NTrace-core is an open-source network diagnostic toolset that combines traceroute and MTR techniques with geographic IP geolocation, path MTU discovery, and multi-protocol probing. It functions as a command-line utility and a local web server, providing both a terminal-based interface and a browser-based UI for tracing network paths and analyzing hop-by-hop performance.
The tool distinguishes itself through a modular architecture that includes a community probe network for executing traceroutes from geographically dispersed agents, a token-gated API for authenticating remote requests, and an MCP API endpoint that allows AI agents to programmatically perform network diagnostics. It also features a live terminal rendering engine that updates hop statistics in real time, a plugin-based data provider for loading geolocation and ownership information from interchangeable backends, and UDP path MTU probing to discover maximum transmission unit sizes along network paths.
Additional capabilities include structured JSON export of traceroute and MTR results for downstream consumption, visual route rendering that plots hop coordinates onto geographic maps, and IP address annotation that appends geolocation and ownership metadata from configurable external providers. The embedded web server serves a browser-based traceroute interface alongside the MCP API, enabling both human and automated access to network path analysis.