How to Use Pathping in Windows 11
If you are experiencing slow internet, unstable connections, or packet loss in Windows 11, the Pathping command can help you find where the problem may be occurring. Unlike a basic ping test, Pathping can show the network route to a destination and provide statistics about latency and packet loss at intermediate hops.
Pathping combines some of the functions of Tracert and Ping. It first identifies the routers along the route and then sends multiple test packets to those routers over a period of time to calculate packet-loss and latency statistics.
 |
| Learn how to use Pathping in Windows 11 to trace network routes and analyze latency and packet loss. |
In this guide, you will learn how to use Pathping in Windows 11, how to read its results, what packet-loss percentages mean, which Pathping options are useful, and how to use the results when troubleshooting network problems.
What Is Pathping in Windows 11?
Pathping is a built-in Windows command-line network diagnostic tool. It identifies the routers between your computer and a destination and then gathers additional statistics from those intermediate network points.
The main advantage of Pathping is that it can help you determine whether packet loss appears to be associated with a particular router or network link.
Microsoft documents Pathping as a Windows 11 command. The command sends multiple echo requests to routers along the route and calculates results based on the responses received.
This makes Pathping particularly useful when a normal ping test tells you that a connection is unstable but does not give you enough information to identify where the problem is happening.
Pathping vs Ping vs Tracert
Although these three commands are related, they answer different questions.
| Command | Main Purpose | Useful For |
|---|---|---|
| ping | Tests connectivity and response time | Checking whether a destination responds |
| tracert | Shows the route to a destination | Finding the network hops between your PC and a destination |
| pathping | Shows the route plus packet-loss and latency statistics | Investigating network instability and possible packet loss |
If you have not used Tracert yet, see our guide on How to Use Tracert in Windows 11.
How to Open Command Prompt in Windows 11
You can run Pathping from Command Prompt. Administrator privileges are generally not required for a basic Pathping test.
- Press Windows + S.
- Type Command Prompt.
- Open Command Prompt.
- Type the Pathping command you want to test.
- Press Enter.
You can also open Windows Terminal and use Command Prompt there.
How to Use Pathping in Windows 11
The simplest way to run Pathping is to provide a hostname or IP address after the command.
pathping example.comPress Enter and Windows will begin tracing the route to the destination.
Pathping first identifies the routers along the path. It then spends additional time collecting responses and calculating statistics.
Because Pathping performs many tests, it can take significantly longer than a simple ping or Tracert command. This is normal.
How to Use Pathping With an IP Address
You can also run Pathping directly against an IP address.
pathping 8.8.8.8Using an IP address can be useful when you want to reduce the possibility that hostname resolution is affecting your test.
For example, if you are troubleshooting DNS separately, you can compare a Pathping test against a hostname with a Pathping test against an IP address.
For more information about checking DNS configuration, see How to Check DNS Settings in Windows 11.
How Long Does Pathping Take?
One of the most important things to understand about Pathping is that it does not finish immediately.
After displaying the route, Pathping enters a statistics-gathering phase. It sends multiple requests to the routers along the route and calculates the results.
The amount of time can vary depending on the number of hops and the options you specify.
If you see a message similar to:
Computing statistics for 125 seconds...do not assume that the command has stopped responding. Allow it to complete so you can obtain the complete statistics.
How to Read Pathping Results
A typical Pathping result contains information such as:
- Hop number
- Round-trip time (RTT)
- Packets lost and sent
- Packet-loss percentage
- Router or destination address
A simplified example might look like this:
Hop RTT Lost/Sent = Pct This Node/Link Address
0 0/100 = 0% 192.168.1.1
1 12ms 0/100 = 0% 0/100 = 0% 10.0.0.1
2 25ms 5/100 = 5% 0/100 = 0% 203.0.113.1
3 40ms 10/100 = 10% 5/100 = 5% 198.51.100.1
4 55ms 10/100 = 10% 0/100 = 0% 8.8.8.8The exact output will vary depending on your network and destination.
What Does RTT Mean in Pathping?
RTT means Round Trip Time. It represents how long it takes for a test packet to travel to a destination and for the response to return.
RTT is normally displayed in milliseconds, or ms.
For example:
- 10 ms: very low response time
- 30 ms: generally low latency
- 80 ms: noticeable but often usable latency
- 150 ms or higher: potentially significant latency depending on the application
However, a higher RTT at one particular router does not automatically mean that router is causing a problem. Some routers intentionally respond to diagnostic packets at a lower priority than they forward normal traffic.
What Does Packet Loss Mean in Pathping?
Packet loss indicates that some of the test packets did not receive a response.
For example:
20/100 = 20%means that 20 out of 100 test packets did not receive a response for the statistic being displayed.
However, you should not immediately assume that a router with packet loss is broken.
A router may limit or deprioritize responses to diagnostic packets while continuing to forward normal traffic correctly. The most useful evidence is persistent loss that continues toward the destination or appears specifically on a link and affects subsequent hops.
How to Identify a Possible Problem Hop
When analyzing Pathping results, do not focus only on the first hop that shows packet loss.
Instead, compare the loss shown at that hop with the loss reported by subsequent hops.
For example, if one intermediate router reports 20% loss but the following routers and final destination show 0% loss, the apparent loss may simply indicate that the router is not responding to diagnostic probes consistently.
On the other hand, if packet loss appears at one point and continues through the remaining route to the destination, that is stronger evidence that the problem may be affecting the network path.
