Why would a Terminal traceroute #.#.#.# show different results than using Network Utility.app? Here is the first 3 hops. I am connected to PIA VPN but regardless both methods should show the same results I would think.
Terminal
traceroute to 8.8.8.8 (8.8.8.8), 64 hops max, 52 byte packets
1 10.199.1.1 (10.199.1.1) 42.559 ms 39.696 ms 38.293 ms
2 * * *
3 184-75-211-129.amanah.com (184.75.211.129) 49.639 ms
162.219.176.225 (162.219.176.225) 56.780 ms
dpaall.webexpressmail.net (162.219.179.65) 69.798 ms
Network Utility.app
traceroute to 8.8.8.8 (8.8.8.8), 64 hops max, 72 byte packets
1 10.199.1.1 (10.199.1.1) 41.221 ms 38.355 ms 47.237 ms
2 vl685-c8-10-c6-1.pnj1.choopa.net (209.222.15.225) 41.262 ms 38.674 ms 41.912 ms
3 vl126-br1.pnj1.choopa.net (108.61.92.105) 44.092 ms 36.200 ms 40.407 ms
Best Answer
IP traffic does not necessarily follow the same path. Leaving your system, each router will choose the path that it sees fit for each packet, and this path may change depending on availability/congestion. It won't care how they got there.
So in the case of traceroute that is sending ICMP packets they don't always necessarily follow the same path too, ICMP runs on top of IP.