USING TRACE ROUTE (TRACERT) IN WINDOWS

This is a brief written and video tutorial on how to use a fairly basic but quite interesting feature in all modern Windows - the trace route or tracert function.
The tracert function in Windows helps you monitor the route data packets take from your computer to another I.P. address - i.e. a website /server /another computer on a network.

STEP 1 - OPEN THE START MENU

Click on the "Start" button in the bottom left had corner of your screen.

STEP 2 - BEGIN THE RUN OPTION

In Windows XP - simply click the "Run" icon contained in the start menu.

In Windows Vista / Se7en - type "run" into the search box and click enter.

STEP 3 - OPEN A COMMAND PROMPT WINDOW

In the input box on the run option type "cmd" and hit enter.

STEP 4 - BEGIN THE TRACE ROUTE PROCESS

In the command promt window type cmd\ and hit enter.
The cursor will automatically jump down to the next line.
In the next command prompt line type tracert then space then whatever website or I.P. address you wish to trace a route to ie www.jonnyfartypants.com

The first line will display your I.P. address and every line after that will be the I.P. address of a server that your request is flowing though before reaching its final destination.