I read that a * means a packet loss in the tracert output. I ran the same command on the same IP 3 times and can consistently see a * on the same hop.
C:\Users\jpnin>tracert sea.valve.net
Tracing route to sea.valve.net [205.196.6.129]
over a maximum of 30 hops:
1 1 ms 1 ms 1 ms dlinkrouter.Dlink [192.168.0.1]
2 4 ms 2 ms 4 ms 10.226.0.1
3 451 ms 742 ms 696 ms 10.200.150.36
4 * * * Request timed out.
5 4 ms 3 ms 3 ms 121.242.155.181.static-chennai.vsnl.net.in [121.242.155.181]
6 27 ms 26 ms 26 ms 172.25.81.134
7 24 ms 22 ms 23 ms ix-ae-0-100.tcore1.mlv-mumbai.as6453.net [180.87.38.5]
8 215 ms * 215 ms if-ae-5-2.tcore1.wyn-marseille.as6453.net [80.231.217.29]
9 208 ms 210 ms 207 ms if-ae-2-3.tcore2.wyn-marseille.as6453.net [80.231.217.51]
10 214 ms 213 ms 213 ms if-ae-9-2.tcore2.l78-london.as6453.net [80.231.200.14]
11 210 ms 205 ms 205 ms if-ae-2-2.tcore1.l78-london.as6453.net [80.231.131.2]
12 219 ms 222 ms 218 ms if-ae-15-5.tcore3.njy-newark.as6453.net [80.231.130.102]
13 214 ms 210 ms 210 ms if-ae-1-3.tcore4.njy-newark.as6453.net [216.6.57.6]
14 204 ms 203 ms 202 ms if-ae-34-15.tcore3.nto-newyork.as6453.net [66.198.111.59]
15 * * 206 ms if-be-2-2.ecore1.n75-newyork.as6453.net [66.110.96.62]
16 206 ms 206 ms 202 ms if-ae-57-2.tcore1.n75-newyork.as6453.net [66.110.96.58]
17 207 ms 207 ms 209 ms 66.110.96.114
18 205 ms 206 ms 205 ms be-3312-cs03.newyork.ny.ibone.comcast.net [96.110.34.41]
19 218 ms 214 ms 214 ms be-1311-cr11.newyork.ny.ibone.comcast.net [96.110.35.122]
20 226 ms 226 ms 225 ms be-302-cr12.350ecermak.il.ibone.comcast.net [96.110.38.69]
21 223 ms 223 ms 222 ms be-1112-cs01.350ecermak.il.ibone.comcast.net [96.110.35.17]
22 228 ms 228 ms * be-1111-cr11.350ecermak.il.ibone.comcast.net [96.110.35.2]
23 244 ms 245 ms 245 ms be-304-cr11.1601milehigh.co.ibone.comcast.net [96.110.37.158]
24 249 ms 247 ms 246 ms be-1311-cs03.1601milehigh.co.ibone.comcast.net [96.110.39.73]
25 259 ms 257 ms 256 ms be-1313-cr13.1601milehigh.co.ibone.comcast.net [96.110.39.106]
26 248 ms 250 ms 248 ms be-303-cr13.champa.co.ibone.comcast.net [96.110.36.201]
27 248 ms 248 ms 248 ms be-1413-cs04.champa.co.ibone.comcast.net [96.110.37.237]
28 244 ms 244 ms 244 ms be-1411-cr11.champa.co.ibone.comcast.net [96.110.37.206]
29 269 ms 269 ms 269 ms be-302-cr11.seattle.wa.ibone.comcast.net [96.110.36.214]
30 269 ms 269 ms 272 ms be-1311-cs03.seattle.wa.ibone.comcast.net [96.110.47.201]
Trace complete.
C:\Users\jpnin>tracert sea.valve.net
Tracing route to sea.valve.net [205.196.6.129]
over a maximum of 30 hops:
1 1 ms 1 ms 1 ms dlinkrouter.Dlink [192.168.0.1]
2 3 ms 2 ms 2 ms 10.226.0.1
3 523 ms 415 ms 223 ms 10.200.150.36
4 * * * Request timed out.
5 3 ms 2 ms 5 ms 121.242.155.181.static-chennai.vsnl.net.in [121.242.155.181]
6 26 ms 28 ms 28 ms 172.25.81.134
7 21 ms 21 ms 21 ms ix-ae-0-100.tcore1.mlv-mumbai.as6453.net [180.87.38.5]
8 * * * Request timed out.
