Test Latency and Packet Loss (MTR)
This guide demonstrates how to perform a ping test using WinMTR. It is a free network diagnostic tool that combines the functionality of the traceroute and ping utilities into a single tool. We will also explain the significance of the results and how to interpret them. To perform the steps in this guide, you will need to extract a zip archive with WinRaR.
Download WinMTR
- You can download WinMTR from its official GitHub page.
- The file to download is winMRT-v100.zip.
Extract the ZIP File
- Next, you need to extract the ZIP archive.
- This can most often be done with the Windows Explorer, but can also be done with WinRaR.
- After you have installed WinRaR, right-click the ZIP file to reveal the context menu, and click Extract Here.
- A handful of files will be extracted. To access WinMTR, double click
WinMTR64.exe. - You will see a simple interface where you can enter the host (IP address) you want to ping and traceroute.
Enter the Host
- In the Host field, input your server IP address or domain you wish to test.
- For example:
12.345.678.90
Start MTR test
- Click the Start button to initiate the test. The results will begin to populate in the window below.
Interpret the Results
- After running the test for a few minutes (preferably 5-10 minutes), you will see various columns filled with data.
- Here is a description of what each column signifies:
- Hostname: The router’s name or IP address at that hop.
- Number (Nr): The hop count.
- Worst: The longest time (in ms) data packets travel from your computer to the host.
- Best: The shortest time (in ms) data packets travel from your computer to the host.
- Avg: The average time (in ms) data packets take to travel from your computer to the host.
- Sent: The number of sent packets.
- Recv: The number of received packets.
- Loss %: The percentage of lost packets.
- Last: The last round trip time for that hop.
Export the Results
- After the test has been running for a sufficient amount of time, click the Stop button.
- If you wish to save the results for future reference or share them with our support team, you can export the results.
- To export the results of the test, click Export TEXT or Export HTML to save the results in the respective formats.
If you require further assistance, you can open a support ticket here!
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