How do you troubleshoot a network problem? Cabling? Configuration?

As a Wide Area Network (WAN), the circuit provided by telecom backhaul between two endpoints—whether it’s point-to-point between two sites (EVPL, SDH) or customer site to provider PE (Internet, IPVPN, VPLS, etc.)—should be connected to the provider’s equipment or router devices to deliver the service. If you’re referring to dark fiber in a limited area… um… okay, next.

How do you verify the circuit service? Check your site router configuration? Check your IP routing?

The basic mindset: I believe we should start by checking the cabling. Yes, Layer 1, isn’t it?

If your port is UP and able to send and receive packets, WELL, at least confirm both endpoint IP addresses and perform a ping test. (Yes, a PING test—please don’t tell me you don’t know what PING is.)

PIC from #Google

From past experience, field engineers often argue that the device configuration is incorrect, but guess what? The issue ends up being the WRONG port connected.

Therefore, HOW IMPORTANT IS PHOTO CAPTURE!!!!!!!

What if the ping fails? Yes, it happens—cable quality issues, loose connectors, poor signaling, etc.

Have you ever checked the DUPLEX setting????????????? Confirm both ends have the SAME duplex setting!!

PIC from Cisco Press

Then you’ll mention bandwidth: “Speedtest.com, huh? Why can’t I get full bandwidth?!”

Please understand: we cannot guarantee a test server will allocate all resources for your test. The Internet is unmanaged, and you need to be aware of overhead and your device’s processing power. Do you really think your mobile can hit 2Gbps over Wi-Fi, bro?

For standard testing, running tests between the client site and the ISP backhaul provides a great reference for your service quality—this is typically done during installation.

But anyway… PLEASE confirm the cabling is correct before spending too much time checking the configuration. Start with Layer 1 first!

#circuit #physical #cabling #ISP #provider #Internet #EVPL #IPLC #IPVPN #P2P #IP #testing #ping #bandwidth #speedtest #traffic #packetlost #duplexing #router #WIFI

AI Network Operator – under Deepseek case

We all know how successful Deepseek has been in recent months. It demonstrates that a low-processing-power, CPU-based AI is possible. Adopting this type of AI anywhere, including IoT devices or even routers, could be feasible.

Cisco, Juniper, Arista, and other network device manufacturers already produce hardware with high processing power. Some of these devices run Linux- or Unix-based platforms, allowing libraries and packages to be installed on the system. If that’s the case, can AI run on them?

Based on Deepseek’s case, tests have shown that an ARM Linux-based Raspberry Pi can successfully run AI. Although the response time may not meet business requirements, it still functions.

Running AI on a router (perhaps within the control plane?) could enable AI to control and modify router configurations. (Skynet? Terminator?) But then, would the AI become uncontrollable?

There are several key questions to consider:

  1. What can AI do on routers and firewall devices?
  2. Can AI self-learn the network environment and take further control?
  3. Can AI troubleshoot operational issues?

It seems like an interesting topic for further research. However, before diving deeper, teaching AI about network operations should no longer be a major concern.

Paragraph proofreading by #ChatGPT

AI Picture generated by #CANVA

#AI #Network #internet #networkoperation #operation #IP #Router #RaspberryPI #PI #Cisco #Juniper #Arista #opensource #BGP #routing

The latency between satellites and CDN. What if CDN at Space?

Referencing some studies on Starlink and SpaceX, this is a great example of low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite technology providing high-bandwidth network access. However, as you know, no matter how large the bandwidth, latency remains one of the key factors affecting user experience and application traffic performance.

Moreover, satellites are linked to ground stations, which then connect to Internet peering or exchange points to retrieve the required data via traffic routing. This total latency may not always be predictable due to satellite movement, variations in the distance between the user’s access antenna and the satellite, and the routing path between the ground station and the client machine.

Now, imagine if a CDN node were in space—embedded within the satellite itself. If a satellite operated as a Layer 3 router gateway, could we integrate a server farm with SSD storage to provide caching and content delivery services?

#ripe #atlas #starlink #cloudflare #CDN #latency

https://bgptrace.com/atlas/starlink

[1] Poster: Twinkle, Twinkle, Streaming Star: Illuminating CDN Performance over Starlink, Nitinder Mohan – Delft University of Technology – Delft, Netherlands, Rohan Bose – Technical University of Munich – Munich, Germany, Jörg Ott – Technical University of Munich – Munich, Germany, IMC ’24, November 4–6, 2024, Madrid, Spain https://www.nitindermohan.com/documents/2024/pubs/leoCDN_IMC2024_poster.pdf

Enhance Internet performance by using the right Public DNS servers

If you are thinking of how to enhance your Internet performance, it is great that you can subscribe a higher bandwidth Internet service. But is it the right way?

No really.

Increasing the bandwidth cannot shortern the latency between you and the destination server. But You cannot control our provider’s network path.

Under the current Web server depolyment, using the Content Delivery Network to deliver the content to Internet is a comment way. However, your network provider’s DNS server may not response the optimial server for the request domain. Therefore, you cannot enjoy the lowest latency between you and the request server.

HOW to?

A little measurement you can do, you can try to make a query to several publilc DNS servers, the reponse result may not be the same. For Example, by 8.8.8.8 Google or 1.1.1.1 Cloudflare. Based on the result, a simple ping test you can perform and record the lower latency one. Finally, you can setup a bind server to forware the domain to that DNS server to have a better Internet performance.

Reference what our work. Feel Free to discuss.

https://www.bgptrace.com/DNS/running_result.html

#DNS #Internet #Measurement #Ping #Latency #CloudFlare #Google #1.1.1.1 #8.8.8.8

Global Latency Map – by using RIPE Atlas

Using RIPE Atlas to perform the global network latency map. Atlas Probes are existing world wide and let you to perform the measurement by using your CREDIT. Self developed Python automation program used to perform the test by RIPE Atlas API.

Access the following to see our work.

https://www.bgptrace.com/atlas/ping_map.html

Can Starlink to be a testable probe?

More Information: https://atlas.ripe.net/

#ripe #Internet #measurement #python #automation #latency #starlink #atlas