Problem Diagnosis With Ping

The two most used tools, and almost always the first used to diagnose a network problem are traceroute and ping. The results they return are however most often misunderstood or interpreted in a way that leads to an incorrect conclusion.

Let's take the ping utility specifically. The common mistakes that is made is that whatever the ping result is, is due to the target of the ping. For example, if there is no ping response; conclude that the site is down. Or if there is packet loss or long return times, conclude that it is because of some problem with the target address. While both those outcomes could be the case, far more often than not, they are completely the wrong conclusions to draw.

The common causes of this misinterpretation are:

1. Ping sends a packet to the destination address that typically will traverse several other network points to get there. A problem at any one of those points will cause a non response to the ping query
2. In many cases web sites and other servers sit behind firewalls, and many, if not most, firewalls block ping packets. So while web traffic may reach the site, ping packets may not.
3. The ping packet has a source (the system initiating the ping) as well as a destination, it may be that the source does not have a correct route path to the destination, or that the destination does not have a correct return route path to the source. This could be because of specific firewall rules, an error in the route tables 'somewhere' along the data path, or a specific routing policy deliberately put in place to block access.

The traceroute command can be used to help detect if 1. or 3. are the cause of the problem, which has its own issues, but more on that later. A positive result from either telnet and tcptraceroute will conclusively rule out 2. as a possible case.

Telnet can be used to open a connection any any port, not just the telnet default port. A successful telnet connection where ping has failed is proof positive that a firewall is preventing access to ping packets. Here is an example:

$ ping cisco.com PING cisco.com (198.133.219.25) 56(84) bytes of data.

--- cisco.com ping statistics ---

6 packets transmitted, 0 received, 100% packet loss, time 5008ms

$ telnet cisco.com 80

Trying 198.133.219.25...

Connected to cisco.com.

Escape character is '^]'.

You can see that the ping packet failed, but that telnet to port 80 succeeded in connecting to the server.

So too with tcptraceroute on port 80:

$ tcptraceroute cisco.com 80

traceroute to cisco.com (198.133.219.25), 30 hops max, 40 byte packets

1 192.168.6.254 (192.168.6.254) 8.557 ms 10.624 ms *

....

15 cisco.com (198.133.219.25) 289.162 ms 237.972 ms 242.171 ms

Another common error using ping is that the results of just a few ping tests are indicative of the condition of a data path. It may be true, but such a conclusion can only be relied upon over a statistically meaningful sample size. Also, to be truly accurate, the distribution of packets responses outside the acceptable level needs to be known.

For example, as single ping test of four packets where one packet is dropped, can not, in any meaningful way, be used to conclude that there is 25% packet loss on that circuit. Ten thousand ping tests, over several hours where there is say 5% lost has far more meaning; however consider if the test was done over 24 hours, and for one hour the target site was down. The 100% loss during that hour looks like a general 5% packet loss over 24 hours.

It is therefore important to review the record of the ping test and see if the distribution of any packet loss is regular or confined to a specific period, before a real conclusion can be drawn.

A third common error is that the cause whatever is result is gained is due to the target site. For example, say 5% packet loss was found when pinging 3com.com, this by no means indicates that the problem lays with that site, rather, the problem could be with any of the points along the data path to that site, inclusive the source (my own computer):

$ traceroute 3com.com traceroute to 3com.com (192.136.34.41), 30 hops max, 40 byte packets

1 192.168.6.254 (192.168.6.254) 10.285 ms 13.316 ms 14.440 ms

2 129.1.233.220.exetel.com.au (220.233.1.129) 132.994 ms 135.387 ms 136.312 ms

3 241.0.233.220.exetel.com.au (220.233.0.241) 137.192 ms 141.296 ms 162.018 ms

4 10.0.1.1 (10.0.1.1) 168.530 ms 174.358 ms 176.908 ms

5 38.2.233.220.exetel.com.au (220.233.2.38) 177.729 ms 188.233 ms 189.122 ms

6 359-ge-0-0-0.GW5.SYD2.ALTER.NET (203.166.92.57) 197.691 ms 85.598 ms 156.625 ms

7 0.so-0-2-0.XR3.SYD2.ALTER.NET (210.80.33.189) 158.108 ms 159.430 ms 160.260 ms

8 0.so-4-3-0.IR1.LAX12.ALTER.NET (210.80.50.249) 305.124 ms 305.952 ms 306.775 ms

