This week I would like you to investigate the delivery times of datagram (packet switched) networks. You will be investigating the factors that influence the delivery time of a packet of data.

Method

I would like you to construct a graph (or series of graphs) depicting the average time taken for a datagram to cross a lengthy network. To accomplish this you should begin by choosing a server that is at least 10 hops from the University (or more if you wish).

Ping this server with various length data packets up to the maximum size of an Ethernet frame. Average your results. Plot your results to display time taken for delivery against length of packet.

Does the length of the datagram have a significant effect on the delivery time of the packet?
What length of cabling does the packet have to pass through?
If you take the speed of signals in cable to be 200 000 000 metres/ sec, is this a significant part of the total time?

Repeat this experiment for a series of servers worldwide with differing numbers of hops.

Your Conclusions

What can you conclude about the time taken for the delivery of a datagram?
Is it a function of cable length, frame length, the number of servers passed en-route?

Produce a short report that details your investigations and conclusions.

Make sure that you keep this work.