Mastering Ping and Traceroute: Advanced Options Every Network Engineer Should Know [CCNP Enterprise]

we’re diving into the tools you’ve used since day one—ping and traceroute—but with a twist. These commands are more powerful than most people realize. Sure, you know how to ping a server, but did you know you can set the packet size, use extended options, change protocols, or detect asymmetric routing issues—all from your terminal?

Whether you’re troubleshooting latency issues, verifying paths through a network, or testing connectivity under different conditions, learning the advanced options of ping and traceroute will supercharge your ability to diagnose and fix problems.

So, let’s go beyond the basics. Let’s ping with precision and trace with clarity.

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Theory in Brief – What Are Ping and Traceroute?

Ping and traceroute are classic network diagnostic tools. Despite their simplicity, they’re extremely effective when combined with extended options.

What Does Ping Do?

Ping uses ICMP Echo Requests to test connectivity between two devices. It tells you:

• Whether the remote device is reachable
• The time (latency) it takes for a round-trip
• Packet loss or variation in response time

What Does Traceroute Do?

Traceroute maps the path packets take from source to destination, showing each router hop along the way. It reveals:

• The number of hops
• The identity (IP/hostname) of each intermediate device
• Where packet delays or losses occur

Why Advanced Options Matter

Basic commands are useful, but with advanced options, you can:

• Simulate different traffic types (UDP, TCP, ICMP)
• Control TTL values to test specific hops
• Set source interfaces or addresses
• Customize packet sizes to detect MTU issues
• Use IPv6

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Summary / Comparison

Feature	Ping	Traceroute
Primary Use	Test basic connectivity	Identify packet path to destination
Protocol Used	ICMP Echo Request/Reply	UDP (Linux), ICMP (Windows), TCP (custom)
Shows RTT (Round Trip Time)	Yes	Yes (per hop)
Shows Each Hop	No	Yes
Detects Packet Loss	Yes	Yes
Extended Options Available	Yes (packet size, repeat, timeout)	Yes (protocol, port, TTL, size)
IPv6 Support	ping6	traceroute6

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Essential CLI Commands

Purpose	Command Example
Basic ping	ping 8.8.8.8
Ping with size	ping 8.8.8.8 size 1500
Extended ping (Cisco)	ping (interactive prompt with options)
Ping using source interface	ping 8.8.8.8 source GigabitEthernet0/0
Ping with repeat count	ping 8.8.8.8 repeat 100
Basic traceroute	traceroute 8.8.8.8
Traceroute using TCP	traceroute -T 8.8.8.8 (Linux)
Cisco traceroute with source interface	traceroute 8.8.8.8 source GigabitEthernet0/0
Windows traceroute	tracert google.com
IPv6 ping/traceroute	ping6 / traceroute6

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Real-World Use Cases

Scenario	How Ping/Traceroute Helps
User reports slow connection to web server	Ping shows high latency; traceroute pinpoints problem hop
Intermittent connectivity to a remote office	Traceroute identifies unstable router in path
Testing jumbo frame support across WAN	Ping with size 9000 helps test MTU
Asymmetric routing detection	Traceroute reveals different path in return vs outbound
Verifying firewall TCP port availability	TCP-based traceroute shows if port is reachable

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EVE-NG Lab – Ping & Traceroute in Action

LAB TOPOLOGY

• PC1 and PC2 in different subnets (10.1.1.0/24 and 10.2.2.0/24)
• R1-R2 is main path; R1-R3-R2 is backup
• Configure ICMP and TCP testing

Cisco CLI Configuration

On R1:

interface g0/0
 ip address 10.1.1.1 255.255.255.0

interface g0/1
 ip address 192.168.1.1 255.255.255.0

ip route 10.2.2.0 255.255.255.0 192.168.1.2

On R2:

interface g0/0
 ip address 192.168.1.2 255.255.255.0

interface g0/1
 ip address 10.2.2.1 255.255.255.0

From PC1:

ping 10.2.2.2 repeat 10 size 1400 timeout 1
traceroute 10.2.2.2 source 10.1.1.100

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Troubleshooting Tips

Symptom	Likely Cause	Recommended Action
Ping works but traceroute fails	ICMP allowed, but intermediate hops block TTL	Use TCP or UDP traceroute
High latency on certain hops	Congestion or routing loop	Use traceroute to isolate the slow segment
No response to ping	Host down, ACL blocking ICMP	Check firewall and interface status
Ping fails with large size	MTU mismatch or fragmentation issue	Lower size or check path MTU
Traceroute shows timeout on specific hop	Device silently dropping TTL expired packets	Normal for some routers; not always an issue

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the difference between Ping and Traceroute?

