|
|
03-29-2012, 11:14 PM
|
#1
|
Thumbs Must Hurt
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Model: NONE
Carrier: Bell Mobility
Posts: 153
|
Strange Wireless Hotspot Behaviour
Please Login to Remove!
I tried out speedtest.net and pingtest.net using the wireless hotspot to see how it performed under 7.1.0.342. I noticed something strange.
It appears that both sites think I'm located in northern manitoba, on the shore of hudson bay. On one attempt, speedtest ran from a server in yellowknife. After that it ran from a server in saskatoon and pingtest ran from a server in edmonton. In both cases, the servers were determined by ping speed. Anyone have an idea why this is the case? I would have thought that since I'm in metro vancouver, one of the servers here would have been chosen.
__________________
Samsung Galaxy S5
|
Offline
|
|
03-30-2012, 05:53 AM
|
#2
|
BlackBerry Extraordinaire
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Montreal
Model: Z10
OS: Latest...
Carrier: Koodo Mobile
Posts: 1,354
|
Re: Strange Wireless Hotspot Behaviour
Yes, it's because of the reverse DNS /IP lookup that the server does. It routes you to the closest server based on IP location, which in this case, it believed to emanate from that location. You're on wireless, so technically, that IP can follow you around anywhere in the country.
Example: my residential DSL is provided to me through a reseller in Ontario, but I'm in Quebec. Their IP address blocks are assigned to their physical address by the provider they buy from, so when I perform the same speedtest as you, it chooses a server in Ontario, some 300 miles away from me.
This is all normal behavior.
__________________
Steve (Besadmin)
Previously owned:
At least 17+ different BB's since 1999 -- too many to list...
Last edited by stevew; 03-30-2012 at 05:55 AM..
|
Offline
|
|
03-30-2012, 07:53 AM
|
#3
|
Spam Reporter
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: IAD
Model: 6230
Carrier: Voicestream
Posts: 14,524
|
Re: Strange Wireless Hotspot Behaviour
This happens all the time on mobile devices. I notice it most often when I post to Facebook whilst tethered because Facebook will think I'm somewhere else in the country entirely.
__________________
I h8 txtspk.
|
Offline
|
|
03-30-2012, 11:37 AM
|
#4
|
Thumbs Must Hurt
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Model: NONE
Carrier: Bell Mobility
Posts: 153
|
Re: Strange Wireless Hotspot Behaviour
That's what I initially thought. However, when you run speedtest and pingtest, it says the servers are chosen based on ping speed. It seems strange that irrespective of the ip address, the ping speed would result in a server in yellowknife being the fastest when I am located in on the west coast.
__________________
Samsung Galaxy S5
|
Offline
|
|
03-30-2012, 03:19 PM
|
#5
|
BlackBerry Extraordinaire
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Montreal
Model: Z10
OS: Latest...
Carrier: Koodo Mobile
Posts: 1,354
|
Re: Strange Wireless Hotspot Behaviour
It's about the routing and amount of hops in between...physical distance in a given area means very little when it comes to routing and hops. Each hop in the route can add latency depending on the ISP and equipment.
__________________
Steve (Besadmin)
Previously owned:
At least 17+ different BB's since 1999 -- too many to list...
|
Offline
|
|
04-02-2012, 09:44 AM
|
#6
|
Spam Reporter
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: IAD
Model: 6230
Carrier: Voicestream
Posts: 14,524
|
Re: Strange Wireless Hotspot Behaviour
Exactly, and using reverse DNS will also help them find the best route, but wireless devices use NAT, so the server is picking up the public IP of the router that provided the NAT address to your device, which could be somewhere way different from where you are.
__________________
I h8 txtspk.
|
Offline
|
|
04-02-2012, 11:16 AM
|
#7
|
Thumbs Must Hurt
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Model: NONE
Carrier: Bell Mobility
Posts: 153
|
Re: Strange Wireless Hotspot Behaviour
Thanks for the replies. I understand what you mean, but both speedtest and pingtest use ping speed to determine the best server. It's very strange that speedtest picked a server in yellowknife, considering there are so many other servers that are closer to vancouver. It makes me wonder where Bell connects the service to the internet. One would think that they would at least have connections in the major metro areas, but I guess that would be too logical.
__________________
Samsung Galaxy S5
|
Offline
|
|
04-02-2012, 11:29 AM
|
#8
|
BlackBerry Extraordinaire
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Montreal
Model: Z10
OS: Latest...
Carrier: Koodo Mobile
Posts: 1,354
|
Re: Strange Wireless Hotspot Behaviour
Routing and hops!
__________________
Steve (Besadmin)
Previously owned:
At least 17+ different BB's since 1999 -- too many to list...
|
Offline
|
|
04-02-2012, 01:09 PM
|
#9
|
Spam Reporter
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: IAD
Model: 6230
Carrier: Voicestream
Posts: 14,524
|
Re: Strange Wireless Hotspot Behaviour
Quote:
Originally Posted by bimmerdriver
Thanks for the replies. I understand what you mean, but both speedtest and pingtest use ping speed to determine the best server. It's very strange that speedtest picked a server in yellowknife, considering there are so many other servers that are closer to vancouver. It makes me wonder where Bell connects the service to the internet. One would think that they would at least have connections in the major metro areas, but I guess that would be too logical.
|
I promise you that ping latency is not the only way that that those sites determines the best server. For example: if I use speedtest from my handset directly, it will usually find a local server because it uses my aGPS and GPS location in addition to ping time and the reverse DNS lookup. Then, from the same location I attempt a speedtest from a tethered laptop, it could be all the way across the country because my routing changed when I tethered and my laptop does not have geolocation capability.
