Subject: Packet loss graphic - current affairs

From: [email-masked] (Dan Kolis)
Date: Wed, 12 Sep 2001 04:43:16 -0400

Greetings to all,

The useful Internet traffic report which sort of graphs ping like info
including packet loss, etc shows some network congestion around 19:30 GMT (0
Zulu) about 4 hours wide. I've attached one of the packet loss graphics. For
others the URL is:

http://www.internettrafficreport.com/

Its fairly simple to interpret but if you want to understand it in depth,
read the ancillary text.

No engineering organization; (well, maybe *very* future based genetic
engineering) can rewire to reduce human hatred and generally unreasonable
behavior, but it can make things that work well or poorly.

I'd suggest Internet showing generally from these maps to be a letter grade
of "C". Delays 1:3, no systemic failure. Probably a better showing than
other world "systems" for instance; Air travel in North America, Cellular
site congestion, etc. This is just about exactly the level of service
disruption experienced here in Ontario, Canada.

The IETF sub commitee's on emergency traffic... I'd suggest emergency
restoration is the esssence of the goal as opposed to selective routing. I
noted CNN for example went to text only for the heavyest portions; (or tiny
graphics), undoubtably thinking of their bandwidth. Deciding on what
constitutes emergency traffic is very subjective, anyway. This problem
occurs in phone switches (circuit switched) too. 

(1) You might use a familiar tool like a chat server normally used for
recreation to inform or inquire over a life or death situation, as opposed
to a less familiar, never before used resource.

I noted in the media those aboard doomed aircraft using cellulars frequently
called a named person; (husband, etc) not a emergency service. This may be
non-rational, but it fite the scenerio (1) above.

There's always something to be learning in bad things hapening. And bad
things will always happen, even without human malice; (earthquakes, etc). So
as Internet becomes the fabric of conciousness it does seem worth worrying
about the details. I'd say the Internet community has done somewhat, (if
slightly) better than there circuit switched cohorts.

Regards,
Dan