mtr on macOS: How to Install and Run Network Diagnostics

mtr on macOS: How to Install and Run Network Diagnostics

mtr (My Traceroute) is a handy utility that combines the functions of ping and traceroute. It allows you to quickly visualize the route packets take to a server, measure latency at each hop, and detect packet loss that causes connection instability.

What mtr Does

mtr sequentially probes all nodes along the route to a destination and displays — in real time — where delays or packet losses occur. This helps you quickly distinguish a local issue from problems with your ISP or a backbone network.

Installing mtr on macOS

1) Install Homebrew

The Homebrew package manager makes installing mtr simple:

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

brew -v

If prompted, enter your administrator password and confirm the installation.

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2) Install mtr

Once Homebrew is installed, run:

brew install mtr

Then move the binary files into your system path (administrator rights are required):

sudo cp "$(brew --prefix mtr)/sbin/mtr" /usr/local/bin

sudo cp "$(brew --prefix mtr)/sbin/mtr-packet" /usr/local/bin

After this, mtr will be available from any terminal. Restart the terminal if needed.

Quick Start: Testing the Connection

On macOS, mtr typically requires superuser privileges to run:

sudo mtr <IP_or_domain>

After a few seconds, you’ll see a table displaying all hops and their metrics.
 To take a static snapshot instead of live updating results, use report mode:

sudo mtr -r -c 10 example.com

The flag -c 10 tells mtr to send 10 probes to each node and generate a summary report — perfect for attaching to a support ticket.

How to Read the Results

Each row in the table represents a hop (node) along the route, with its statistics:

  • Host — hostname or IP address of the node.
  • Loss % — percentage of packets lost.
  • Snt/Recv — number of packets sent and received.
  • Last / Avg / Best / Wrst — last, average, minimum, and maximum latency (in ms).
  • StDev — latency variation, showing the connection’s stability.

Consistent packet loss on a specific node or a noticeable increase in Avg or Wrst values compared to nearby hops is a red flag — these are often the network’s weak spots.

Useful Parameters

  • -r — report mode (non-interactive).
  • -c N — number of packets to send (e.g., -c 10).
  • -i X — interval between requests (default: 1 second).
  • -4 or -6 — force IPv4 or IPv6 mode.
  • -T — send TCP packets (useful for testing services).

-u — send UDP packets (helpful when ICMP is blocked).