dslreports logo
 
    All Forums Hot Topics Gallery
spc
Search similar:


uniqs
1047

gatorkram
Need for Speed
Premium Member
join:2002-07-22
Winterville, NC

gatorkram

Premium Member

Network topology

I have always wondered about the network setup at SL.

For example, the first hop is about 7ms or so.

Just how far away might that be?

I guess the ping reply isn't the best indication of distance, but I still wonder, where is that equipment that is replying...

moldypickle
Premium Member
join:2009-01-04
Haughton, LA

moldypickle

Premium Member

wouldn't that be part of the cmts?

SHoTTa35
@optonline.net

SHoTTa35

Anon

It would go your Modem (CPE) to CMTS to Router to Edge Router to Internet (in general)

Obviously there's always more switching and routing to be done depending on the best way to your destination. Some stuff might be local so it might never reach the edge routers. Some stuff goes thru CDNs instead as well.
jdmm72
join:2002-02-12
Cary, NC

jdmm72 to gatorkram

Member

to gatorkram
First hop might be in your neighborhood, or around that area. It is the CMTS, or headend. It's pretty similar in function to a Central Office (CO) for telephone or DSL, and those are usually local if not in a rural area.

The problem with using ping to measure distance is as follows. the circumference of the earth is about 25,000 miles. Light, and electromagnetic propagation travels at approximately 187,000 miles per second. Hence, the signal itself could traverse the complete circumference of the earth in 25000 miles/187000 miles per second = .133 s or 133 ms. At no point should a signal travel over half that circumference, so to get anywhere on the earth the signal propagation delay is approximately a maximum of 66.5ms.

A 1000 mile trip is about .5 ms

My point is, normally ping times because of distance are minimal. The delay you see are due to routing and switching, stuff that can't be performed at near lightspeed.

SDL L3Tech
join:2011-06-07
Tyler, TX

SDL L3Tech to gatorkram

Member

to gatorkram
The first hop when connecting through a cable modem will always be the CMTS. The distance depends on where your house is located vs. where the Headend is.

Also, a cable connection has higher latency than fiber. From my experience, on a cable connection, the first hop is usually between 5-10 ms. The same distance on fiber would likely be 1ms or less.

Chubbzie
@nc.us

1 edit

Chubbzie

Anon

Yep, incredibly low (1ms - 2ms) to almost nonexistent (1ms) latency on our fiber networks for the first few hops. I'm guessing I'll have residential fiber available in my area around 20 years or so...
jdmm72
join:2002-02-12
Cary, NC

jdmm72 to gatorkram

Member

to gatorkram
The latency has to do with the shared nature, I'd venture to guess.

I remember a few years back, I pinged 255.255.255.255 from my cisco router to the cable network, and got all kinds of replies from devices on the node, shocking to say the least, and speaks to the shared nature of cable.

Chubbzie
@nc.us

Chubbzie to Chubbzie

Anon

to Chubbzie
That was supposed to be less than 1ms latency in my previous post.