When the internet feels broken, the most important question is: where? In the Wi-Fi signal, the router, or the provider's network? Ping and traceroute are already installed on every computer and answer that question without any extra apps.

Ping: does this address reply, and how fast?

Ping sends a small packet to an address and measures how long the reply takes in milliseconds (ms).

  • Windows: open Command Prompt and type ping -n 20 8.8.8.8
  • macOS/Linux: open Terminal and type ping -c 20 8.8.8.8

At the end of the output, look at two numbers: Lost (the percentage of packets lost) and Average (the average time). Loss above 1–2% on a cable or on Wi-Fi close to the router is already suspicious.

The three-step method

The key is to ping step by step from the nearest point to the farthest:

  1. Ping the router: usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1. The exact address shows as the Default Gateway in the ipconfig command.
  2. Ping the internet: for example 8.8.8.8 or 1.1.1.1.
  3. Ping a site name: for example google.com.

How to read the results:

  • Step 1 is already bad (lost packets or widely varying times): the problem is Wi-Fi or the router. Try a LAN cable; if the cable is smooth, the Wi-Fi signal is the cause. See the guide to Wi-Fi that keeps dropping.
  • Step 1 good, step 2 bad: the home network is healthy, and the problem is on the line to the provider or in the provider's network.
  • Step 2 good, step 3 fails with a could-not-find-host message: the problem is DNS. See the guide to a DNS server not responding.

Traceroute: which path is taken?

Traceroute shows every router a packet passes through on the way to its destination, with the time to each.

  • Windows: tracert 8.8.8.8
  • macOS/Linux: traceroute 8.8.8.8

The first row is usually your home router, the next few belong to the internet provider, and the rest are networks on the way to the destination.

Reading traceroute without misunderstanding it

  • Asterisks (* * *) mid-path are usually not a fault. Many routers deliberately don't reply.
  • One row with a high time while the rows after it are normal is not a fault either. That router just prioritises forwarding traffic over answering traceroute.
  • Time jumps at one row and stays high all the way to the destination: that is the point worth suspecting. A jump is normal where the path crosses abroad.
  • The path stops completely at the second or third row points to a break on the provider's side.

Taking the results to your provider

Copy the results of the ping to the router, the ping to 8.8.8.8, and the traceroute, and note the time they were taken. This evidence makes a report much harder to answer with "please restart the modem". Customer rights when service falls short are covered in the guide to customer rights for slow internet.

Ping step by step to the router, the internet, and then a site name to separate Wi-Fi, provider, and DNS problems. Use traceroute to see where the time jumps and stays high, and ignore asterisks or single spikes that don't carry on.

Frequently asked questions

What does "Request timed out" mean in ping?

No reply arrived within the time limit. If it happens occasionally, it signals packet loss. If it happens continuously for one address, that address may be down or simply not answer pings.

Why are there rows of asterisks (* * *) in traceroute?

Many routers in provider networks don't answer traceroute requests for security reasons. As long as later rows still appear and the destination is reached, the asterisks aren't a problem.

What counts as a good ping?

To the home router over Wi-Fi, ideally under 10 ms. To servers in Indonesia, generally under 30 ms on fibre, while servers abroad are naturally much higher.