How to make tracing in computer networks

In everyday life we all often say the word "route": an automobile highway, a cable line. The term is also used by designers when working with graphics, programmers when debugging applications, administrators of computer networks , etc. Such a wide distribution does not allow us to give a clear definition - depending on the scope of application there are specific features that are separately stipulated. In general, the track is a direction, or, if you will, a conditional line.

In today's article, we will talk about network technologies: how to make a trace. But first let's figure out who this material can be useful for. If you understand everything with server administrators, after all, it's their immediate job, then how is the normal computer user connected to the trace? A situation familiar to many: at one fine (or not) moment the favorite site in the global network ceases to open. Is there a problem with the connection? Or maybe some work is done on the target server? Or the local caching proxy for some reason incorrectly processes the request? It is understandable that every person wants to know the true cause of what is happening, and not at random to check their guesses. To do this, there are two software tools that allow you to test the ping site and perform a trace.

Any site is a collection of text pages (metalanguage) that are located on the server. This is a special computer (node), connected to the network around the clock. When the user enters the site name in the address bar of his browser, a request is sent to the server and the response is returned (the site is displayed). However, very rarely the user's computer is directly connected to such server by communication lines. Usually there are other nodes between them - intermediate servers, partially transparent to the request. Tracing to the server allows you to get a kind of map - the route by which the signal passes. After carefully viewing it, you can highly indicate the reason for the inoperability of the resource.

Knowing how to make a trace, you can immediately "cut off" the faults of the communication cable or browser settings. It is also easy to identify problems with the provider itself. It is quite easy to understand how to make a trace, since the necessary program is included in all major operating systems (Windows, Linux, Mac OS). In the first case, it is called "tracert", and in the second - "traceroute". This is the main difference, so working with this tool in different systems is identical.

Imagine that the site site is not opened in the Vindous system, while all other resources of the Network are available. How to make a trace? Pressing the "Win + R" combination, run the command line. In the line, type "tracert site" and execute (Enter). A window with the current results appears. They are always different. This depends on the workload of the host servers and the path of the data packets chosen by the protocol.

With the specified syntax, the total number of intermediate servers, their IP-addresses and the value of ping on each of them will be given out. Too big ping means delays when the target site is opened, but the message about the exceeding of the waiting interval indicates obvious problems on this route (route). By the way, their presence does not mean at all that the site does not open, because there can be only temporary problems on the site. In fact, the tracert tool provides rough data, although their reliability is quite high. If the delay occurs on intermediate nodes, then you need to repeat the request after a while - the path will change and the site will open. But if the delay is on the target server, then the reason for the inoperability is obvious - these are some problems on the side of the hosting provider.