https://digtrace.net/blog Clear explainers, deep dives, and practical guides on networking and internet infrastructure. Written by the people behind Dig Trace network tools. en Thu, 30 Jul 2026 01:31:35 GMT https://digtrace.net/blog/what-is-a-router-vs-switch https://digtrace.net/blog/what-is-a-router-vs-switch Thu, 30 Jul 2026 01:31:35 GMT Dig Trace Team A router connects networks at Layer 3 using IP addresses. A switch connects devices within a LAN at Layer 2 using MAC addresses. Learn the key differences. Networking https://digtrace.net/blog/what-is-icmp https://digtrace.net/blog/what-is-icmp Thu, 30 Jul 2026 00:13:11 GMT Dig Trace Team Learn what ICMP is, how it works, and why the Internet Control Message Protocol matters for network diagnostics and troubleshooting. Networking https://digtrace.net/blog/what-is-a-subnet-mask https://digtrace.net/blog/what-is-a-subnet-mask Mon, 27 Jul 2026 23:28:34 GMT Dig Trace Team A subnet mask splits an IP address into network and host portions. Learn how it works, how to read one, and why it matters. Networking https://digtrace.net/blog/what-is-a-mac-address https://digtrace.net/blog/what-is-a-mac-address Mon, 27 Jul 2026 23:02:31 GMT Dig Trace Team A MAC address is a unique hardware ID assigned to network interfaces. Learn how it works, how it differs from an IP address, and why randomization matters. Networking https://digtrace.net/blog/what-is-dig-command https://digtrace.net/blog/what-is-dig-command Sat, 25 Jul 2026 23:16:44 GMT Dig Trace Team Learn what the dig command is, how it queries DNS servers directly, and why it's the standard tool for network troubleshooting. Networking https://digtrace.net/blog/what-is-ssl-tls https://digtrace.net/blog/what-is-ssl-tls Sat, 25 Jul 2026 00:57:28 GMT Dig Trace Team SSL/TLS encrypts internet traffic, authenticates servers, and ensures data integrity between clients and servers using modern protocols TLS 1.2 and 1.3. Networking https://digtrace.net/blog/what-is-ping https://digtrace.net/blog/what-is-ping Thu, 23 Jul 2026 01:09:46 GMT Dig Trace Team Ping is a network diagnostic utility that tests host reachability and measures latency using ICMP echo requests and replies. Networking https://digtrace.net/blog/public-vs-private-ip https://digtrace.net/blog/public-vs-private-ip Tue, 21 Jul 2026 02:22:23 GMT Dig Trace Team Learn how public and private IP addresses differ, how NAT translates between them, and what CGNAT and IPv6 mean for your network. IP Address https://digtrace.net/blog/what-is-an-ip-address https://digtrace.net/blog/what-is-an-ip-address Mon, 20 Jul 2026 22:25:42 GMT Dig Trace Team An IP address is a unique network identifier. Learn what an IP address is, how IPv4 and IPv6 differ, and how to find your public IP address instantly. IP Address https://digtrace.net/blog/how-to-run-accurate-internet-speed-test https://digtrace.net/blog/how-to-run-accurate-internet-speed-test Sat, 04 Jul 2026 04:42:00 GMT Dig Trace Team Learn how to benchmark internet speed accurately, interpret latency-under-load, spot bufferbloat, and choose the right tool for real network diagnostics. Internet Speed Test https://digtrace.net/blog/what-is-internet-speed-test https://digtrace.net/blog/what-is-internet-speed-test Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:16:00 GMT Dig Trace Team An internet speed test measures download, upload, latency, and jitter between your device and a test server. Learn how it works and how to read results. Internet Speed Test https://digtrace.net/blog/what-is-traceroute-and-mtr https://digtrace.net/blog/what-is-traceroute-and-mtr Wed, 01 Jul 2026 03:18:00 GMT Dig Trace Team Traceroute maps network paths in a snapshot while MTR adds continuous latency and loss statistics. Learn how both tools work and when to use each. Traceroute https://digtrace.net/blog/how-to-use-mtr https://digtrace.net/blog/how-to-use-mtr Wed, 01 Jul 2026 01:52:00 GMT Dig Trace Team Learn how to run MTR, interpret live hop-by-hop statistics, and tell real packet loss from ICMP rate limiting when troubleshooting network routes. Networking https://digtrace.net/blog/essential-dns-checker-features https://digtrace.net/blog/essential-dns-checker-features Thu, 25 Jun 2026 03:35:00 GMT Dig Trace Team Digtrace explains which DNS checker features actually matter: propagation depth, DMARC validation, bulk APIs, and future-ready automation. DNS https://digtrace.net/blog/what-is-dns https://digtrace.net/blog/what-is-dns Sun, 21 Jun 2026 21:51:00 GMT Dig Trace Team DNS is the system that turns domain names into IP addresses. Here's how it actually works, what the common record types do, and why it matters for performance. DNS