Can I Get by with WinMTR?
Can I Get by with WinMTR?
If you have tried WinMTR v0.92, you know that it is a simple Windows tool for measuring packet loss and latency. The program, created by Appnor, has been around since 2000 as an Open Source Project now under the GPLv2 license. While the program has only received one update since 2002 (and was passed on to another developer in 2011) it remains a usable tool for some users.
If you are looking for a free tool, it might fit the bill. However, because of the limited investment in development time (especially in the last 14 years), there are definitely limitations in the software. The most notable limitation is the lack of support for IPv6 internet addresses, which are now becoming standard as the world runs out of IPv4 addresses. The tool was also designed to leverage the basic ICMP functions of traceroute and ping. As an ICMP only client, you are limited in testing destinations that respond to ICMP. Many routers and servers limit, down prioritize, or ignore ICMP packets. Modern tools support other protocols like UDP and TCP to enable testing these systems.
Another important distinction of WinMTR is that, like command line tools, WinMTR is designed to return simple numeric data in a single screen. There is no support for visualizing the data as a graph or viewing a history of test data. In essence, if you use WinMTR you need to watch the data in real-time in order to catch possible errors. This limitation discourages most users who want mid- or long-term monitoring. In fact, WinMTR doesn’t even store its data — you are required to export plain text or HTML.
Users who want to save a trip to the command prompt to get a snapshot of current route and ping times should meet their needs with WinMTR. For users wanting to visualize their data, collect and view their performance over time, or support for IPv6 address should try the free (or paid) versions of a modern visual ping tool like PingPlotter. In addition to network visualization, PingPlotter provides a simple share feature that enables you to publish your results to a private web page that can be shared with your internet provider.
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