tracert Program (path to the source)

Command Line :

C:\Documents and Settings\User10>tracert

Usage: tracert [-d] [-h maximum_hops] [-j host-list] [-w timeout] target_name

Options:
    -d                 Do not resolve addresses to hostnames.
    -h maximum_hops    Maximum number of hops to search for target.
    -j host-list       Loose source route along host-list.
    -w timeout         Wait timeout milliseconds for each reply.

What?
Trace route is a handy little program that shows the networks / servers your request goes through to finally get you to the destination server.
To try it out just do

tracert

any_site_here

You will get a response similar to the one given below:

C:\Documents and Settings\User10>tracert digitalpbk.blogspot.com

Tracing route to blogspot.l.google.com [72.14.207.191]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

  1     *     2597 ms     8 ms  192.168.1.1
  2    17 ms    18 ms    14 ms  59.93.0.1
  3     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  4     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  5     *       56 ms    59 ms  125.16.156.37
  6   135 ms    63 ms    63 ms  125.21.167.25
  7  3559 ms   316 ms   284 ms  sl-gw39-nyc-10-2.sprintlink.net [144.223.157.149]
  8  1040 ms   288 ms   286 ms  sl-bb21-nyc-3-0-0.sprintlink.net [144.232.13.57]
  9   593 ms   285 ms   290 ms  sl-bb22-nyc-14-0.sprintlink.net [144.232.7.102]
 10   371 ms   283 ms   535 ms  sl-crs1-nyc-0-8-0-0.sprintlink.net [144.232.7.107]
 11   287 ms   286 ms   287 ms  sl-bb23-pen-4-0-0.sprintlink.net [144.232.20.123]
 12   291 ms   292 ms   328 ms  sl-bb24-rly-4-0.sprintlink.net [144.232.20.210]
 13   715 ms   299 ms     *     sl-st22-ash-6-0.sprintlink.net [144.232.20.189]
 14   318 ms   303 ms  1538 ms  144.223.246.18
 15     *      773 ms   307 ms  209.85.130.18
 16  1151 ms   407 ms   409 ms  72.14.238.232
 17   432 ms     *      378 ms  209.85.250.110
 18  2107 ms   747 ms     *     66.249.94.90
 19     *        *        *     Request timed out.
 20     *        *     2829 ms  eh-in-f191.google.com [72.14.207.191]

Trace complete.

It shows that the request went through 19 systems to reach google.. phew!! :)

Have fun :)

Linux should also have one ?
can anyone comment on that ?