Traveling Through a Network

 

When conducting network diagnostic tests using the ping and traceroute commands, I observe how data packets travel through a network. It demonstrated the complexities of network communication, especially in how data reaches its destination across various geographical locations.

The ping command is a simple but effective tool used to test the connectivity between my computer and a remote server. It works by sending small packets of data to the target server and then measuring the time it takes for the server to respond, known as the round-trip time (RTT) (Vahid & Lysecky, 2019). In my tests, I pinged three websites: google.com, news.com.au, and yahoo.co.jp. The results varied, with google.com having the shortest RTT, while news.com.au and yahoo.co.jp had longer RTTs. This outcome is likely because google.com servers are geographically closer to my location, which reduces the travel time for the data packets.

In contrast, the traceroute command provided a more detailed picture of how data packets navigate through the network. Traceroute tracks the path that packets take from my computer to the target server, recording each "hop" or network device that the packets pass through along the way (Vahid & Lysecky, 2019). The paths to the three websites were different, reflecting the unique routing policies and infrastructure of each network. For example, the route to news.com.au involved more hops and longer delays at certain points compared to google.com, which had a more direct and quicker path.

These differences highlight the relationship between geographical location and RTT, as well as the impact of network infrastructure. While it is generally true that RTT increases with the distance between the source and the destination, other factors such as the efficiency of the network and the number of hops also play a significant role. A more direct route with fewer hops can result in a lower RTT, even if the geographical distance is relatively long.

In addition to understanding how data travels across the network, the ping and traceroute commands are also valuable tools for troubleshooting internet connection problems. A failed ping request could indicate that there is a problem with the server, such as it being down or unreachable due to network issues. Alternatively, the server may be blocking ICMP packets, which are used by the ping command, for security reasons (Vahid & Lysecky, 2019). On the other hand, traceroute can help identify where along the path the problem occurs. For instance, if the traceroute command times out at a certain hop, it could suggest that the network device at that point is experiencing issues or that it is configured not to respond to traceroute requests.

 In conclusion, the exercises using ping and traceroute commands provided valuable insights into how data packets travel through networks and the factors that influence this process. The comparison of results from different websites underscored the relationship between RTT and geographical location, while also highlighting the importance of network infrastructure. Moreover, understanding how to use these tools for troubleshooting can help diagnose and resolve network issues effectively, making them essential skills for anyone interested in computer networking.

References

Vahid, F., & Lysecky, S. (2019). Computing Technology for All. Retrieved from https://learn.zybooks.com/zybook/TEC101:_Fundamentals_of_Information_Technology_&_Literacy_(TED2432A)Links to an external site.