tracert command question

[ITlover]

Guys,

I have a question about the tracert command, why and when do we use this command?

When I entered tracert www.hotmail.com in command prompt and pressed "Enter" I got the following details:


C:\Documents and Settings\nadir>tracert www.hotmail.com

Tracing route to www.hotmail.aate.nsatc.net [212.162.1.125]
over a maximum of 30 hops:
________________________________________________________________________
1 <1 ms <1 ms <1 ms t.mshome.net [192.168.0.1]
2 1613 ms 952 ms 542 ms khigw.brain.net.pk [203.128.12.1]
3 340 ms 472 ms 175 ms s10-0-6.khi77d2.pie.net.pk [202.125.131.105]
4 315 ms 224 ms 335 ms g3-0.khi77gw1.pie.net.pk [202.125.128.162]
5 603 ms 784 ms 593 ms t2a6-p9-0.uk-lon2.eu.bt.net [166.49.160.129]
6 721 ms 622 ms * t2c2-ge7-0.uk-lon2.eu.bt.net [166.49.176.44]
7 447 ms 470 ms 472 ms t2c2-p9-0.uk-ilf.eu.bt.net [166.49.195.125]
8 1062 ms 461 ms 464 ms 195.50.120.1
9 1243 ms * 657 ms ae-32-54.ebr2.London1.Level3.net [4.68.116.126]

10 503 ms 655 ms 542 ms ae-2.ebr2.Amsterdam1.Level3.net [4.69.132.134]
11 331 ms 327 ms 319 ms ae-1-100.ebr1.Amsterdam1.Level3.net [4.69.133.85]
12 509 ms 655 ms 360 ms ae-1-100.ebr1.Amsterdam1.Level3.net [4.69.133.85]
13 * 695 ms 975 ms ae-1-100.ebr1.Dusseldorf1.Level3.net [4.69.132.129]
14 * 541 ms 560 ms ae-2.ebr2.Frankfurt1.Level3.net [4.69.132.138]
15 * 338 ms 480 ms ge-11-1.ipcolo2.Frankfurt1.Level3.net [4.68.118.
106]
16 763 ms 366 ms 456 ms ge-11-1.ipcolo2.Frankfurt1.Level3.net [4.68.118.
106]
17 828 ms 400 ms 368 ms 212.162.1.125
________________________________________________________________________

Can anyone please explain me what does these details mean? Are these details showing the speed with which my connection request for the www.hotmail.com goes through the internet?

Thanks

[bailey]

it traces all the ip addresses it goes through to get to the one entered to trace.

[Dia]

If you have a working internet connection but cant get to one place you use this to see if one of the hops is down. Unfortunately there isnt much you can do about a down hop, other the hope they reroute you or bring the hop back online.