How to run an MTR (network diagnostic)

What is an MTR and what is it for?

MTR (My Traceroute) is a network diagnostic tool that combines ping and traceroute into a single continuous execution. It sends packets to a destination IP and records each intermediate hop, showing latency and packet loss percentage at each node in real time.

This allows us to identify exactly where in the route a problem is occurring: your ISP, an intermediate transit provider, or our datacenter.

Windows: WinMTR (graphical interface)

Download

WinMTR is free, open-source, and portable (no installation required).

1. Download from: https://sourceforge.net/projects/winmtr/files/latest/download
2. Alternatively: https://winmtr.net or https://github.com/White-Tiger/WinMTR/releases
3. Extract the ZIP to a folder (e.g., Desktop)
4. Open the subfolder WinMTR_x64 (for 64-bit Windows 10/11) or WinMTR_x32 for 32-bit
5. Run WinMTR.exe (double-click, no admin permissions needed)

Running the test

1. In the Host field, enter the IP provided by our support team
2. Click Start
3. Let it run for at least 5 minutes (or until "Sent" reaches 100+)
4. While running, use your connection normally (if reporting game lag, connect to the game server)
5. Click Stop when you have enough data

Exporting results

1. Click Export TEXT → save as .txt (recommended)
2. Or click Copy → paste directly into your support ticket
3. Name the file descriptively: mtr-IP-yourname.txt

Linux: mtr command (terminal)

Installation

# Ubuntu / Debian
sudo apt install mtr-tiny

# Rocky Linux / AlmaLinux / CentOS
sudo dnf install mtr

# Arch Linux
sudo pacman -S mtr

Running

mtr -r -c 100 DESTINATION_IP

• -r generates a compact report at the end (non-interactive)
• -c 100 sends 100 packets

Example:

mtr -r -c 100 191.96.56.1

Exporting results

mtr -r -c 100 DESTINATION_IP > mtr-result.txt

Attach the .txt file to your support ticket or paste the content directly.

macOS: mtr via Homebrew (terminal)

Installation

If you don't have Homebrew:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

Install mtr:

brew install mtr

Running

sudo mtr -r -c 100 DESTINATION_IP

Note: sudo is required on macOS because mtr needs to send raw packets.

Exporting results

sudo mtr -r -c 100 DESTINATION_IP > mtr-result.txt

How to interpret the columns

Normal behavior is that latency increases gradually. If a hop has high loss (>5%) that propagates to subsequent hops, that node is likely the problem.

Common interpretation mistakes

• 100% loss on an intermediate hop but 0% at destination: Many routers intentionally rate-limit ICMP responses. If the destination is fine, there's no real issue.
• "No response from host" or ???: Some routers don't respond to diagnostic packets by security policy, but traffic passes through fine.
• High latency on a single hop without propagation: Probably rate-limiting, not a real problem.

Tips for a good diagnostic

• Connect via Ethernet cable if possible (WiFi adds variability)
• Close heavy downloads, streaming, and backups during the test
• Run for at least 5 minutes (100+ packets)
• If the issue is intermittent, run 10-15 minutes to capture spikes
• If asked to test multiple IPs, run a separate test for each
• Note the exact time of the test so our team can correlate with server logs

What IPs should I test?

Our support team will provide the exact IP for your service. If not given, use your server's IP (found in the client panel or welcome email).

If asked for an MTR 'in both directions', we need a test from your PC to the server AND from the server to your public IP. Our team can run the second one if you provide your public IP (search 'what is my ip' on Google).