What does Traceroute display?

Traceroute is a network diagnostic tool that is primarily used to track the path that data packets take from one computer to another across the internet or a network. It operates by sending a sequence of packets with progressively increasing Time to Live (TTL) values, which helps determine the different hops that occur along the path to the final destination.

As packets traverse through each hop (which corresponds to different routers or gateways in the network), Traceroute records the time taken for each hop and the IP address of each router encountered. This information is then displayed, illustrating the complete route the data takes, along with any latency experienced at each step.

By using Traceroute, network administrators can identify where data is getting delayed or failing to reach its destination, which is crucial for troubleshooting network issues. This tool is particularly valuable in understanding and visualizing the flow of data through complex network structures.