9 208 ms 213 ms 212 ms if-ae-2-3.tcore2.wyn-marseille.as6453.net [80.231.217.51]
10 215 ms 213 ms 213 ms if-ae-9-2.tcore2.l78-london.as6453.net [80.231.200.14]
11 208 ms 205 ms 209 ms if-ae-2-2.tcore1.l78-london.as6453.net [80.231.131.2]
12 224 ms 218 ms 220 ms if-ae-15-5.tcore3.njy-newark.as6453.net [80.231.130.102]
13 211 ms 211 ms 214 ms if-ae-1-3.tcore4.njy-newark.as6453.net [216.6.57.6]
14 202 ms 205 ms 203 ms if-ae-34-15.tcore3.nto-newyork.as6453.net [66.198.111.59]
15 207 ms 207 ms 208 ms if-be-2-2.ecore1.n75-newyork.as6453.net [66.110.96.62]
16 212 ms 204 ms 205 ms if-ae-57-2.tcore1.n75-newyork.as6453.net [66.110.96.58]
17 208 ms 207 ms 207 ms 66.110.96.114
18 205 ms 206 ms 209 ms be-3312-cs03.newyork.ny.ibone.comcast.net [96.110.34.41]
19 214 ms 214 ms 216 ms be-1311-cr11.newyork.ny.ibone.comcast.net [96.110.35.122]
20 227 ms 226 ms 228 ms be-302-cr12.350ecermak.il.ibone.comcast.net [96.110.38.69]
21 222 ms 223 ms 222 ms be-1112-cs01.350ecermak.il.ibone.comcast.net [96.110.35.17]
22 226 ms 228 ms * be-1111-cr11.350ecermak.il.ibone.comcast.net [96.110.35.2]
23 246 ms 243 ms 245 ms be-304-cr11.1601milehigh.co.ibone.comcast.net [96.110.37.158]
24 247 ms 253 ms 251 ms be-1311-cs03.1601milehigh.co.ibone.comcast.net [96.110.39.73]
25 257 ms 258 ms 260 ms be-1313-cr13.1601milehigh.co.ibone.comcast.net [96.110.39.106]
26 248 ms 251 ms 251 ms be-303-cr13.champa.co.ibone.comcast.net [96.110.36.201]
27 248 ms 247 ms 251 ms be-1413-cs04.champa.co.ibone.comcast.net [96.110.37.237]
28 246 ms 245 ms 244 ms be-1411-cr11.champa.co.ibone.comcast.net [96.110.37.206]
29 269 ms 270 ms 270 ms be-302-cr11.seattle.wa.ibone.comcast.net [96.110.36.214]
30 270 ms 269 ms 271 ms be-1311-cs03.seattle.wa.ibone.comcast.net [96.110.47.201]
Trace complete.
C:\Users\jpnin>tracert sea.valve.net
Tracing route to sea.valve.net [205.196.6.129]
over a maximum of 30 hops:
1 5 ms 5 ms 1 ms dlinkrouter.Dlink [192.168.0.1]
2 3 ms 3 ms 1 ms 10.226.0.1
3 30 ms 57 ms 151 ms 10.200.150.36
4 * * * Request timed out.
5 2 ms 2 ms 2 ms 121.242.155.181.static-chennai.vsnl.net.in [121.242.155.181]
6 27 ms 29 ms 28 ms 172.25.81.134
7 21 ms 25 ms 31 ms ix-ae-0-100.tcore1.mlv-mumbai.as6453.net [180.87.38.5]
8 216 ms 216 ms 216 ms if-ae-5-2.tcore1.wyn-marseille.as6453.net [80.231.217.29]
9 208 ms 207 ms 211 ms if-ae-2-3.tcore2.wyn-marseille.as6453.net [80.231.217.51]
10 213 ms 218 ms 213 ms if-ae-9-2.tcore2.l78-london.as6453.net [80.231.200.14]
11 234 ms 205 ms 204 ms if-ae-2-2.tcore1.l78-london.as6453.net [80.231.131.2]
12 226 ms 219 ms 218 ms if-ae-15-5.tcore3.njy-newark.as6453.net [80.231.130.102]
13 211 ms 214 ms 213 ms if-ae-1-3.tcore4.njy-newark.as6453.net [216.6.57.6]
14 203 ms 202 ms 207 ms if-ae-34-15.tcore3.nto-newyork.as6453.net [66.198.111.59]
15 207 ms 207 ms 211 ms if-be-2-2.ecore1.n75-newyork.as6453.net [66.110.96.62]
16 206 ms 201 ms 205 ms if-ae-57-2.tcore1.n75-newyork.as6453.net [66.110.96.58]
17 210 ms 207 ms 211 ms 66.110.96.114
18 206 ms 205 ms 209 ms be-3312-cs03.newyork.ny.ibone.comcast.net [96.110.34.41]
19 215 ms 214 ms 214 ms be-1311-cr11.newyork.ny.ibone.comcast.net [96.110.35.122]
20 226 ms 226 ms 228 ms be-302-cr12.350ecermak.il.ibone.comcast.net [96.110.38.69]
21 223 ms 226 ms 223 ms be-1112-cs01.350ecermak.il.ibone.comcast.net [96.110.35.17]
22 226 ms 228 ms 225 ms be-1111-cr11.350ecermak.il.ibone.comcast.net [96.110.35.2]
23 260 ms 243 ms 243 ms be-304-cr11.1601milehigh.co.ibone.comcast.net [96.110.37.158]
24 251 ms 247 ms 247 ms be-1311-cs03.1601milehigh.co.ibone.comcast.net [96.110.39.73]
25 257 ms 258 ms 256 ms be-1313-cr13.1601milehigh.co.ibone.comcast.net [96.110.39.106]
26 251 ms 248 ms 248 ms be-303-cr13.champa.co.ibone.comcast.net [96.110.36.201]
27 248 ms 250 ms 247 ms be-1413-cs04.champa.co.ibone.comcast.net [96.110.37.237]
28 246 ms 244 ms 243 ms be-1411-cr11.champa.co.ibone.comcast.net [96.110.37.206]
29 270 ms 270 ms 273 ms be-302-cr11.seattle.wa.ibone.comcast.net [96.110.36.214]
30 270 ms 271 ms 269 ms be-1311-cs03.seattle.wa.ibone.comcast.net [96.110.47.201]
Trace complete.
Is this safe to assume that there is an issue in the router on the 4th hop since it consistently shows no response. I am planning to use these results to contact my ISP. So just confimring that I am reading this in the right way. Thanks in advance.
Best Answer
No. The job of a router is to route traffic, not respond to ICMP. The router at hop 4 is likely dropping the tracert ICMP traffic purposefully (meaning that it's been programmed to do so). The fact that your tracert arrives at the destination is clear evidence that the router at hop 4 is routing traffic as it should be. It's merely dropping/ignoring the tracert directed to itself. Other than that, it's passing your tracert on to the next hop in the path. If it weren't then every hop afterward would also time out.