Comparing roaming and home network traceroutes

ginggs

ginggs

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Traceroute (or tracert in Windows) is a network diagnostic utility that sends multiple pings to a destination, incrementing the TTL (Time To Live or hop limit) after each one. From the replies we receive we can get an ordered list of the routers that a packet sent to the destination would pass through.

For the following tests I traced the route to ww-in-f125.1e100.net, a Google Chat server.
In each test I looked up my own IP address using the 'whois' facility at www.afrinic.net.

Cell-C HSPA+ (home network)
IP Address: 197.169.2.172
Code: 
inetnum:        197.168.0.0 - 197.175.255.255
netname:        CELLC-20100922
descr:		CELLC (Pty) Ltd
descr:          Assigned to Esher Place PS Core Subscribers
Code: 
  1     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  2   109 ms   124 ms   108 ms  41.157.83.14
  3   125 ms   108 ms   109 ms  10.0.238.33
  4   109 ms   123 ms   124 ms  41.157.83.14
  5   125 ms   108 ms   123 ms  41.157.72.3
  6   125 ms   108 ms   124 ms  41.157.64.3
  7   109 ms   123 ms   124 ms  41.48.253.34
  8   343 ms   342 ms   358 ms  83.231.233.141
  9   343 ms   342 ms   342 ms  ae-1.r02.londen03.uk.bb.gin.ntt.net [129.250.5.25]
 10   328 ms   342 ms   343 ms  xe-0.level3.londen03.uk.bb.gin.ntt.net [129.250.8.138]
 11   343 ms   342 ms   342 ms  195.50.118.210
 12   342 ms   342 ms   343 ms  209.85.255.76
 13   358 ms   342 ms   342 ms  209.85.253.196
 14   359 ms   343 ms   342 ms  66.249.95.173
 15   420 ms   358 ms   358 ms  209.85.251.231
 16   326 ms   342 ms   359 ms  209.85.243.85
 17   343 ms   343 ms   343 ms  ww-in-f125.1e100.net [209.85.229.125]

Cell-C EDGE (home network)
IP Address: 41.52.28.199
Code: 
inetnum:        41.52.0.0 - 41.53.255.255
netname:        CELLC-20091211
descr:          3G Subscribers
Code: 
  1     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  2   842 ms   295 ms   358 ms  41.48.23.25
  3   281 ms   295 ms   295 ms  10.228.221.38
  4   312 ms   295 ms   310 ms  10.228.223.70
  5   250 ms   248 ms   265 ms  41.48.16.1
  6   805 ms   319 ms   436 ms  41.48.0.3
  7   843 ms   498 ms   491 ms  83.231.233.141
  8   578 ms   514 ms   514 ms  ae-1.r02.londen03.uk.bb.gin.ntt.net [129.250.5.25]
  9   514 ms   530 ms   514 ms  xe-0.level3.londen03.uk.bb.gin.ntt.net [129.250.8.138]
 10   531 ms   624 ms   687 ms  195.50.118.210
 11   469 ms   499 ms   471 ms  209.85.255.76
 12   484 ms   514 ms   498 ms  209.85.253.92
 13   531 ms   531 ms   545 ms  66.249.95.173
 14   546 ms   514 ms   514 ms  72.14.236.191
 15   515 ms   514 ms   514 ms  209.85.243.81
 16   531 ms   498 ms   498 ms  ww-in-f125.1e100.net [209.85.229.125]
Notice how the ping times are longer on EDGE than they are on HSPA+.

