Post #4 – Traveling Through a Network

 Good evening, Blog,

Ping Activity:

Traceroute Activity: 

 

Traveling Through a Network

Using the ping and traceroute commands, I observed how packets travel through the network to reach their destinations. Packets follow a path through multiple routers, as shown in the traceroute results. The number of routers and the time taken for each hop vary based on the geographical location of the target server. For instance, the ping results showed that reaching Google.com had the lowest latency (21.047 ms - 29.445 ms), reflecting its closer proximity and likely more efficient routing within the same region. In contrast, pings to Amazon.com had slightly higher latencies (35.147 ms - 39.454 ms), indicating a greater physical distance or different network routing. Pings to Yahoo.com showed even higher latencies (77.575 ms - 85.076 ms), suggesting a more complex route or higher network traffic.

 

The traceroute results provided more detail about the path packets take. For Google.com, the path involved 16 routers with times ranging from 2.92 ms to 25.474 ms per hop. The traceroute to Amazon.com showed visible hops up to the 10th router, ranging from 2.908 ms to 50.941 ms. Still, many hops did not respond, indicating possible firewall settings or network configurations that block traceroute responses. The traceroute to Yahoo.com revealed a path through 17 routers, with times ranging from 5.157 ms to 55.255 ms per hop.

 

The relationship between roundtrip time and geographical location is evident: the further the destination, the longer the roundtrip time due to the increased number of routers and greater physical distances. Ping and traceroute commands are invaluable tools for troubleshooting internet connection problems. They help identify where packets are being delayed or lost. For instance, if a ping request times out, it could indicate network congestion, a faulty router, or the destination server being down. Similarly, if a traceroute command fails, it can show where the connection is failing along the path, such as a router not responding or experiencing issues. In summary, using ping and traceroute commands, I could visualize and understand how data travels across the network, observe the impact of distance on roundtrip times, and appreciate these tools' role in diagnosing connectivity issues. The results show that different websites have different network paths and latencies, influenced by geographical location and network infrastructure.

 

V/r

- Lawrence W.