How pinging works

[Kiray]

So I'm looking at a youtube video that mentioned traceroute or tracert and I tried it out on google. I'm trying to understand why does your ping have to go through a bunch of routers to get to google computer. Are they all google routers set up with firewalls or something? What are those routers there for and what dictates that my ping must go through them? Is it internet suppliers? Why can't I just go straight to the google computer?

I'm trying to see the big picture here. Sorry I'm very new to all this.

Thanks in advance,

 

[iFargle]

Hello fellow arizonan!

Simply put, to get straight to Google, you'd need a suuuuper long cable attached directly from your computer to a Google server. Which isn't feasible

All those hops you see are ISP's and the internet backbone routing your traffic to Google's server

With each hop it asks "do you (the router you're seeing) know this address?" and it keeps going down "I don't, but I know someone who might..." and it then refers you to the next hop until you find one that actually knows that address and connects you.

 

[Kiray]

Thanks iFargle!

Honestly, that seems very trial and error. It only took me 10 ISP's to get to my destination. I know things go fast but with the massive number of computers out there, how did it not go to 100 or 1000 ISP's, if it's mostly guessing at where the Google server is? Are the routers that they visit along the way, are they servers that keep websites up? So, hosting company computers? I guess I could look at each individually to find that out.

Also, is it relative to how close you are to your destination? If I camped right outside Google building would I get there in 5 ISP's or 2?

 

[iFargle]

It's a set of rules
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Border_Gateway_Protocol
Less random, more math and rulesets

And yes and no to physical proximity.
Example:
When I lived in Texas, I had upgraded from a 300Mbit connection to a 1Gbit connection
the 300Mbit connection was routed through Austin,
the 1Gbit was routed through Houston.

it all depends on the network topology of your ISP and where their gateways are located.
here in Tucson, a tracert from my work location (in Tucson) to my house (in Tucson) jumps from my work site out to Maryland then back to Tucson. this is because my works gateway to the Internet is in Maryland.

However, if I was to do this same test from, say, my girlfriends house in Tucson, it would probably route through Los Angeles, because her ISP routes her connection through an exchange in LA.

 

[PopoChubbs]

This is neat to read. Thanks guys.