Vodacom EDGE (roaming)
IP Address: 197.175.148.81
Code: 
inetnum:        197.168.0.0 - 197.175.255.255
netname:        CELLC-20100922
descr:		CELLC (Pty) Ltd
descr:          Assigned to Esher Place PS Core Subscribers
Code: 
  1     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  2   656 ms   830 ms   590 ms  41.157.83.14
  3   686 ms   811 ms   812 ms  10.0.238.44
  4   670 ms   718 ms   701 ms  41.157.83.14
  5   795 ms   670 ms   670 ms  41.157.72.3
  6   828 ms   780 ms   748 ms  41.157.64.3
  7   889 ms   764 ms   748 ms  41.48.253.34
  8   905 ms   936 ms   999 ms  83.231.233.141
  9  1264 ms   936 ms   921 ms  ae-1.r02.londen03.uk.bb.gin.ntt.net [129.250.5.25]
 10  1201 ms   957 ms   861 ms  xe-0.level3.londen03.uk.bb.gin.ntt.net [129.250.8.138]
 11  1220 ms   982 ms   995 ms  195.50.118.210
 12   858 ms   852 ms   847 ms  209.85.255.76
 13   937 ms   958 ms   863 ms  209.85.253.196
 14   825 ms   845 ms   856 ms  66.249.95.173
 15   889 ms   921 ms   842 ms  209.85.251.231
 16  1406 ms   890 ms     *     209.85.243.77
 17  1184 ms   873 ms   920 ms  ww-in-f125.1e100.net [209.85.229.125]
I found it very interesting that even though I am roaming on Vodacom I have a Cell-C IP address and my packets are following the same route to the destination. Also, the ping times have almost doubled compared to being on the home network.

Now let's try with a Vodacom SIM:

Vodacom EDGE (home network)
IP Address: 41.2.4.81
Code: 
inetnum:        41.2.0.0 - 41.2.255.255
netname:        Vodacom_UMTS_CBA_INTERNET_APN
descr:          Legal IP block for UMTS users in Western Cape Vodacom
Code: 
  1   994 ms   765 ms   608 ms  10.17.14.11
  2   687 ms   738 ms   618 ms  10.113.139.158
  3     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  4   686 ms   811 ms   592 ms  192.168.108.105
  5   609 ms   655 ms   639 ms  vc-196-207-40-209.3g.vodacom.co.za [196.207.40.209]
  6   671 ms   592 ms   670 ms  vc-196-207-40-211.3g.vodacom.co.za [196.207.40.211]
  7   859 ms   701 ms   690 ms  41.0.196.1
  8   843 ms   983 ms  1217 ms  10.117.192.2
  9  1169 ms   937 ms   905 ms  10.117.192.103
 10   890 ms   780 ms   764 ms  10.117.246.18
 11   826 ms   775 ms   784 ms  41.0.246.105
 12   920 ms   958 ms   898 ms  125-126-245-83.packetexchange.net [83.245.126.125]
 13  1218 ms   811 ms   717 ms  209.85.252.76
 14  1328 ms  1170 ms   826 ms  209.85.253.196
 15  1509 ms   801 ms   873 ms  66.249.95.173
 16   826 ms   873 ms  1093 ms  209.85.252.83
 17   778 ms   826 ms     *     209.85.243.77
 18   934 ms   820 ms   692 ms  ww-in-f125.1e100.net [209.85.229.125]
Vodacom's packets take a completely different route to reach their destination.

It seems that when you roam, a tunnelled connection is established all the way back to your home network and your packets are routed from there. We can't see the route taken by the tunnelled connection in the traceoute, but we can see the route from Vodacom to 41.157.83.14, which I think would be a reasonable approximation.

Code: 
  1   824 ms   592 ms   873 ms  10.17.14.11
  2   670 ms   630 ms   617 ms  10.113.139.158
  3   733 ms   640 ms   639 ms  vc-196-207-42-18.3g.vodacom.co.za [196.207.42.18]
  4   795 ms   744 ms   659 ms  192.168.108.105
  5   717 ms   795 ms   779 ms  vc-196-207-40-209.3g.vodacom.co.za [196.207.40.209]
  6   663 ms   897 ms   811 ms  vc-196-207-40-211.3g.vodacom.co.za [196.207.40.211]
  7   701 ms   687 ms   654 ms  41.0.196.1
  8   686 ms   701 ms   592 ms  wbs-ip-hsll-1-wan.telkom-ipnet.co.za [196.25.247.205]
  9   592 ms   617 ms   660 ms  196.43.11.234
 10   734 ms   723 ms   991 ms  196.43.25.206
 11   701 ms   691 ms   680 ms  neotel-gw.telkom-ipnet.co.za [196.25.3.102]
 12   811 ms   702 ms   685 ms  41.164.0.243
 13   859 ms   623 ms   717 ms  41.160.0.243
 14   704 ms   699 ms     *     41.160.0.242
 15   731 ms   701 ms   656 ms  41.160.113.28
 16   733 ms   697 ms   753 ms  41.48.253.35
 
