General Network Troubleshooting Tools: Ping and Traceroute

Ping is a utility that forwards data packets to check the quality of a link or verify the connection of a machine to the Internet.

 
How to run a ping if your computer is Windows 8 or later:
  1. Hit Windows Key + R to bring up the Run Window.
  2. Type "cmd" without the quote
  3. This should bring up the command prompt window.  type: ping -n 500 [hostname] > ping.txt
    • Replace [hostname] with your domain name or the host you wish to ping.
    • Example: ping -n 500 YourHostedDomainName.com > ping.txt
  4. Depending on the network speed, this command will run for several minutes. Once the diagnostic is complete, the results will be saved in a filed named ping.txt.
  5. If our Technical Support staff asked you to run a ping, please send them the text file for review.
 
How to run a ping if your computer is Windows Vista or Windows7:
  1. Click on the "Start" and then type "Command Prompt" in the "Start Search" field.
  2. From the search results, click on the "Command Prompt" icon that's listed under "Programs."
  3. After the "Command Prompt" window is open, type: ping -n 500 [hostname] > ping.txt
    • Replace [hostname] with your domain name or the host you wish to ping.
    • Example: ping -n 500 YourHostedDomainName.com > ping.txt
  4. Depending on the network speed, this command will run for several minutes. Once the diagnostic is complete, the results will be saved in a filed named ping.txt.
  5. If our Technical Support staff asked you to run a ping, please send them the text file for review.
 
How to run a ping if your computer is Windows 2000 or Windows XP:
  1. From the Start Menu, select: RUN
  2. Type: cmd
  3. In the popup window, type: ping -n 500 [hostname] > ping.txt
    • Replace [hostname] with your domain name or the host you wish to ping.
    • Example: ping -n 500 YourHostedDomainName.com > ping.txt
  4. Depending on the network speed, this command will run for several minutes. Once the diagnostic is complete, the result will be saved in a filed named ping.txt.
  5. If our Technical Support staff asked you to run a ping, please send them the text file for review.
 


A traceroute is a TCP/IP utility that allows the user to determine the route packets are taking to a particular host. A traceroute is useful in determining whether there is a network problem between your computer and our servers.


How to run a traceroute if your computer is Windows 8 or later:
 
  1. Hit Windows Key + R to bring up the Run Window.
  2. Type "cmd" without the quote
  3. This should bring up the command prompt window. type: tracert [hostname]
    • Replace [hostname] with your domain name or the host you wish to traceroute to.
    • Example: tracert YourHostedDomainName.com
  4. If the DiscountASP.NET Technical Support staff asked you to run a traceroute, please capture the results and send them to us for review. If you are not familiar with how to capture information from the command prompt, please see below.
 
How to run a traceroute if your computer is Windows Vista or Windows 7:
  1. Click on the "Start Orb" and then type "Command Prompt" in the "Start Search" field.
  2. From the search results, click on the "Command Prompt" icon that's listed under "Programs."
  3. After the "Command Prompt" window is open, type: tracert [hostname]
    • Replace [hostname] with your domain name or the host you wish to traceroute to.
    • Example: tracert YourHostedDomainName.com
  4. If the DiscountASP.NET Technical Support staff asked you to run a traceroute, please capture the results and send them to us for review. If you are not familiar with how to capture information from the command prompt, please see below.
 
How to run a traceroute if your computer is Windows 2000 or Windows XP:
  1. From the Start Menu, select: RUN
  2. Type: cmd
  3. In the popup window, type: tracert [hostname]
    • Replace [hostname] with your domain name or the host you wish to traceroute to.
    • Example: tracert YourHostedDomainName.com
  4. If the DiscountASP.NET Technical Support staff asked you to run a traceroute, please capture the results and send them to us for review. If you are not familiar with how to capture information from the command prompt, please see below.


How to capture results from the command prompt
  1. Right click in the command prompt screen.
  2. Select "Select All."
  3. Press the "Enter" key (this will copy the text).
  4. Open Notepad.
  5. Right click in the Notepad screen.
  6. Select "Paste."