> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.gcore.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Test network connectivity before buying a server

> Check network connectivity, latency, BGP routing, and traceroute hops from Gcore locations to any IP address before buying a server.

Use the [Looking Glass](https://lg.gcore.lu) tool to test network connectivity between any IP address and Gcore server nodes before choosing where to deploy a server. Measure latency, inspect routing hops, or view BGP routing information for a specific location.

## Run a test

**1. Open Looking Glass**

Navigate to [lg.gcore.lu](https://lg.gcore.lu).

![Looking Glass tool with BGP, PING, and TRACEROUTE radio buttons, Region and Router dropdowns, and a Run test button](https://mintcdn.com/gcore/7vtOVUg1AgFb1d8o/images/docs/hosting/virtual-servers/before-purchase/test-the-connectivity-between-your-location-and-the-server-you-want-to-buy/test-the-connectivity-between-your-location-and-the-server-you-wan-1.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=7vtOVUg1AgFb1d8o\&q=85\&s=78c2c55ff1a098c5e72c1e2f90a7fe0f)

**2. Select a command**

Select one of the three test commands:

* **BGP** — shows the BGP routing path between the selected router and the IP address, including autonomous system (AS) hops, next-hop addresses, BGP communities, and local preference values.
* **PING** — measures round-trip time (RTT) and time to live (TTL) for packets sent from the selected Gcore router to the IP address.
* **TRACEROUTE** — traces the hop-by-hop path from the selected Gcore router to the IP address, showing each intermediate router and round-trip time per hop.

**3. Filter by region**

Use the **Region** dropdown to filter the router list by geography: Africa, Asia & Pacific, Europe, Latin America, North America, or Middle East. Select **Any region** to see all available routers.

**4. Select a router**

Select a specific Gcore server location from the **Router** dropdown. The test runs from this location to the IP address entered in the next step.

**5. Enter the target IP address**

Enter an IPv4 or IPv6 address in the **IPv4 / IPv6** field.

**6. Run the test**

Click **Run test**. The test may take a few seconds depending on the selected location.

## Test results

After the test completes, the results appear below the form. Three actions are available for every result:

* **Copy to clipboard** — copies the raw output as plain text.
* **Open results page** — opens the result on a dedicated page with a permanent URL for sharing.
* **Show BGP map** — renders the AS-path as an interactive diagram. Available for all three commands.

### PING

Shows per-packet RTT and TTL values, followed by a summary: total packets sent, received, packet loss percentage, and min/avg/max/mean deviation times.

![PING results for 8.8.8.8 from Frankfurt showing per-packet RTT values and a summary with 0% packet loss](https://mintcdn.com/gcore/7vtOVUg1AgFb1d8o/images/docs/hosting/virtual-servers/before-purchase/test-the-connectivity-between-your-location-and-the-server-you-want-to-buy/test-the-connectivity-between-your-location-and-the-server-you-wan-2.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=7vtOVUg1AgFb1d8o\&q=85\&s=967e1f962b78fd7d5d267bcb43209851)

### BGP

Shows the BIRD routing table entry for the IP address: the full AS path, next-hop address, BGP communities, local preference, and other routing attributes.

![BGP results for 8.8.8.8 from Frankfurt showing the BIRD routing table with AS path, BGP communities, and next-hop details](https://mintcdn.com/gcore/7vtOVUg1AgFb1d8o/images/docs/hosting/virtual-servers/before-purchase/test-the-connectivity-between-your-location-and-the-server-you-want-to-buy/test-the-connectivity-between-your-location-and-the-server-you-wan-3.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=7vtOVUg1AgFb1d8o\&q=85\&s=440dc7f419a148a14a2289096e6b60cb)

### TRACEROUTE

Lists each router hop along the path, showing intermediate IP addresses, AS numbers, hostnames where resolvable, and round-trip time per hop.

![TRACEROUTE results for 8.8.8.8 from Frankfurt showing 9 hops with IP addresses, AS numbers, and RTT per hop](https://mintcdn.com/gcore/7vtOVUg1AgFb1d8o/images/docs/hosting/virtual-servers/before-purchase/test-the-connectivity-between-your-location-and-the-server-you-want-to-buy/test-the-connectivity-between-your-location-and-the-server-you-wan-4.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=7vtOVUg1AgFb1d8o\&q=85\&s=f4e9885250acfe3917c37f17796e1895)