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

# Test network connectivity 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

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Looking Glass">
    Navigate to [lg.gcore.lu](https://lg.gcore.lu).

    <Frame>
      <img src="https://mintcdn.com/gcore-docs/NV1TkOEAwoOneozO/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-want-to-buy-image1.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=NV1TkOEAwoOneozO&q=85&s=409d51003040cd67932f017b57a4b368" alt="Looking Glass tool with BGP, PING, and TRACEROUTE radio buttons, Region and Router dropdowns, and a Run test button" width="970" height="619" data-path="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-want-to-buy-image1.png" />
    </Frame>
  </Step>

  <Step title="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.
  </Step>

  <Step title="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.
  </Step>

  <Step title="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.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter the target IP address">
    Enter an IPv4 or IPv6 address in the **IPv4 / IPv6** field.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Run the test">
    Click **Run test**. The test may take a few seconds depending on the selected location.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## 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.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/gcore-docs/NV1TkOEAwoOneozO/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-want-to-buy-image2.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=NV1TkOEAwoOneozO&q=85&s=fe63bb6194618a04b6dc26b7b4af3520" alt="PING results for 8.8.8.8 from Frankfurt showing per-packet RTT values and a summary with 0% packet loss" width="1369" height="737" data-path="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-want-to-buy-image2.png" />
</Frame>

### 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.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/gcore-docs/NV1TkOEAwoOneozO/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-want-to-buy-image3.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=NV1TkOEAwoOneozO&q=85&s=fd8afddc18a159acdab053268760312d" alt="BGP results for 8.8.8.8 from Frankfurt showing the BIRD routing table with AS path, BGP communities, and next-hop details" width="1102" height="900" data-path="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-want-to-buy-image3.png" />
</Frame>

### TRACEROUTE

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

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/gcore-docs/NV1TkOEAwoOneozO/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-want-to-buy-image4.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=NV1TkOEAwoOneozO&q=85&s=05f03479632fc55da1a9e71bddbf17aa" alt="TRACEROUTE results for 8.8.8.8 from Frankfurt showing 9 hops with IP addresses, AS numbers, and RTT per hop" width="1124" height="722" data-path="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-want-to-buy-image4.png" />
</Frame>