Pathping

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pathping is a network utility supplied in Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows 2003, Windows XP and Windows Vista. It combines the functionality of Ping with that of Traceroute (in Windows: tracert), by providing 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 Ping's default sample of four messages or Traceroute's default single route trace. The disadvantage is that, using the default settings, it often takes more than five minutes to produce a result.

[edit] Command options

This list can be displayed by typing -options (or any invalid option, such as -fkzqx) after the command.

  • -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.

[edit] Sample pathping output

The following is the output of the command pathping wikipedia.com:

Tracing route to wikipedia.com [207.142.131.235]
over a maximum of 30 hops:
  0  simonslaptop [192.168.0.11] 
  1  192.168.0.1 
  2  thus1-hg2.ilford.broadband.bt.net [217.32.64.73] 
  3  217.32.64.34 
  4  217.32.64.110 
  5  anchor-border-1-4-0-2-191.router.demon.net [212.240.162.126] 
  6  anchor-core-2-g0-0-1.router.demon.net [194.70.98.29] 
  7  ny1-border-1-a1-0-s2.router.demon.net [194.70.97.66] 
  8  ge-8-0-153.ipcolo1.NewYork1.Level3.net [209.246.123.177] 
  9  ae-0-51.bbr1.NewYork1.Level3.net [64.159.17.1] 
 10  so-2-0-0.mp1.Tampa1.Level3.net [209.247.11.201] 
 11  ge-6-0.hsa2.Tampa1.Level3.net [64.159.1.10] 
 12  unknown.Level3.net [63.208.24.2] 
 13  

Computing statistics for 325 seconds...
            Source to Here   This Node/Link
Hop  RTT    Lost/Sent = Pct  Lost/Sent = Pct  Address
  0                                           simonslaptop [192.168.0.11] 
                                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  [217.32.64.73]  
                                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 [212.240.162.126] 
                                0/ 100 =  0%   |
  6  ---     100/ 100 =100%   100/ 100 =100%  anchor-core-2-g0-0-1.router.demon.net [194.70.98.29] 
                                0/ 100 =  0%   |
  7  ---     100/ 100 =100%   100/ 100 =100%  ny1-border-1-a1-0-s2.router.demon.net [194.70.97.66] 
                                0/ 100 =  0%   |
  8  100ms     0/ 100 =  0%     0/ 100 =  0%  ge-8-0-153.ipcolo1.NewYork1.Level3.net [209.246.123.177] 
                                0/ 100 =  0%   |
  9   94ms     0/ 100 =  0%     0/ 100 =  0%  ae-0-51.bbr1.NewYork1.Level3.net [64.159.17.1] 
                                0/ 100 =  0%   |
 10  134ms     1/ 100 =  1%     1/ 100 =  1%  so-2-0-0.mp1.Tampa1.Level3.net [209.247.11.201] 
                                0/ 100 =  0%   |
 11  137ms     0/ 100 =  0%     0/ 100 =  0%  ge-6-0.hsa2.Tampa1.Level3.net [64.159.1.10] 
                                0/ 100 =  0%   |
 12  131ms     0/ 100 =  0%     0/ 100 =  0%  unknown.Level3.net [63.208.24.2] 
                              100/ 100 =100%   |
 13  ---     100/ 100 =100%     0/ 100 =  0%  win2000 [0.0.0.0] 

Trace complete.

The following is the output of the command pathping wikipedia.org -q 10; note the shorter wait with only 10 queries per hop instead of the default 100:

Tracing route to wikipedia.org [66.230.200.100]
over a maximum of 30 hops:
  0  Aaron.hsd1.mn.comcast.net. [192.168.11.3]
  1  air.setup [192.168.11.1]
  2  73.127.68.1
  3  ge-1-38-ur01.minnetonka.mn.minn.comcast.net [68.86.234.41]
  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 [12.122.99.70]
 10     *     ggr2.cgcil.ip.att.net [12.123.6.69]
 11  ar1-a3120s2.wswdc.ip.att.net [192.205.34.6]
 12  66.192.247.163
 13  ge8-13.csw5-pmtpa.wikimedia.org [66.193.50.242]
 14     *     rr.pmtpa.wikimedia.org [66.230.200.100]

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. [192.168.11.3]
                                0/  10 =  0%   |
  1    0ms     0/  10 =  0%     0/  10 =  0%  air.setup [192.168.11.1]
                                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 [68.86.234.41]
                                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   20ms     0/  10 =  0%     0/  10 =  0%  12.116.99.41
                                0/  10 =  0%   |
  9  ---      10/  10 =100%    10/  10 =100%  tbr2.cgcil.ip.att.net [12.122.99.70]
                                0/  10 =  0%   |
 10  ---      10/  10 =100%    10/  10 =100%  ggr2.cgcil.ip.att.net [12.123.6.69]
                                0/  10 =  0%   |
 11  ---      10/  10 =100%    10/  10 =100%  ar1-a3120s2.wswdc.ip.att.net [192.205.34.6]
                                0/  10 =  0%   |
 12  ---      10/  10 =100%    10/  10 =100%  66.192.247.163
                                0/  10 =  0%   |
 13   63ms     0/  10 =  0%     0/  10 =  0%  ge8-13.csw5-pmtpa.wikimedia.org [66.193.50.242]
                                0/  10 =  0%   |
 14   63ms     0/  10 =  0%     0/  10 =  0%  rr.pmtpa.wikimedia.org [66.230.200.100]

Trace complete.

[edit] See also