How to Run Pathping Without DNS Name Resolution
Use the /n option to prevent Pathping from attempting to resolve intermediate router IP addresses into hostnames.
pathping /n example.comThis can make results appear faster and keeps the output focused on IP addresses.
The /n option is especially useful when you are troubleshooting a connection and want to reduce the additional work caused by name resolution.
How to Limit the Maximum Number of Hops
Pathping uses a default maximum of 30 hops. You can specify a different maximum with the /h option.
pathping /h 15 example.comThis tells Pathping to search for the destination using a maximum of 15 hops.
If you know that the destination should be relatively close, reducing the maximum number of hops can help limit the scope of the test.
How to Change the Number of Queries
By default, Pathping sends 100 echo requests to each router in the path.
You can change the number of queries with the /q option.
pathping /q 20 example.comThis performs fewer queries than the default configuration.
A smaller number of queries can be useful for a quick diagnostic check, while a larger sample can provide more data when investigating intermittent packet loss.
How to Change the Time Between Pings
The /p option specifies the period between consecutive pings in milliseconds.
pathping /p 500 example.comHere, Pathping waits 500 milliseconds between consecutive pings.
Microsoft recommends sending pings at a sufficiently slow rate to reduce network congestion and minimize the effect of burst losses during testing.
How to Change the Timeout
The /w option controls how long Pathping waits for a reply.
pathping /w 5000 example.comThe value is specified in milliseconds. The default timeout is 3000 milliseconds.
A longer timeout can sometimes be useful when testing destinations or network paths where responses take longer to arrive.
How to Force IPv4
If you want to test the destination using IPv4, use the /4 option.
pathping /4 example.comThis can be useful when you suspect that IPv4 and IPv6 are behaving differently on your network.
How to Force IPv6
You can also test using IPv6 with the /6 option.
pathping /6 example.comIf IPv6 is not properly configured or supported by the destination or your network, the test may not produce the expected results.
Useful Pathping Commands
| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
pathping example.com |
Run a standard Pathping test |
pathping /n example.com |
Skip router name resolution |
pathping /h 15 example.com |
Limit the route to 15 hops |
pathping /q 20 example.com |
Send 20 queries per router |
pathping /p 500 example.com |
Use a 500 ms interval |
pathping /w 5000 example.com |
Use a 5000 ms timeout |
pathping /4 example.com |
Force IPv4 |
pathping /6 example.com |
Force IPv6 |
Pathping vs Tracert: Which Should You Use?
Use Tracert when you mainly want to see the route between your computer and a destination.
Use Pathping when you need additional statistics about packet loss and latency across the route.
A practical troubleshooting sequence is:
- Use Ping to check basic connectivity.
- Use Tracert to identify the route.
- Use Pathping to collect more detailed packet-loss statistics.
- Compare the results with your packet loss test.
- If the problem appears to be local, continue troubleshooting your Windows network configuration.
What to Do If Pathping Shows Packet Loss
If Pathping reports packet loss, do not immediately reset everything on your computer.
First, repeat the test to the same destination and compare the results. You can also test another destination to determine whether the issue is specific to one network path.
If the problem appears to be local to your computer or network adapter, you can investigate your IP configuration and network settings.
If necessary, see our guide on How to Reset TCP/IP in Windows 11.
You can also review How to Flush DNS Cache in Windows 11 if you suspect a DNS-related problem.
Common Pathping Mistakes
1. Assuming Every Lost Packet Means a Broken Router
An intermediate router may ignore or deprioritize diagnostic requests while still forwarding normal traffic.
2. Stopping Pathping Too Early
Pathping needs time to collect statistics. Interrupting the command before it finishes can prevent you from seeing the complete results.
3. Looking Only at One Hop
Always compare the results across multiple hops and, when possible, the final destination.
4. Testing Only One Destination
Run tests against more than one destination when diagnosing an intermittent connection. A problem affecting only one destination may be related to its route rather than your local connection.
5. Confusing Latency With Packet Loss
High latency and packet loss are different problems. A connection can have high latency without packet loss, or packet loss without consistently high latency.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Pathping work in Windows 11?
Yes. Pathping is a built-in Windows networking command and is documented by Microsoft as supported on Windows 11.
Does Pathping require Administrator access?
A standard Pathping test can normally be run from Command Prompt without administrator privileges.
Why does Pathping take so long?
Pathping collects multiple responses from the routers along the route and calculates statistics. This makes it slower than a basic ping or Tracert test.
What is the difference between Pathping and Tracert?
Tracert primarily shows the route and intermediate hops. Pathping also performs repeated tests and calculates latency and packet-loss statistics for the path.
Does packet loss at one hop always mean there is a network problem?
No. An intermediate router may limit responses to diagnostic packets. Look for loss that persists toward later hops or the final destination before concluding that there is a problem.
Can Pathping test an IP address?
Yes. You can use either a hostname or an IP address as the destination.
pathping 8.8.8.8Final Thoughts
Pathping is one of the most useful built-in Windows 11 commands for investigating network problems that are difficult to diagnose with a simple ping.
It combines route information with repeated network tests, allowing you to examine latency and packet-loss statistics across intermediate hops and links.
For the best results, do not use Pathping in isolation. Start with Ping, use Tracert to understand the route, and then use Pathping when you need more detailed information about packet loss and latency.
If your Windows 11 connection is unstable, this combination can give you a much clearer picture of whether the problem is likely to be on your computer, local network, ISP path, or somewhere farther along the route.