9 0.so-5-0-0.IL1.LAX9.ALTER.NET (152.63.48.65) 313.518 ms 321.047 ms 321.868 ms

10 0.so-5-0-0.XT1.SAC1.ALTER.NET (152.63.0.98) 405.111 ms 406.359 ms 407.241 ms

11 GigabitEthernet6-0-0.GW9.SAC1.ALTER.NET (152.63.55.73) 331.091 ms 337.600 ms 341.527 ms

12 eds-gw.customer.alter.net (63.114.61.154) 357.930 ms 287.765 ms 310.755 ms

13 205.141.209.3 (205.141.209.3) 311.606 ms 312.502 ms 313.587 ms

14 10.231.1.2 (10.231.1.2) 341.277 ms 342.101 ms 342.931 ms

15 205.141.209.133 (205.141.209.133) 344.380 ms 345.861 ms 346.689 ms

16 ip-192-136-34-41.ip.3com.com (192.136.34.41) 261.317 ms 266.998 ms 346.689 ms

You can clearly see the number of hops the data must traverse. In this case there is no evidence of any problem along the data path. But if the traceroute looked like this:

$ traceroute 3com.com traceroute to 3com.com (192.136.34.41), 30 hops max, 40 byte packets

1 192.168.6.254 (192.168.6.254) 10.285 ms 13.316 ms 14.440 ms

2 129.1.233.220.exetel.com.au (220.233.1.129) 132.994 ms 135.387 ms 136.312 ms

3 241.0.233.220.exetel.com.au (220.233.0.241) 137.192 ms 141.296 ms 162.018 ms

4 10.0.1.1 (10.0.1.1) 168.530 ms 174.358 ms 176.908 ms

5 38.2.233.220.exetel.com.au (220.233.2.38) 177.729 ms 188.233 ms 189.122 ms

6 359-ge-0-0-0.GW5.SYD2.ALTER.NET (203.166.92.57) 197.691 ms 85.598 ms 156.625 ms

7 0.so-0-2-0.XR3.SYD2.ALTER.NET (210.80.33.189) 758.108 ms 759.430 ms *

8 0.so-4-3-0.IR1.LAX12.ALTER.NET (210.80.50.249) * * 806.775 ms

9 0.so-5-0-0.IL1.LAX9.ALTER.NET (152.63.48.65) 813.518 ms * 721.868 ms

10 0.so-5-0-0.XT1.SAC1.ALTER.NET (152.63.0.98) * 1406.359 ms 1007.241 ms

11 GigabitEthernet6-0-0.GW9.SAC1.ALTER.NET (152.63.55.73) 731.091 ms 737.600 ms 1341.527 ms

12 eds-gw.customer.alter.net (63.114.61.154) 357.930 ms * *

13 205.141.209.3 (205.141.209.3) 811.606 ms 812.502 ms 813.587 ms

14 10.231.1.2 (10.231.1.2) 741.277 ms 742.101 ms 1342.931 ms

15 205.141.209.133 (205.141.209.133) * * 746.689 ms

16 ip-192-136-34-41.ip.3com.com (192.136.34.41) 761.317 ms 866.998 ms *

It would be reasonable to conclude that there was some serious problem between hop 6 and hop 7 that is causing the ping test to return its lossy result.

To conclude, we can see that ping:

1. is a useful tool to indicate where a problem may be
2. should be used in combination with other tests to eliminate false positives
3. should not be used for small, isolated tests 4. is a good indicator of problems over sadistically meaningful sample sizes

http://steve.blogs.exetel.com.au

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One Big Broadband Hot Spot

This isn't the Cosmo magazine kind of hotspot; it's the other kind you may be hearing about: the Broadband hotspot. They seem to be everywhere, you can sip a latte in Starbucks while browsing the net, or have a pint at the pub while you delete annoying emails from your mother But these little hotspots, once just covering a pub or a caf here or there, are growing bigger. Just last year the River Thames in London was made into a gigantic broadband hotspot that stretches for 22km from the Millennium dome to the Houses of Parliament. Anyone on the river or its banks can now whip out a laptop and start browsing. Bored of the view from the millennium wheel? Watch that hilarious video of a woman falling over on Youtube instead.

The River Thames hotspot works by mesh networking 100 access points, allowing users to connect to the net without interruption as they travel down the river. It comes at a cost, even if fairly inexpensive, and anyone with a wireless enabled device can connect for 2.95 for an hour, 5.95 for a day or just get a whole month for 9.95.

This gigantic hotspot seems insignificant however in comparison with the one being developed in Taipei, capital of Taiwan. Taipei has been engaged in a huge infrastructure upgrade that will be the foundation of a city wide broadband hotspot that will literally turn the city into one great bit hotspot. However the best laid plans for this city wide project have not gone as well as hoped, with only 30,000 or so subscribers to the service, far less than anticipated. This is partly due to a perceived unreliability in the network as well as abundantly available free hotspots in cafes and other such places within the city.

