Email Thread on Lost Packets

+ = the words of psehelp@lyonesse.membrane.com other = doc + 8 * * mae-east-dc-core-gw.dc-core.h0-0-0-45M.netaxs.net (207.106.2.81) 18 ms + 9 * mae-east.cais.com (192.41.177.85) 121 ms * + + the * are lost packets... they shouldn't be there... + better than yesterday though... all *** ... no packets +were gettin' through okay... first, there is significance in the very fact that you are able to observe and capture this data in the first place. documenting how you did that is important. second, in semi-simple terms: what is a lost packet, and what is its specific significance... ? does it mean that it never got where it was supposed to go? + yes... and in simple terms... it meant i couldn't get through +to yahoo.com can you identify the source/origin of the packet such that you can discern some of its significance from that fact alone ? (like a .gov or .mil domain, or a major corporation) +well... in this case they were my packets... i was tracing +my own route can you identify the specific test periods you ran? were they random? day/time specific? traffic cycle specific? +random... whenever i couldn't get through to the a place +on da 'net, i look to see where the breakdown is exactly and exhaustively, what does this suggest about the backbone server? the information that passes through it? its discernible traffic and operating patterns? its vulnerability? +well... for one... i wonder how much it costs the taxpayer +every time a government worker gets stalled trying to +get work done over the 'net?