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Networking & Diagnostics

How to use MTR — diagnosing network issues

MTR combines ping and traceroute to show exactly where packet loss happens — your Wi-Fi, your ISP or the server. How to run it on Windows, macOS and Linux.

Jan 20, 20264 min readmtrnetworktraceroutepingtroubleshooting

MTR is a diagnostic tool that combines ping and traceroute. It maps every hop between you and a destination and tracks packet loss over time, so you can see exactly where a connection is failing — your local Wi-Fi, your ISP, an intermediate network or the server itself.

When you report lag or a connection problem, an MTR report from your side is the single most useful thing you can attach to a ticket.

1. Run MTR on Windows (WinMTR)

Windows needs a free tool called WinMTR.

  • Download WinMTR.
  • Right-click the app and choose Run as administrator.
  • In the Host box, type your server IP or domain (e.g. 37.202.197.1).
  • Click Start and let it run for 5–10 minutes.
  • Click Stop, then Copy Text to clipboard (or take a screenshot of WinMTR).
  • Paste the results into your support ticket.

2. Run MTR on macOS or Linux

You can run MTR straight from the Terminal.

  • Open your Terminal app.
  • Type the following command and press Enter:
sudo mtr <IP>

(Example: sudo mtr 1.1.1.1)

  • Enter your computer password if prompted (typing stays invisible — that's normal).
  • Let it run for about 5 minutes.
  • Take a screenshot or copy the text output and send it to us.

How to read the result

A little loss on a single middle hop that recovers afterwards is usually harmless (rate-limited routers). Loss that starts at one hop and continues to the destination points to the real problem. If the loss only shows at the final hop (your server), open a ticket with the report; if it starts on an early hop inside your own ISP, the issue is on your side of the network.

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