However while it may take a while for the city wide hotspot to catch on, it does seem like these gigantic wireless projects will be the way of the future. The growing integration of high speed internet into every aspect of our lives makes it inevitable that the infrastructure will be utilised - if not now then soon. Like many new technologies the factor seems to be cost- how many people will really want to pay to use the internet for a hour while they travel between a work and home where it is already paid for. How many people are really that anxious to be online at all times? When the costs match the needs is when we will start to see the full potential of such grand schemes.

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Comparing VoIP Providers For Small Business Solutions

It is no secret that communication is key to survival for small business. The advantage to small busineses of using a VoIP solution is that the market is very competitive. While there are relatively few companies from which to choose for normal phone service, many VoIP providers will gladly offer VoIP phone service at a very competitive rate and with unlimited long distance.

But....you need to do your homework first.

Phone service features indispensable to your business, such as voicemail, conferencing and call waiting, allow business to flow smoothly and efficiently. So....how do you decide if a VoIP solution is best for your business?

One of the first steps when analyzing your current service is to decide what features your business needs. Does it need multiple lines to accommodate the sales force? What about a toll free number for customer service? Make a list of all the features your office uses and think about others you might want to try.

The next step is to make an estimate of all intrastate (in- state), interstate (state-to-state) and international calls. An easy way to estimate these numbers is to view a recent phone bill. You might be surprised at how large or small your call volume actually is. If you rely heavily on fax machines, consider the number of incoming and outgoing faxes. As you review these numbers, remember to consult growth projections for the rest of the year.

Once you've done all this...you're ready to go comparison shopping.

Here's some resources to help you do that:

* VoIP Comparison Reviews

VoIPReview does a good job comparing feature sets from each of the providers. Its user reviews seem a bit skewed, but otherwise the site looks good.

* ZDNet Reviews

ZDNet usually has objective reviews. Read through its commentary on any of the providers you are considering.

* Broadband Reports

Broadband reports has a specific area for review by users...with a regularly updated scoring system. It's often skewed with a tad bit of emotion....and reviews are mostly residential. But it does give you an idea for business use.

* Google

I'm sure most of you already do this, but once you've figured out what you're looking for, perform a search on companies on Google to see what others have said about it.

If you're willing to do a bit more work, contact various providers and create your own comparison chart. You can begin your research by visiting voipreview.org. The site offers VoIP facts and reviews of various broadband phone service providers. Compare the business plans for different providers and research the various features offered with each plan. Also, make sure your current Internet connection can handle VoIP calls. The Web site testyourvoip.com will evaluate and score your Internet connection. You'll know if it makes sense to run your phone traffic over your broadband connection.

Here is a list and description of the top ten (supposedly) VoIP providers (includes home plans for telecommuter staff).

- Axvoice

Axvoice has many plans for you to sign up. Unlimited call to USA/Canada plan costs $ 18.99 per month. Unlimited international & USA/Canada plan costs $29.99. Axvoice also has business plan starting from $ 39.99 per month.

- INVIVNI

INVIVNI has three plans, Residentials, Small Office, and Business. The Residential plan costs $24.95 per month. The Small Office plan costs $32.95 per month, and the Business plan costs is negotiable.

- VCInetwork

VCInetwork has three plans, Unlimited Long Distance :Home, Unlimited Long Distance: Business and 500 minutes to USA/Canada and Europe. Unlimited Long Distance : Home plan costs $28.95 per month. Unlimited Long Distance : Business plan costs $49.95 per month and 500 minutes to USA/Canada and Europe plan costs $14.50 per month.

- Skype

Skype is famous for their slogan, The Whole World can Talk for Free? Skype is a free download and users can make free calls via, Skype to Skype. For a fee, you can advance your Skype to Skype Out and make calls to landline phones. Skype In will let your choose your area code and phone number. This way, friends and relatives can call you locally, if you select the same area code. Skype is compatible with Windows, Mac, Linux, and Pocket Pc operating systems. Not really a good business solution.

- Vonage

Probably the most well known VoIP providers, you may be surprised to discover that Vonage is also one of the more expensive providers. Vonage offers two plans, residential and small business. Residential users may choose between the Basic 500 plan and Unlimited. The Basic 500 plan offers 500 minutes of talk time for $14.99 a month. The Premium Unlimited residential plan costs $24.99 per month.

The Small Business Basic plan costs $39.99 per month and allows 1500 minutes. The Small Business Unlimited plan costs $49.99 a month and provides unlimited calls throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada.

- Dialpad

Dialpad and Yahoo have merged services. Currently, Dialpad offers three plans- Dialpad Monthly 300, Dialpad Monthly 500, and Dialpad USA. The cost for Dialpad Monthly 300 is $7.50 per month, Dialpad Monthly 500 costs $9.99 per month, and Dialpad USA costs $11.99 per month.

