.

Sample

>pathping wikipedia.org

Tracing route to wikipedia.com 07.142.131.235over a maximum of 30 hops:
0 simonslaptop 92.168.0.11
1 192.168.0.1
2 thus1-hg2.ilford.broadband.bt.net 17.32.64.73
3 217.32.64.34
4 217.32.64.110
5 anchor-border-1-4-0-2-191.router.demon.net 12.240.162.126
6 anchor-core-2-g0-0-1.router.demon.net 94.70.98.29
7 ny1-border-1-a1-0-s2.router.demon.net 94.70.97.66
8 ge-8-0-153.ipcolo1.NewYork1.Level3.net 09.246.123.177
9 ae-0-51.bbr1.NewYork1.Level3.net 4.159.17.1
10 so-2-0-0.mp1.Tampa1.Level3.net 09.247.11.201
11 ge-6-0.hsa2.Tampa1.Level3.net 4.159.1.10
12 unknown.Level3.net 3.208.24.2
13

Computing statistics for 325 seconds...
Source to Here This Node/Link
Hop RTT Lost/Sent = Pct Lost/Sent = Pct Address
0 simonslaptop 92.168.0.11
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 17.32.64.73
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 12.240.162.126
0/ 100 = 0% ,
6 --- 100/ 100 =100% 100/ 100 =100% anchor-core-2-g0-0-1.router.demon.net 94.70.98.29
0/ 100 = 0% ,
7 --- 100/ 100 =100% 100/ 100 =100% ny1-border-1-a1-0-s2.router.demon.net 94.70.97.66
0/ 100 = 0% ,
8 100ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% ge-8-0-153.ipcolo1.NewYork1.Level3.net 09.246.123.177
5/ 100 = 5% ,
9 94ms 5/ 100 = 5% 0/ 100 = 0% ae-0-51.bbr1.NewYork1.Level3.net 4.159.17.1
0/ 100 = 0% ,
10 134ms 7/ 100 = 7% 2/ 100 = 2% so-2-0-0.mp1.Tampa1.Level3.net 09.247.11.201
0/ 100 = 0% ,
11 137ms 6/ 100 = 6% 1/ 100 = 1% ge-6-0.hsa2.Tampa1.Level3.net 4.159.1.10
30/ 100 = 30% ,
12 131ms 41/ 100 = 41% 6/ 100 = 6% unknown.Level3.net 3.208.24.2
59/ 100 = 59% ,
13 --- 100/ 100 =100% 0/ 100 = 0% win2000 .0.0.0
Trace complete.

>''pathping -q 10 wikipedia.org''note the shorter wait with only 10 queries per hop instead of the default 100

Tracing route to wikipedia.org 6.230.200.100 over a maximum of 30 hops:
0 Aaron.hsd1.mn.comcast.net. 92.168.11.3 1 air.setup 92.168.11.1 2 73.127.68.1
3 ge-1-38-ur01.minnetonka.mn.minn.comcast.net 8.86.234.41 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 2.122.99.70 10 * ggr2.cgcil.ip.att.net 2.123.6.69 11 ar1-a3120s2.wswdc.ip.att.net 92.205.34.6 12 66.192.247.163
13 ge8-13.csw5-pmtpa.wikimedia.org 6.193.50.242 14 * rr.pmtpa.wikimedia.org 6.230.200.100
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. 92.168.11.3 0/ 10 = 0% ,
1 0ms 0/ 10 = 0% 0/ 10 = 0% air.setup 92.168.11.1 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 8.86.234.41 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 2.122.99.70 0/ 10 = 0% ,
10 18ms 2/ 10 = 20% 2/ 10 = 20% ggr2.cgcil.ip.att.net 2.123.6.69 1/ 10 = 10% ,
11 --- 10/ 10 =100% 9/ 10 = 90% ar1-a3120s2.wswdc.ip.att.net 92.205.34.6 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 6.193.50.242 0/ 10 = 0% ,
14 63ms 6/ 10 = 60% 5/ 10 = 50% rr.pmtpa.wikimedia.org 6.230.200.100
Trace complete.

>pathping -n wikipedia.org

Tracing route to wikipedia-lb.eqiad.wikimedia.org 08.80.154.225ver 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...

See also

* ping (networking utility)
* traceroute
* MTR – software which combines the functionality of traceroute and ping
* Layer four traceroute – a more modern traceroute (IP network tracing) implementation that supports a multitude of layer-4 protocols

Notes and references

Further reading

*
*

External links

pathping , Microsoft Docs
– Information about the PathPing tool (Microsoft.com)

WinMTR

{{Windows commands

Network analyzers
Internet Protocol based network software
Windows administration
Windows communication and services
Windows components