What is the difference between "ICMP using Windows DLL" and the other options? Is "ICMP using windows DLL" using both TCP and UDP when appropriate?

Hey Jabroni,

Thank you for posting. I'll break down each of the options:

ICMP using Windows DLL- is the default packet type. It's a traditional method and matches the data that the Windows TRACERT command uses. It works on all Windows operating systems and is a good balance of reliability and capability.

The packet type being sent is ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol), not TCP or UDP. ICMP is a protocol that devices on a network used to communicate problems. This is usually the best packet for most situations when using PingPlotter.

ICMP using Raw Sockets- has PingPlotter compose its own ICMP packets but, it's no more reliable than using DLLs (Dynamic Link Libraries). It requires administrative rights to use.

UDP Packets- are close to Unix’s traceroute command. UDP will occasionally allow you to trace to a destination that ICMPs cannot. It's worth testing this if you're not reaching your destination via ICMP.

TCP Packets- are mainly used for getting around firewalls if ICMP packets are getting blocked. To use TCP you need administrative rights and to install Npcap.

You can find more details in our online manual here: https://www.pingplotter.com/manual/packetoptions.html

I hope that answers your question. Let me know if you have any others or if you need anything else.

Thank you,