mtr on macOS: how to install and run network diagnostics

mtr (My Traceroute) is a handy utility that combines the capabilities of ping and traceroute. With its help, you can quickly see the route of packets to the server, measure delays at each node and identify losses due to which the connection sags.

What mtr can do

mtr sequentially polls nodes along the path to the target and shows in real time exactly where delays occur or packets are lost. This helps to quickly distinguish a local problem from problems at the provider or on the backbone of the network.

Installing mtr on macOS

1) Install Homebrew

The Homebrew package manager will simplify the installation of the utility itself.

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

brew -v

If the script asks for an administrator password, enter it and confirm the installation.

2) Install mtr

brew install mtr

Next, place the binaries in the system path (administrator rights 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 accessible from any terminal. If necessary, restart the terminal.

Quick start: how to check the connection

To work correctly on macOS, the utility usually requires superuser rights:

sudo mtr

In a few seconds you will see a table with routes and metrics. To get a snapshot without interactive updating, use report mode:

sudo mtr -r -c 10 example.com

The -c 10 flag will indicate sending 10 requests to each node and displaying a final summary — such a report is convenient to attach to a support request.

How to read results

The rows of the table list the route nodes and their indicators:

• Host—domain name or IP address of the host.
• Loss% — the proportion of lost packets.
• Snt/Recv — how many packets were sent and received.
• Last / Avg / Best / Wrst — last, average, minimum and maximum delays (ms).
• StDev — delay spread: helps to understand the stability of the channel.

Repeated losses at a specific node and noticeably increased Avg or Wrst Compared to its neighbors, this is a cause for concern. It is these areas that are most often the “bottleneck”.

Useful options

• -r — report without interactive mode.
• -c N is the number of packets (for example, -c 10).
• -i X — interval between requests (default 1 second).
• -4 or -6—force IPv4 or IPv6.
• -T — send TCP packets (useful for checking services).
• -u — Send UDP packets when ICMP may be blocked.

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