Hello,
Just wondering if someone can help explain why there are different routes to a host when I use Trace route (tracert) from a command prompt. If I tracert say client.schwab.com from DOS prompt I get a straight route in the USA to the site but using Pingplotter the trace goes through Vienna, Prague, France. This is reproducible for a couple different sites.

I have cleared my DNS cache and browser cache, just in case.

Any ideas?

Hi BobW,

Thanks for visiting us on the forums today!

There are many reasons this might be different. You can see totally different routes to Facebook (for example) if you use UDP versus ICMP. It could be the packet size. It could be a router that is making a decision on where to route through. It could even be that the DNS resolution process is getting a different IP for tracert than PingPlotter is.

What might help to isolate what it may be is a screenshot of both traces and a copy of your settings from PingPlotter. You can submit the settings by clicking "Help" -> "Email PingPlotter Support" and sending that ticket from within PingPlotter. You can also email the screenshots to support@pingplotter.com

Thanks again for your great question!

-Phillip