A connection-trace standard is used to collect cell-drop information from switches in the path of a network connection in order to identify non-performing switches. Special codes may be inserted in the vendor specific fields of the trace transit list information elements of specified messages. These codes indicate that that cell-drop information is to be collected along with the trace. Switches that carry the connection may then read the codes in the messages and populate appropriate information into connection-trace messages. Eventually, cell-drop information from each of the relevant switches may reach the source of the trace. This information may then be accessed through a Management Information Base (MIB) or via command-line interface commands. This automates and improves the speed of identifying non-performing switches.