Traveling Through a Network

Part 1:

 To understand how data travels through a network, I used the ping command on three websites: google.com, amazon.com.au, and uagc.edu. 

Google.com returned all packets successfully with low roundtrip times (average ~20ms), indicating a strong and responsive connection. 

Amazon.com.au, being hosted in Australia, showed significantly higher response times (average ~180ms), which reflects the greater physical distance. 

UAGC.edu had medium response times (average ~60ms), likely due to its domestic hosting in the United States. 

Part 2: Traceroute Activity 

Using the tracert command, I traced the path packets take to reach the same three sites. Each result showed the number of routers (or hops) involved and the latency at each hop. 

Google.com passed through 10 hops with consistently fast times under 30ms. 

Amazon.com.au had 18 hops, with several exceeding 200ms, showing delays likely due to international routing. 

UAGC.edu had around 12 hops, with moderate consistency in times (~50ms). 

Part 3: Reflection Essay 

This activity helped me visualize how data packets navigate through a complex web of routers to reach their destination. The ping command quickly tested connectivity and response speed, while tracert provided a detailed map of the packet’s journey. I observed that the greater the physical distance, the longer the roundtrip time and the more hops involved. For instance, Amazon’s Australia site had both the highest latency and most hops compared to Google and UAGC. 

These tools are valuable for troubleshooting internet issues. For example, if ping fails, it can indicate the server is unreachable. Traceroute helps pinpoint where the breakdown occurs, whether locally, at an ISP, or further down the line. 

Timeouts or errors can occur due to: 

Network congestion or downed routers. 

Firewalls blocking ping or tracert packets. 

Overall, this exercise gave me a better understanding of how the internet works behind the scenes.