The tracert (trace route) command is actually a basic diagnostic tool used by IT professionals to see the path data packets take across routers (hops) to reach a destination.
His most famous video claimed to show viewers "how to get anyone's IP address" using a "highly advanced" method. In reality, he just opened the Windows command prompt and ran the tracert command. The "Hacking" Technique
What is Traceroute: What Does it Do & How Does It Work? - Fortinet Nextgenhacker101 Tracert
In 2011, a young boy uploaded a series of YouTube tutorials under the handle . He presented himself as a sophisticated cyber-expert, complete with an Alienware desktop background (on what was clearly an HP machine) and an air of intense seriousness.
Nextgenhacker101 became the poster child for the —someone who uses basic tools they don't understand to try and look like a master hacker. The tracert (trace route) command is actually a
If you're actually interested in how the tool works without the "hacker" theatrics, experts on Hacker News and YouTube explain that it's a simple way to find where a network connection is failing.
The comedy—and the reason the video went viral on sites like Reddit —came from his explanation of how tracert worked: The "Hacking" Technique What is Traceroute: What Does
While the original channel is long gone, the videos are still archived across the internet as a nostalgic reminder of the "wild west" era of YouTube tutorials.