- Broadvox Direct

Broadvox Direct offers residential and small business services. Their residential services include the Residential Choice Plus plan for $9.95 per month. The Residential Choice Plus plan includes 100 outbound minutes and unlimited incoming minutes. Their Residential Unlimited Plan costs $29.95 a month and includes unlimited calling anywhere in the US and Canada. The SoHo Small Business Regional Plan costs $34.95 per month and includes 1500 monthly minutes in the US and in Canada. The SoHo Small Business Unlimited Plan costs $44.95 per month and includes unlimited calls in the US and Canada and also includes a free fax line and Yellow Page listing.

- Galaxy Voice

Galaxy Voice offers two plans, Residential and Business. Their residential plan costs $19.95 a month and includes unlimited calling, Voicemail, Caller Id, Call Waiting, Call Return, Three Way Calling, and Call Forwarding. Their business plan costs $39.95 per month and includes unlimited calling, Free Voice Mail, Free Call Transfer, Free Call Forwarding, Free Repeat Dialing, and Free Caller ID block.

- Voice Pulse

Voice Pulse has three plans, America Unlimited, Local Unlimited +200, and Business Unlimited. The America Unlimited plan costs $24.99 per month. The Local Unlimited +200 costs $14.99 per month, and the Business Unlimited costs $45.99 per month.

- VoIP American

VoIP American has three different plans. These are the VoIP American PBX plan, the VoIP American Voice plan and the VoIP American bVoice plan. The VoIP American PBX plan cost $19.99 a month for a private line and $44.99 a month for unlimited calling. The VoIP Voice Residential Basic plan costs $14.99 per month and the VoIP Voice Residential Unlimited plan costs $29.99 per month. The bVoice Business plan costs $34.99 per month.

- Packet 8

Packet 8 not only offers phone plans, but they also offer videophone plans. Their residential plans are the Freedom International and Freedom Unlimited. Both of these plans cost $19.99 per month. [note: currently they're running a special for $9.95 per month for your 1st 3 months.] The Videophone plan is the Freedom Unlimited and that too is $19.99 per month. Their business plans consists of three different plans. These are the Virtual Office service plans, the Virtual Attendant Service plans, and the Business Phone Service plans. The Virtual office phone plan costs $39.95 per month, the Virtual Attendant service plan costs $14.95 per month, and the Business Attendant service plan costs $34.95 per month.

- Sun Rocket

Sun Rocket offers their signature service for either $24.95 per month or $199.00 per year.

- Speakeasy

Speakeasy offers many different plans ranging from Home Office, Small Office I, Small Office II, and Small Business. Their Home Office plan costs 79.90 per month, the Small Office I plan costs $560.00 per month, the Small Office II plan costs 1,039 per month and the Small Business plan costs $2,349 per month.

Analyzing phone service is often a real headache. However, unreliable line quality, which results in poor customer service and huge monthly bills are even worse. In the end, doing your research will pay dividends for your business. Personally, I have no reservations recommending Packet8 for your business VoIP solution right now. However, go through the above steps first for your own peace of mind.....you'll likely reach the same conclusion.

Michael is the owner of FreedomFire Communications....including Business-VoIP-Solution. Michael also authors Broadband Nation where you're always welcome to drop in and catch up on the latest BroadBand news, tips, resources, and insights.

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Cheapest Solution VoIP - It's Wise to Compare

Today, the Internet telephony solutions are ruling the corporate world. From large organisations to small enterprises, all have set-up their telephone lines on the Internet. The calling services through the Internet connection work out much cheaper than traditional PSTN phone line connections. The advanced feature of telecommunication allows users to make local calls, long distance or international calls at cheaper rates without compromising on voice quality.

The VoIP or Voice over IP services offer fast and excellent communication. Unlike, the traditional circuit switching technique, the advanced telecommunication boasts of packet switching technique. The packet switching technique digitalises voice signals into compressed IP packets. This voice over IP process is the cheapest way of calling across the globe. A VoIP solution provides a single cable for sending and receiving voice. In addition, the integrated IP network also enables users to transmit data, pictures and video over the Internet. There is a reduction in per minute call costs - which in turn translates into an efficient use of resources.

With all its benefits, VoIP solutions have made its mark among the business houses as well as residential users at large. As a matter of fact, considering the ratio of people switching over to IP solutions for their daily communication needs, there has been an increase in the importance of the VoIP solution providers.

To find the cheapest VoIP solutions, users must always compare the offers from various providers. The competition in VoIP field is quite high; it has motivated providers to come up with bundled services to attract users. Bundled services include call waiting, call forwarding, 3-way calling and call conferencing, among other things. Moreover, with additional services, providers are offering services at cost effective prices as well.

To conclude, it can be said that the VoIP business solutions result in significant savings for enterprises as compared to previous PSTN services. However, potential users should compare prices of the different providers before making final purchase decisions.

To know more about these solutions, visit: Cheapest Solution VoIP provided by one of the leading VoIP Service Provider.

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