TechKnowSurge
CompTIA Network+ 5.5 Cisco CCST Networking 5.3 CompTIA A+ Core 1 2.8
TechKnowSurge Catalog Interactives Read Ping and TraceRoute
InteractiveNetworkFree

Read Ping and TraceRoute

Real ping and tracert output, one screen at a time. Read it and answer.

⚑ Complete this interactive to capture a CTF flag worth 5 points.

About this interactive

How to read the two tools from the lesson's demo. **ping** sends four packets and prints one line for each. A line that starts **Reply from** is an answer: time= is the round trip, there and back, and bytes=32 is the packet's size. **Request timed out** means no answer came back in time. The statistics at the end count them (Sent, Received, Lost) and give the fastest, slowest and average round trip. **tracert** prints one numbered line per hop. Line 1 is the first router, at the edge of your own LAN; each later line is a router further out; the last line is the destination itself, so the routers on the path number one fewer than the lines. A line of `*` and Request timed out is a hop that did not answer tracert. If later lines answer, the packets still went through it; if every line after a point times out and there is no Trace complete, that is where the answers stopped. The lesson's demo traces to 8.8.8.8, Google's public DNS server, which tracert names dns.google.

What you'll learn

Aligned to

CompTIA Network+
5.5 Given a scenario, use the appropriate tool or protocol to solve networking issues.
Cisco CCST Networking
5.3 Run basic diagnostic commands and interpret the results
CompTIA A+ Core 1
2.8 Given a scenario, use networking tools.

Key terms

Ping
A command-line diagnostic utility that uses ICMP echo request and echo reply messages to test whether a remote host is reachable on a network and to measure the round-trip time for packets. It is one of the first tools used when troubleshooting network connectivity issues.
tracert
A Windows command-line tool that traces the path packets take to a destination, displaying each hop and its response time to help identify routing delays or failures.
Round-Trip Time
RTT
The total time it takes for a packet to travel from the source to the destination and back.
Hop
A single step in the path a packet takes through the network, specifically the transit from one router to the next closest router toward the destination. The number of hops a packet must travel is used as a routing metric by distance-vector protocols like RIP.
Packet Loss
The failure of one or more transmitted packets to arrive at their destination, typically expressed as a percentage of total packets sent.
Router
A network device that forwards data packets between networks based on IP addresses.
Time to Live
TTL
A value in a packet that limits its lifespan on a network, preventing it from circulating indefinitely.

Topics

Ping Tracert Round Trip Time Hop Packet Loss Interactive Predict

About TechKnowSurge

TechKnowSurge builds IT and cybersecurity professionals through hands-on, concept-first training built around real understanding — not memorization. Free interactive tools, structured programs, and 25+ years of real-world experience, all in one place.

Explore free tools and programs →