Traveling Through a Network

 

When data is transmitted through a network, it is divided into several smaller units called” packets.” Each packet contains a portion of the data sent. These data packets are separated and organized into several distinct layers, each with its own set of functions and protocols. The most used packet layer model today, is the Open Systems Interconnection model or OSI, which is made up of seven layers including the application, presentation, session, transport, network, data link, and physical layer.

Originating at the starting point or source device, these layered packets are then sent on to a destination device. In transit, these layered packets move through or “hop” through a series of devices called routers. Routers are devices that forward packets through different networks. They work by assessing the destination address using what is known as the packet header. Once the destination address is verified using the packet header, it uses what is known as a routing table to select the best path for the packet to reach its final address. These packets of information will repeat this process, moving through several routers and networks, until the packets it reach their final destination.

PING & Traceroute Comparison

In comparison, the ping results for the websites I searched in the US were very similar. They both sent and received four 32-byte packets while losing none, in an average time of about 32 milliseconds. They both also had a Time to Live or TTL of 116.

While the websites I searched in the US were quite similar, the site I chose to search in Japan differed significantly in terms of time and TTL. The average time for each packet sent took approximately 7 times longer than US websites at 224 milliseconds.  The TTL of the Japanese website was also much lower coming in at 44.

In comparison, the differences between the US and Japanese websites traceroute was much more obvious. It took much longer to run the traceroute to the Japanese website and it went through double the amount of routers with 4 times as many timeouts.

In conclusion, it is apparent that the further a destination address is from the source address, the longer it takes for packets to travel through a network.

Ping Example

Traceroute Example

Troubleshooting with Pings and Traceroutes

For troubleshooting internet connection problems, pings can be used to identify various network issues like network connectivity, latency, and packet loss. By initializing a ping command, a network can be tested by the time it takes to travel from the sender, to the destination, and back. If the response time is short there is a good connection. If the response time is slow, it is an indication of high latency. And if the ping times out, it is likely there is an issue with connectivity. Also, by sending multiple pings, it is possible to  analyze the packet loss percentage. A low percentage indicates a strong connection, while a high percentage indicates a weak connection.

Traceroutes can be an effective tool in diagnosing network connectivity issues. By using this tool, it is possible to identify specific routers, and device locations. By analyzing the response time of each router, you can also determine where issues are occurring and even determine whether or not the route the packets are traveling is efficient.

Two possible reasons why ping or traceroute commands might time out or return with an error could be that there is either a problem with the server or the network itself is experiencing to much traffic.