What is traceroute used for?

Traceroute is a network diagnostic tool that is primarily used to determine the path packets take to reach a destination on a network. By sending packets with gradually increasing Time-to-Live (TTL) values, traceroute captures the intermediate routers that the packets pass through, providing insight into the network route and delays at each hop. This information helps network administrators identify routing issues, latency problems, or any points of failure within the network path.

While measuring network speed, establishing VPN connections, or monitoring bandwidth usage are important tasks in network management, they do not directly pertain to the fundamental purpose of traceroute. Traceroute specifically focuses on mapping the route that network packets take, making option B the accurate response in the context of its defined functionality.