Combining the route from Vodacom to 41.157.83.14 and the route while roaming on Vodacom EDGE we end up with the following:
Code: 
*** Tunnelled connection back to Cell-C ***
  1   824 ms   592 ms   873 ms  10.17.14.11
  2   670 ms   630 ms   617 ms  10.113.139.158
  3   733 ms   640 ms   639 ms  vc-196-207-42-18.3g.vodacom.co.za [196.207.42.18]
  4   795 ms   744 ms   659 ms  192.168.108.105
  5   717 ms   795 ms   779 ms  vc-196-207-40-209.3g.vodacom.co.za [196.207.40.209]
  6   663 ms   897 ms   811 ms  vc-196-207-40-211.3g.vodacom.co.za [196.207.40.211]
  7   701 ms   687 ms   654 ms  41.0.196.1
  8   686 ms   701 ms   592 ms  wbs-ip-hsll-1-wan.telkom-ipnet.co.za [196.25.247.205]
  9   592 ms   617 ms   660 ms  196.43.11.234
 10   734 ms   723 ms   991 ms  196.43.25.206
 11   701 ms   691 ms   680 ms  neotel-gw.telkom-ipnet.co.za [196.25.3.102]
 12   811 ms   702 ms   685 ms  41.164.0.243
 13   859 ms   623 ms   717 ms  41.160.0.243
 14   704 ms   699 ms     *     41.160.0.242
 15   731 ms   701 ms   656 ms  41.160.113.28
 16   733 ms   697 ms   753 ms  41.48.253.35
*** Connection from Cell-C ***
  1     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  2   656 ms   830 ms   590 ms  41.157.83.14
  3   686 ms   811 ms   812 ms  10.0.238.44
  4   670 ms   718 ms   701 ms  41.157.83.14
  5   795 ms   670 ms   670 ms  41.157.72.3
  6   828 ms   780 ms   748 ms  41.157.64.3
  7   889 ms   764 ms   748 ms  41.48.253.34
  8   905 ms   936 ms   999 ms  83.231.233.141
  9  1264 ms   936 ms   921 ms  ae-1.r02.londen03.uk.bb.gin.ntt.net [129.250.5.25]
 10  1201 ms   957 ms   861 ms  xe-0.level3.londen03.uk.bb.gin.ntt.net [129.250.8.138]
 11  1220 ms   982 ms   995 ms  195.50.118.210
 12   858 ms   852 ms   847 ms  209.85.255.76
 13   937 ms   958 ms   863 ms  209.85.253.196
 14   825 ms   845 ms   856 ms  66.249.95.173
 15   889 ms   921 ms   842 ms  209.85.251.231
 16  1406 ms   890 ms     *     209.85.243.77
 17  1184 ms   873 ms   920 ms  ww-in-f125.1e100.net [209.85.229.125]
No wonder roaming is so slow!
 
For info:
This is the tracert from my Virgin Mobile (Cell C) sim in a modem plugged into my PC, which has given me IP address 10.169.210.35 for this connection.

Code: 
Tracing route to ww-in-f125.1e100.net [209.85.229.125]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

  1     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  2   102 ms   108 ms   107 ms  41.48.23.25 
  3    85 ms    78 ms    88 ms  10.228.221.40 
  4    95 ms   117 ms    98 ms  10.228.223.70 
  5     *     1590 ms   157 ms  41.48.16.1 
  6   113 ms   107 ms   108 ms  41.48.0.3 
  7   335 ms   324 ms   324 ms  83.231.233.141 
  8   318 ms   324 ms   324 ms  ae-1.r02.londen03.uk.bb.gin.ntt.net [129.250.5.25] 
  9   318 ms   324 ms   333 ms  xe-0.level3.londen03.uk.bb.gin.ntt.net [129.250.8.138] 
 10   317 ms   324 ms   324 ms  195.50.118.210 
 11  2389 ms   363 ms   324 ms  209.85.255.78 
 12   317 ms   324 ms   324 ms  209.85.253.90 
 13   328 ms   333 ms   334 ms  66.249.95.173 
 14  2453 ms   393 ms   314 ms  209.85.252.83 
 15   310 ms   314 ms   314 ms  209.85.243.85 
 16   306 ms   314 ms   314 ms  ww-in-f125.1e100.net [209.85.229.125] 

Trace complete.
 
EDGE is frustratingly slow, especially if you're used to fast speeds. :D

I wonder why Voda is tunneling CellC traffic?
 
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