Tutorial: How to Run an MTR (My Traceroute) on Windows, macOS, and Linux

When facing latency or connectivity issues with a server or a website, it is important to identify where the problem occurs along the network path. The MTR (My Traceroute) tool combines the functionalities of ping and traceroute, providing a detailed analysis of latency and packet loss at each hop.

This guide explains how to run an MTR on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

1. Running MTR on Windows

Windows does not include the official MTR tool, but you can use a reliable alternative called WinMTR.

Steps:

1. Download WinMTR from the official repository: Download link
2. Launch the application (no complex installation is required).
3. In the Host field, enter the IP address or domain name you want to test, e.g., google.com.
4. Click Start to begin the test.
5. Let it run for a few minutes to gather accurate statistics.
6. Use Copy Text to clipboard or Export HTML to save the results.

2. Running MTR on macOS

macOS does not include MTR by default, but it can be installed via Homebrew.

Installation and usage:

# Check if Homebrew is installed
brew --version

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

# Install MTR
brew install mtr

# Run MTR
sudo mtr google.com

# Generate a readable report
sudo mtr -rw ouiheberg.com

3. Running MTR on Linux

On Linux, installing MTR is straightforward since it is available in most package repositories.

Installation by distribution:

# Debian / Ubuntu
sudo apt update && sudo apt install mtr -y

# CentOS / AlmaLinux / RockyLinux
sudo yum install mtr -y

# Arch Linux
sudo pacman -S mtr

Usage:

# Run MTR in real-time
mtr google.com

# Generate a detailed report
mtr -rw ouiheberg.com

# Export results to a file
mtr -rw ouiheberg.com > mtr_result.txt

4. Understanding the Results

An MTR report shows several useful metrics:

• Host: the hostname or IP of each router in the path.
• Loss%: the percentage of packet loss.
• Last / Avg / Best / Wrst: response times in milliseconds.

Key points:

• If packet loss appears on an intermediate hop but disappears afterward, it is not necessarily a problem.
• If packet loss continues until the final destination, it indicates a real network issue.

Conclusion

MTR is an essential tool for diagnosing latency, routing, and packet loss issues. Whether you are using Windows, macOS, or Linux, there is always a way to run it. If you experience issues with your OuiHeberg server, we recommend running an MTR to your machine and sending the report to our support team for quick and accurate troubleshooting.