[SOLVED] Tracert on Windows Returns Slower than on Linux

Tracert on Windows Returns Slower than on Linux

I have two computers, one Windows and one Linux sitting side by side on my desk, both connecting to the same internet. If I run a tracert on www.stackoverflow.com and traceroute www.stackoverflow.com, both return the same data. However, tracert on Windows takes 3x as long (with the same params) as traceroute on Linux (linux tr is almost instantaneous)

I tried tracert -d but no real difference to speak of.

How can I get Windows tracert to return at the same speed?

Thanks

Solution

The Windows tracert tool sends ICMP echo requests; many routers will just DROP ICMP echo requests. Thus the tool must wait for an internal timeout before declaring that route dead.

The Linux traceroute tool sends UDP connection attempts; routers have to forward these packets, so it works pretty reliably. This means the tool won't have to wait for timeouts from most of the routers along the way.