Traveling Through a Network
I chose three sites to test network performance using the ping command: google.com (United States), google.com.au (Australia), and yahoo.co.jp (Japan). These sites allowed me to compare response times across different regions. My primary metric was round-trip time (RTT), measuring the delay in packet delivery. When I pinged Google’s U.S. site, the results were straightforward: an average RTT of about 42 milliseconds, with no packet loss. This quick response suggested a stable, efficient connection typical for a domestic or nearby server.
However, the experience wasn’t as smooth when pinging sites in other regions. I initially tried a few Australian sites but ran into trouble when attempting google.au and wyndham.nt.au, as these requests couldn’t find the hosts. Eventually, I succeeded with google.com.au, which gave an RTT of 41 milliseconds. I suspect that Google uses regional servers to optimize traffic, which explains why this RTT was comparable to the U.S. site.
Pinging yahoo.co.jp in Japan was more challenging. Although the command succeeded, the average RTT was much higher at around 198 milliseconds, showing how increased distance and complex international routing contribute to latency. This longer round-trip time is expected, as packets travel through multiple routers across the world to reach Japanese servers.
Each of these sites’ domain extensions reflects its geographic focus. The “.com” extension indicates a global, commercial website, while “.au” and “.jp” are country-specific top-level domains (ccTLDs) representing Australia and Japan. Many countries use these ccTLDs instead of “.com” to offer localized content and cater to regional audiences.
Using ping and traceroute to analyze network paths highlighted how these tools help troubleshoot connectivity. High RTT or packet loss can signal network congestion or distant servers, and ping failures may occur due to unreachable servers or restrictive firewall settings. Overall, this exercise provided insight into how packet travel can vary widely based on geographic and infrastructural factors.
Hi Dean,
ReplyDeleteWhen I tried my sites, I had similar results. I used a European and Japanese website, however. The Australian internet is a bit wonky, which might explain the issues. I have Gigabit, so I would like to know if that is the same case for you. Major differences exist between a stable connection through an ISP like Verizon and a lower grade like WindStream.
In terms of the essay, its concise and to the point. I don't see a way to add more information, but there is always room for more details. We all would enjoy more data points and websites.
Imagine your data taking a road trip to a distant server. The further away that server is, the more miles your data has to cover to get there. And just like a road trip might involve multiple stops along the way, your data doesn't travel directly. It makes pit stops at various routers and network points, like rest areas on a highway. Each stop adds a little bit of time to the overall journey, and the more stops there are, the longer the trip takes. So, the further away the server, the more likely your data will encounter these delays and take longer to arrive.
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