Tutorials

Run an MTR Network Test

Learn what MTR is and how to run one on Windows, macOS, or Linux to capture a network path report for diagnosing connection issues.

Last updated: February 28, 2026

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Run an MTR test to capture a detailed map of your connection path to the server — showing every hop, its latency, and any packet loss along the way. When you share this with our support team, we can pinpoint exactly where a connection issue is occurring.

What is MTR?

MTR (My Traceroute) combines two classic network tools — ping and traceroute — into a single continuous test. A standard traceroute shows you the route your traffic takes from your computer to a server. MTR goes further by continuously measuring the latency and packet loss at each stop (hop) along that path.

This matters because a connection problem isn’t always at your server. It could be at your ISP, a transit provider somewhere in between, or a peering point between networks. MTR shows you all of it, which is why we ask for it when diagnosing connection issues.

Windows

  1. Download WinMTR
  2. Extract the .zip file to a location on your PC.
  3. Open the extracted folder, then open the subfolder matching your Windows version (32-bit or 64-bit), and run WinMTR.exe.
  4. Enter your server IP address in the Host field.
  5. Click Start, then connect to your server normally while the test runs.
  6. After at least 5 minutes or 100 sends, click Stop.
  7. Click Export Text and save the .txt file.
  8. Send the .txt file to our support team.

macOS

MTR is available via Homebrew. If you don’t have Homebrew installed, run the following in Terminal first:

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

Then install and run MTR:

brew install mtr
sudo $(brew --prefix)/sbin/mtr -w -c 100 <IP>

Replace <IP> with your server IP address. sudo is required because MTR needs raw socket access on macOS.

Copy the full terminal output and send it to our support team.

Linux

MTR is included in most Linux distributions. Run the following in your terminal:

mtr -w -c 100 <IP>

Replace <IP> with your server IP. The -w flag produces a wide report and -c 100 runs 100 send cycles.

Copy the full terminal output and send it to our support team.

Reading the Results

You don’t need to interpret the results yourself — just share them with our support team. That said, here’s what to look for:

  • Packet loss at the final hop (your server) is the most significant indicator of a network issue affecting your connection.
  • Packet loss at intermediate hops that recovers by the final hop is usually not a problem — many routers silently drop the ICMP packets MTR uses without affecting real game traffic.
  • Consistently high latency starting at a specific hop that persists through the rest of the path points to that hop as the likely bottleneck.

Frequently Asked Questions

MTR (My Traceroute) is a network diagnostic tool that combines ping and traceroute into a continuous test. It maps every hop between your computer and a destination, measuring the latency and packet loss at each one — so you can see exactly where in the path a problem is occurring.

At least 100 sends or 5 minutes, whichever is longer. Short tests don't capture enough data to identify intermittent issues.

Many routers deprioritize or silently drop the ICMP packets MTR uses without affecting regular game traffic. Packet loss at intermediate hops that clears up by the final hop is typically not the cause of your issues. Sustained loss at the final hop (your server) is what matters most.

Send the report to our support team — the exported .txt file from WinMTR on Windows, or the terminal output copied as text on macOS and Linux.

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