When diagnosing network connectivity problems in Windows 11, many users are familiar with the basic ping and tracert commands. However, Windows includes a more advanced utility called pathping that combines the functionality of both commands into a single, comprehensive diagnostic test.
The pathping command traces the route to a destination (like tracert) and then spends several minutes sending packets to every router along the path (like ping). This allows it to calculate precise packet loss statistics at each hop, making it significantly more effective at pinpointing the exact network segment where problems are occurring.
How pathping Differs from ping and tracert
Understanding the difference between these three tools is crucial for selecting the right one for the job:
- ping: Tests whether a single destination is reachable and measures the round-trip latency. It does not show you the path your packets take to get there.
- tracert: Maps the complete route your packets take from your computer to the destination, listing every router (hop) along the way. However, it only sends a few packets per hop and does not measure sustained packet loss.
- pathping: First maps the complete route (like tracert), then sends hundreds of packets to each hop over a sustained period (typically 25 seconds per hop) to calculate reliable packet loss and latency statistics for every single router on the path.
Running a Basic pathping Test
Step 1: Open the Terminal
Right-click the Start button and select Terminal or Windows PowerShell. Administrator privileges are not required for basic usage.
Step 2: Execute the Command
Type pathping followed by the domain name or IP address of the destination you want to test:
pathping google.com
Step 3: Wait for the Test to Complete
The pathping command runs in two phases. During the first phase (which completes in seconds), it traces the route and lists all the hops between your computer and the destination. During the second phase (which takes several minutes), it sends test packets to every hop and collects statistics.
You will see a message indicating how long the computation will take, such as “Computing statistics for 275 seconds…” Be patient and let the test finish for accurate results.
Reading the pathping Output
After the test completes, pathping displays a detailed statistics table. Each row represents one hop (router) on the network path. The key columns are:
- RTT (Round Trip Time): The average latency in milliseconds to reach that specific hop from your computer.
- Source to Here (Lost/Sent = Pct): The number of packets lost between your computer and that hop, expressed as a percentage. A high percentage here indicates a problem at or before this hop.
- This Node/Link (Lost/Sent = Pct): The packet loss occurring specifically at this hop (the router itself or the link immediately preceding it). This is the most important column for isolating the faulty segment.
If you see 0% loss throughout all hops, your network path is healthy. If you see a sudden spike in loss at a particular hop, that router or the link to it is likely the source of your connectivity problem.
Useful pathping Options
You can modify the behaviour of pathping using several command-line flags:
-n: Prevents pathping from resolving IP addresses to hostnames. This significantly speeds up the initial route-tracing phase because it skips DNS lookups for each hop. Use this when you do not need to know the router hostnames.-q <number>: Changes the number of queries (test packets) sent to each hop during the computation phase. The default is 100. Reducing this number (e.g.,-q 50) will halve the waiting time but produce less statistically reliable results.-w <milliseconds>: Sets the timeout period for each reply. If you are testing a connection to a very distant or slow server, you may need to increase this from the default.-h <number>: Sets the maximum number of hops to search. The default is 30. If your destination is on a complex network that requires more than 30 hops, you can increase this limit.
For a faster test that skips hostname resolution and uses fewer packets:
pathping -n -q 50 google.com
By using pathping instead of the simpler ping or tracert, you gain a far more detailed and accurate picture of your network’s health, allowing you to report the precise location of problems to your Internet Service Provider or network administrator.