MTR Guide
- This guide explains how to gather useful network diagnostic information when you are experiencing slow download/upload speeds, high latency, packet loss, or routing issues between your local machine and your Ultra.cc service.
- MTR is a diagnostic tool that combines
pingandtraceroute. It helps show the network path between two points and can help identify where latency or packet loss may be occurring. - When troubleshooting, it is best to test the route in both directions:
- Local Machine → Ultra.cc Server
- Ultra.cc Server → Local Machine
- This is important because network routing is often asymmetric. The route from your device to your Ultra.cc service may be different from the route back from your Ultra.cc service to your device.
- MTR is installed by default on all Ultra.cc servers.
Before You Begin
Before running the tests, please gather the following information:
- Your public IP address.
- Whether you are using Ethernet, WiFi, or mobile data.
- Whether you are using a VPN, proxy, ExitLag, TCPShield, or any other routing/optimization tool.
- The approximate time when the issue occurs.
- Whether the issue happens all the time or only during certain periods.
- Whether the issue affects only you or multiple users/devices.
- You can check your public IP address at:
https://www.myip.com/- If possible, disable any VPN, proxy, or routing optimization tool before testing. These tools can change the route and make the results harder to interpret.
What Tests Should You Run?
- For best results, run the tests while the issue is happening.
- If the issue is intermittent, it can also be useful to run the same tests again when the issue is not happening for comparison.
- Recommended tests:
- MTR from your local machine to your Ultra.cc service.
- MTR from your Ultra.cc service to your local machine.
- MTR from your local machine to
1.1.1.1. - MTR from your local machine to
8.8.8.8. - A traceroute from your local machine to your Ultra.cc service
- Comparison tests to
1.1.1.1and8.8.8.8help determine whether the issue is specific to the route to Ultra.cc or part of a broader local/ISP routing issue.
MTR Usage on your Ultra.cc Service
To run an MTR from your Ultra.cc service to your local machine:
- Login to your Ultra.cc service via SSH.
- Execute the following command:
mtr -r -c 100 <Public IP address of your Local Machine>- This will send 100 packets and print a report.
- Copy the full output so it can be reviewed later if needed.
Example:
Windows
MTR Installation
- Download WinMTR.
- Extract the compressed file using your favorite file archiver utility like WinRAR.
- Based on your system architecture; x32 or x64 navigate to the respective folder.
- Run
WinMTR.exe
MTR Usage
- Enter the hostname address of your service, i.e
hostname.usbx.mein the Host field, then click on Start. - Wait for 100 packets to be sent, you can see this number under the Sent column.
- Once 100 packets are sent, click on Stop.
- In case results need to be shared with staff, the Copy Text to clipboard option will come in handy.
Example:
MacOS
MTR Installation
- Open a terminal window. You can do a spotlight search for it (Press
Command + Spaceand then type Terminal). - Install brew if you don't have it installed.
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install.sh)"- Install MTR using brew.
brew install mtr- Check MTR version
ls /usr/local/Cellar/mtr/- Change directory to MTR's install location.
cd /usr/local/Cellar/mtr/<version from previous step>/sbinExample:
cd /usr/local/Cellar/mtr/0.94/sbin- Make MTR executable by your system.
cp -r mtr* /usr/local/bin/In case the copy command fails due to permission error(s) run it again with sudo.
sudo cp -r mtr* /usr/local/bin/MTR Usage
- Open a terminal window. You can do a spotlight search for it (Press
Command + Spaceand then type Terminal). - Execute the following command:
sudo mtr -w -c 100 servername.usbx.meExample:
Linux
MTR Installation
- MTR can be installed on the various Linux Distros using their particular package tools.
- Install MTR on Debian/Ubuntu using apt with the following command:
sudo apt update && sudo apt -y install mtr- Install MTR on CentOS/RHEL/Fedora using yum with the following command:
sudo yum update && sudo yum -y install mtr- Install MTR on Arch using pacman with the following command:
sudo pacman -Syyu && sudo pacman -S mtrMTR Usage
- Open a terminal window.
- Run the following command:
mtr -w -c 100 hostname.usbx.meExample:
mtr -w -c 100 oblivion.usbx.meUnderstanding MTR Results
- After running the tests, you should have at least two important MTR results:
- One from your local machine to your Ultra.cc service
- One from your Ultra.cc service to your local machine
- These show the network path in both directions.
- MTR results usually include columns such as:
- Loss% — percentage of packets that did not receive a response
- Snt — number of packets sent
- Last — most recent latency result
- Avg — average latency
- Best — lowest latency
- Wrst — highest latency
- StDev — variation in latency
Important Notes About Packet Loss
- Packet loss in MTR should be interpreted carefully.
- Loss shown on an intermediate hop does not always mean real packet loss. Some routers intentionally rate-limit or deprioritize ICMP responses used by tools like MTR and traceroute. This can make a hop appear to have packet loss even when traffic is passing through normally.
- In general:
- Packet loss on an intermediate hop may not matter if later hops and the final destination are healthy.
- Packet loss that continues through later hops and appears at the final destination is more meaningful.
- High latency or packet loss at the final destination is more important than isolated loss on one intermediate hop.
- One MTR result alone is not always enough to identify the cause of a network issue.
Why Comparison Tests Matter
- MTRs to
1.1.1.1and8.8.8.8help compare the route to Ultra.cc against other well-known external destinations. - If you see similar packet loss or latency to Ultra.cc,
1.1.1.1, and8.8.8.8, the issue may be broader and related to your local network or ISP. - If the issue appears only on the route to Ultra.cc, the route between your ISP and Ultra.cc may need closer review.
If you require further assistance, you can open a support ticket here!