1

Very slow network today, so ran a tracert and got the following, which I don't understand, and hope someone can explain. There are two aspects I do not understand. One of them is how can all the hops be slow? (If the time is cumulative then that 10->11 step is magic.) Has someone adjusted the speed of light for the universe today ? ;-) The second apsect is how can the last hop be listed three times? Illucidation very much appreciated!

C:>tracert 162.250.125.163

Tracing route to 162.250.125.163 over a maximum of 30 hops

  1    17 ms     3 ms     2 ms  10.1.1.1
  2  1220 ms  1128 ms  1531 ms  h254.s98.ts.hinet.net [168.95.98.254]
  3  1821 ms  1722 ms  1970 ms  TPE4-3302.hinet.net [168.95.85.42]
  4  1891 ms  2051 ms  1625 ms  220-128-11-246.HINET-IP.hinet.net [220.128.11.24
6]
  5  1181 ms  1359 ms  1445 ms  TPDT-3011.hinet.net [220.128.3.82]
  6  1273 ms  1387 ms  1467 ms  r4101-s2.tp.hinet.net [220.128.3.253]
  7  1354 ms  1468 ms  1504 ms  r4001-s2.tp.hinet.net [220.128.31.5]
  8  1656 ms  1929 ms  1258 ms  r11-pa.us.hinet.net [211.72.108.21]
  9  1762 ms  1475 ms  1551 ms  sl-st50-pa-.sprintlink.net [144.223.166.161]
 10  2765 ms  1152 ms  1485 ms  sl-crs2-sj-.sprintlink.net [144.232.1.185]
 11  1922 ms  1502 ms  1707 ms  p4-0.sprint.mlpsca01.us.bb.verio.net [144.232.8.
166]
 12  2005 ms  1257 ms  2147 ms  sl-xocomm-337432-0.sprintlink.net [144.223.1.2]

 13     *     2212 ms  1306 ms  207.88.14.225.ptr.us.xo.net [207.88.14.225]
 14  1557 ms  1647 ms  1540 ms  te-2-0-0.rar3.washington-dc.us.xo.net [207.88.12
.70]
 15   879 ms  1226 ms  1505 ms  ae0d0.mcr1.newark-nj.us.xo.net [216.156.0.22]
 16  1187 ms  1531 ms  1646 ms  ae1d0.mcr1.nyc-ny.us.xo.net [216.156.1.9]
 17   947 ms  1772 ms  1778 ms  207.239.51.86
 18  1825 ms  1870 ms  1889 ms  64.20.32.214
 19  1820 ms     *        *     162.250.125.163
 20     *      890 ms     *     162.250.125.163
 21     *        *      918 ms  162.250.125.163

Trace complete.

1 Answer 1

1

The delay accumulates over the hops, such as the delay to the second hop will include the delay of the first hop. According to the log, the connection between your router (hop1) and the next one (hop2) is very slow, causing all the delay to all the following hops.

The delay to each hop is tested with separate packets. So if you have instable connection with changing delays, it is not unusual to have smaller delay from some hop as for its last hop.

3
  • ah ok, then what of the three identical rows at the bottom?
    – user337861
    Feb 20, 2015 at 8:36
  • It could be a load balancer that is in front of the real servers. When you make a traceroute, 3 probe packages are sent and when the load balancer receives them it is passing them to the different servers behind him and three different replies come to you.
    – jcbermu
    Feb 20, 2015 at 9:09
  • as for later hops showing faster times, as they are tested with separate packets sent out after the initial packets, I gather these later routes benefit from being cashed and hence the faster times? .. though in this case the initial hop is so unstable that the numbers are mostly meaningless other than to say 'really slow' ..
    – user337861
    Feb 20, 2015 at 11:29

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