__________________
I h8 txtspk.
|
Offline
|
|
04-02-2012, 04:09 PM
|
#10
|
Thumbs Must Hurt
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Model: NONE
Carrier: Bell Mobility
Posts: 153
|
Re: Strange Wireless Hotspot Behaviour
Quote:
Originally Posted by dc/dc
I promise you that ping latency is not the only way that that those sites determines the best server. For example: if I use speedtest from my handset directly, it will usually find a local server because it uses my aGPS and GPS location in addition to ping time and the reverse DNS lookup. Then, from the same location I attempt a speedtest from a tethered laptop, it could be all the way across the country because my routing changed when I tethered and my laptop does not have geolocation capability.
|
I have no doubt that there is more to it than ping latency. I've used speedtest all around the world and it's clear that routing has a lot to do with it. Normally when I run it from my laptop, servers in the reasonable vicinity are chosen. I've never seen it so far off as when I was tethered, which begs the question how Bell routes tethered connections. I'm sure it isn't a coincidence that servers in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Northwest Territories are being selected, even though I'm located in Vancouver. I'll try running tracert when I get a chance. It would be interesting to compare routing from Vancouver with routing from Montreal.
__________________
Samsung Galaxy S5
|
Offline
|
|
04-02-2012, 08:31 PM
|
#11
|
BlackBerry Extraordinaire
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Montreal
Model: Z10
OS: Latest...
Carrier: Koodo Mobile
Posts: 1,354
|
Re: Strange Wireless Hotspot Behaviour
Generally, the server used will be the closest one (geographically) to your ISP location - from a wired connection. That's the way those sites work. 1st hop would normally be the closest to your network, which would be closest to your ISP. I have seen this forever on wired networks. If I go through say our VPN tunnel, which uses Fibre Noire (Fiber), their NOC will be the 1st hop, since they also happen to host one of the test sites for speedtest.net. If I go through my DSL connection, which is hosted in Ontario, the 1st hope will be right around them, and I'm in Quebec, but my IP block is assigned to the ISP in Toronto. If I go through my cable connection (Montreal based), it will hit a server in Montreal, which is where I'm closest to.
Ping latency is bullshit, since they're generally pinging only one NOC, the one closest to the IP block you fall under.
__________________
Steve (Besadmin)
Previously owned:
At least 17+ different BB's since 1999 -- too many to list...
Last edited by stevew; 04-02-2012 at 08:33 PM..
|
Offline
|
|
04-02-2012, 10:16 PM
|
#12
|
Thumbs Must Hurt
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Model: NONE
Carrier: Bell Mobility
Posts: 153
|
Re: Strange Wireless Hotspot Behaviour
I tried another round of speedtest and ping test.
Both sites still think I'm located on the west side of hudson bay.
I ran a tracert to bell.ca.
C:\Users\XXXXX>tracert bell.ca
Tracing route to bell.ca [198.235.69.32]
over a maximum of 30 hops:
1 55 ms 60 ms 49 ms 10.253.82.41
2 46 ms 49 ms 49 ms 172.25.16.90
3 106 ms 59 ms 59 ms 172.25.16.2
4 106 ms 69 ms 69 ms 204.101.4.153
5 1434 ms 664 ms 543 ms dis4-torontodc_Vlan81.net.bell.ca [64.230.206.114]
6 * * * Request timed out.
[deleted]
30 * * * Request timed out.
Trace complete.
C:\Users\XXXXX>
I'm very curious where the first four routers are located.
__________________
Samsung Galaxy S5
|
Offline
|
|
04-02-2012, 10:32 PM
|
#13
|
BlackBerry Extraordinaire
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Montreal
Model: Z10
OS: Latest...
Carrier: Koodo Mobile
Posts: 1,354
|
Re: Strange Wireless Hotspot Behaviour
1st 3 are deep in the US could not get a precise hit but got a physical location, 4th one is in Ottawa. Use this tool to see the location of the servers...
204.101.4.153 IP Address Location, City: Ottawa, Country: Canada | Whois
__________________
Steve (Besadmin)
Previously owned:
At least 17+ different BB's since 1999 -- too many to list...
|
Offline
|
|
04-02-2012, 10:57 PM
|
#14
|
Thumbs Must Hurt
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Model: NONE
Carrier: Bell Mobility
Posts: 153
|
Re: Strange Wireless Hotspot Behaviour
Quote:
Originally Posted by stevew
|
I saw the map of Alabama. I think that was for an ad. For the first three ip addresses, it didn't show any location. I suspect they are inside Bell's network somewhere.
__________________
Samsung Galaxy S5
|
Offline
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
MSA ALTAIR 4XR 10178557 Detector Multi Gas Meter (LEL, O2, CO, H2S) $790.00
MSA 10042621 Altair 5X Sampling Probe Straight Air-Line 1' Color Black (E2) $295.00
Altair WBS-202 Dual channel wireless intercom base station $1350.00
MSA 10106725 Sensor with Alarms 10/1700 ppm with Altair 4X/5X Multi-Gas Detector $199.00
🔅MSA altair 4X multi gas Meter Monitor detector, (O2,H2S,CO,LEL) & Charger $399.99
MSA altair 4X gas Monitor detector, O2,H2S,CO,LEL Charger calibrated $450.00
|
|