tracert TCP equivalent for Windows

Question

I'm trying to determine where connectivity to an external host using a specific TCP port is being blocked. Tracert for Windows only uses ICMP, and telnet will only tell me that the port is blocked and not where. Does anyone know of a Windows utility similar to tracert that will acheive this?

Answer 1

You can use nmap 5.0 with --traceroute option. You will also get a portscan for free :).

If you want to test a specific port, you can use -p port option. (You should also use -Pn option so that nmap doesn't try to do a regular ICMP probe first). This is an example:

$ sudo nmap -Pn --traceroute -p 8000 destination.com
PORT     STATE SERVICE
8000/tcp open  http-alt

TRACEROUTE (using port 443/tcp)
HOP RTT  ADDRESS
1   0.30 origin.com (192.168.100.1)
2   0.26 10.3.0.4
3   0.42 10.1.1.253
4   1.00 gateway1.com (33.33.33.33)
5   2.18 gateway2.com (66.66.66.66)
6   ...
7   1.96 gateway3.com (99.99.99.99)
8   ...
9   8.28 destination.com (111.111.111.111)

If you're interested in a graphical tool, you can use zenmap, which also displays topology maps based on traceroute output.

Answer 2

You can find a number of links googleing or, more effectively on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tcptraceroute.

Among the other references there is a simple python script that can be used also specifing the port one needs to probe: http://www.thomas-guettler.de/scripts/tcptraceroute.py.txt

Answer 3

Scapy has a tcp trace route function described in this Scapy tutorial. Scapy can be installed on Windows, here are the instructions. I am not positive that his function is available in the Windows version, but it might be.

It will help to know python, or at least some knowledge of OO (Object Oriented) programing, but you might not need it just to follow the tutorial I linked to. Scapy also assumes you have basic understanding of the OSI model I think.

Answer 4

I'm not aware of any traceroute tool for windows which lets you define the port. The ICMP protocol is designed for this sort of route diagnosis; other protocols are not. It's likely that, if the host itself if not refusing the connection, somewhere along the route is a firewall which simply drops the packets without returning any other information to the source, in which case no utility would work for your situation.

You could try firing up Wireshark, and then telnetting on your desired port to the target system. You might (but probably will not) get a TCP_RESET or DEST_UNREACH or something back from whatever firewall is blocking communications, but this is unlikely. Ultimately, you need to talk to the network people who can trace the route and look at rulesets of firewalls along the way.

Good luck.

Answer 5

There are a couple of Windows alternatives to the UNIX favourite LFT.

Unfortunately neither of those that spring to mind are free. But they are pretty good.

• Path Analyzer Pro
• Ping Plotter

Unfortunately, if you are using WinXP SP2~, then you may have trouble performing any TCP tracerouting. This is due to the removal of raw socket support.

Answer 6

Try NETSCAN http://www.softperfect.com/products/networkscanner It does more that just scan one device, you can get it to check a range of IP address and ports and it is free.