Linux: Ping and Trace the Network Path
A remote service is intermittent. Bound the ping count, test the gateway, then trace the path and MTU. Work through it yourself in the live host terminal below.
Symptom
A remote service is intermittent. Bound the ping count, test the gateway, then trace the path and MTU.
Your mission
Inspect, recover, then verify
Format
Linux shell
Investigate before you configure.
Use the CLI evidence to isolate the fault, make the smallest safe correction, then verify the network state changed.
Observe the symptom and link state.
Diagnose by comparing the protocol evidence.
Verify the expected device state and confirm the original symptom is resolved.
Console access: Linux
This workspace stacks for portrait phones. Rotate to landscape for the full split-screen console.
Need a hint?
Reveal the root cause when you're ready.
Try the investigation first, then use this as your escape hatch, not a dead end.
Lab debrief
Turn the session into a repeatable troubleshooting pattern.
Use this reference after your attempt: first explain the symptom, then verify the evidence, then confirm the repair.
The problem
The host reaches its gateway without loss but sees intermittent replies from 203.0.113.20.
What you'll practice
- Bound ping with -c
- Test near before far
- Use tracepath without root privileges
- Read hop and path MTU evidence carefully
The topology
One Linux host reaches a remote server through its LAN gateway and two routed hops. The WAN path has intermittent loss.
Commands to run yourself
The real diagnostic commands for this lab, copy-paste ready. Run these in the same order to reproduce the investigation on your own session.
ping -c 4 10.20.30.1ping -c 4 203.0.113.20Topology diagram
Fact-checked references
The commands and behaviour in this lab were checked against these primary references.
Frequently asked
Why include -c 4?
Linux ping continues until interrupted by default. A count makes the lab and scripts finish predictably.
Can a silent hop still forward traffic?
Yes. Devices can filter diagnostic replies while forwarding data. Check later hops and the destination.
Ready to run this lab yourself?
No setup, no image sourcing. Book a session or ask for a live demo.