MTR

What is MTR?

MTR is a network diagnostic tool which combines the results of both the ping and traceroute tools. When a computer connects to another computer over the internet, the network traffic is sent through a series of routers, or “hops”, in between the source and destination to efficiently deliver content. MTR looks at each of these hops and measures the latency and packet loss against each one, including the destination. This information allows us to figure out where a network problem lies.

For ExaVault, an MTR trace lets us see the network traffic between your system and the server hosting your files. This can help us pinpoint spots in the route where traffic is slowing down or getting lost.

Installing 'WinMTR' on Microsoft Windows

Unfortunately, the MTR tool does not come pre-installed on Windows so you will need to install it yourself.

1. Download and install 'WinMTR-v100-static.zip' from the WinMTR github repo. You will get a .zip archive containing two binaries; WinMTR.exe and WinMTR64.exe.

2. Click the correct one for your platform; either 32-bit or 64-bit. If you don't know whether you have a 32-bit or 64-bit platform, try them both and see which one works.

Using 'WinMTR' on Microsoft Windows

To use 'WinMTR' on Microsoft Windows, double-click on the WinMTR version for your computer:

1. Enter your account address into the Host box.

2. Click Start.

3. Let WinMTR run for 10-15 minutes.

4. Click Stop.

5. Click Copy Text to Clipboard.

6. Paste the results in an email to support.

Installing 'MTR' in Mac OS X

The MTR tool does not come pre-installed on Mac OS X computers and is not available in the Apple store.

You will need to have the Homebrew package management system installed on your computer before you can install MTR. This package management system makes libraries and utilities available for your Mac that are not included in the Mac OS X installation by default.

Note: if you have the MacPorts package management system installed, you will need to use that to install the MTR utility as it is not compatible with the Homebrew package management system.

Installing and Using 'MTR' from Homebrew

1. To install Homebrew, open a Terminal window by pressing Command + Space, then type “terminal” into the Spotlight Search and pressing enter.

2. In the Terminal window that opens, enter the following command and press Enter to run:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install.sh)"

During this step, watch Terminal for messages that the installation my be interrupted. This may include password prompts or a requirement update Command Link Tools for Xcode by entering the Apple Menu > System Preferences > Software Update on your Mac.

3. To install MTR, run the command

brew install mtr

4. Once MTR is installed, run the command:

cd /usr/local/Cellar/mtr/0.94/sbin

Pending on the version of MTR installed, the previous command may be outdated. To confirm the version that was installed, review the Homebrew summary provided in Terminal or

I. Run directory list command:

ls /usr/local/Cellar/mtr/

II. Copy the correct version number and replace “0.94” in the previous command.

III. Rerun previous command.

5. Make the mtr command available to your system by running:

cp mtr /usr/local/bin/

If you get a permission error, run:

sudo cp mtr /usr/local/bin/

6. To run an mtr trace, run the command:

sudo mtr myaccount.exavault.com

Note that myaccount.exavault.com should be the address for your account (such as test.exavault.com).

7. Let the MTR trace run for 10-15 minutes.

8. Use your mouse to highlight the traces results.

9. Press Command-C to copy the trace.

10. Email support and Press Command-V to paste the results in to the email.

11. Press q in terminal to end the mtr trace and close the window.

Understanding MTR Results

If you see 0% packet loss throughout all the hops of the MTR trace, this indicates that there likely is not a networking issue between your computer and the ExaVault server.

If you see packet loss that does not get recovered in later hops, the suggests a potential problem in the route your system is taking to reach ExaVault. Be sure to send the results over for further review.