Answer:
Ping tests if a destination is reachable and measures the round-trip time of ICMP packets. It provides a simple yes/no answer on reachability and basic performance.
Traceroute, on the other hand, maps the path packets take through the network, showing each intermediate router (hop) and the latency at each stage. It helps identify where delays or failures are happening along the path.

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2. Why does traceroute sometimes show asterisks (*) instead of router IPs?

Answer:
Asterisks in traceroute output indicate no response from that hop. This can happen if:

• The router is configured to not respond to TTL-expired ICMP packets
• A firewall is blocking ICMP or UDP responses
• There is high CPU utilization on the router
  It doesn’t always indicate packet loss—sometimes it’s just a configuration choice.

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3. How can I perform an extended ping on Cisco devices?

Answer:
To access advanced options like packet size, timeout, source address, and repeat count, just type:

ping

Then follow the interactive prompts in Cisco IOS. You’ll be able to configure:

• Protocol (IP, IPv6)
• Source IP/interface
• Packet size
• Timeout value
• Number of ping packets

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4. Can I perform a traceroute using TCP instead of ICMP or UDP?

Answer:
Yes. TCP-based traceroute is useful when:

• Firewalls block ICMP and UDP
• You want to simulate real traffic on a specific port (e.g., port 80)

On Linux, you can run:

traceroute -T -p 80 example.com

This sends TCP SYN packets to port 80, mimicking HTTP traffic.

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5. What does the “Time to Live” (TTL) field do in traceroute?

Answer:
TTL limits how many hops a packet can take before it’s discarded. Traceroute starts with TTL=1 and increases it with each probe:

• TTL=1 reaches the first router
• TTL=2 reaches the second, and so on

Each router sends a “TTL expired” message back, allowing traceroute to list each hop along the path.

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6. Why would ping succeed, but traceroute fails?

Answer:
This usually happens when:

• The destination allows ICMP Echo (ping) but intermediate routers block TTL-expired ICMP responses used by traceroute.
• The path allows return traffic for pings but not for traceroute probes.

You can try TCP or UDP traceroute to bypass such restrictions.

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7. How can I test Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) using ping?

Answer:
To test MTU, send a ping with large packet size and set the Don’t Fragment (DF) flag:

On Cisco:

ping 8.8.8.8 size 1472 df-bit

On Windows:

ping -f -l 1472 8.8.8.8

(1472 + 28 bytes of ICMP/IP header = 1500 MTU)

If fragmentation is required and not allowed, the ping fails, indicating MTU issues along the path.

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8. What should I do if I see high latency at the first hop in traceroute?

Answer:
High latency on the first hop (usually your default gateway) can often be ignored if the rest of the path is normal. Many routers prioritize routing over ICMP responses, so their replies may appear delayed—even though they’re forwarding packets just fine.

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9. Can ping or traceroute detect asymmetric routing?

Answer:
Yes. If you run traceroute from both directions (source to destination and vice versa), and the hops are different, you’re seeing asymmetric routing. This can be:

• Normal in some designs (e.g., ECMP)
• Problematic if it causes firewall or session issues

Use packet capture or traceroute with source IP/interface to verify.

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10. Are ping and traceroute reliable in all networks?

Answer:
Not always. Their effectiveness can be limited by:

• Firewall policies that block ICMP or TTL-expired messages
• Rate limiting or CPU load on routers that delay responses
• Asymmetric routing causing confusing results

They’re excellent first-step tools, but for complete analysis, combine them with packet capture, NetFlow, or path monitoring tools.

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YouTube Link

Watch the Complete CCNP Enterprise: Mastering Ping and Traceroute: Advanced Options Every Network Engineer Should Know Lab Demo & Explanation on our channel:

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Final Note

Understanding how to differentiate and implement Mastering Ping and Traceroute: Advanced Options Every Network Engineer Should Know in Modern Networks is critical for anyone pursuing CCNP Enterprise (ENCOR) certification or working in enterprise network roles. Use this guide in your practice labs, real-world projects, and interviews to show a solid grasp of architectural planning and CLI-level configuration skills.

If you found this article helpful and want to take your skills to the next level, I invite you to join my Instructor-Led Weekend Batch for:

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