I am experiencing packet loss problems on my RR connection. Loss results at all final destinations. My question regards ignoring the first hop or not. The first hop is the DHCP server for TW Cable and shows packet loss. The second hop is also an IP owned by TW cable and shows packet loss as well. These losses seem to continue all the way to the final destination hop - what should I suspect as the problem?

Target Name: www.espn.com
IP: 199.181.132.250
Date/Time: 11/12/2006 4:14:37 PM

1 8 ms * * 5 ms 8 ms 5 ms * 7 ms 6 ms 7 ms 6 ms 9 ms 10 ms 7 ms 15 ms 9 ms * 16 ms 10 ms * 7 ms 6 ms 7 ms * * * 5 ms 8 ms 7 ms * * * 7 ms 8 ms 7 ms 6 ms 7 ms * 8 ms 7 ms 14 ms 8 ms 6 ms 58 ms 5 ms 9 ms 6 ms 5 ms 8 ms * * * 6 ms 6 ms 6 ms * 5 ms 5 ms * [10.33.0.1]
2 7 ms * * 12 ms 8 ms 7 ms 7 ms 8 ms * 7 ms 7 ms 6 ms 7 ms * 8 ms 7 ms 10 ms 10 ms * * * * 7 ms 8 ms * 7 ms 18 ms 7 ms 8 ms * 8 ms 8 ms 8 ms 8 ms * 8 ms 8 ms 6 ms 8 ms 15 ms * 8 ms * 32 ms 8 ms 8 ms 7 ms 8 ms * 6 ms * * * 6 ms 7 ms 6 ms 6 ms 6 ms * [66.68.2.194]
3 7 ms * * * 7 ms 6 ms * * 8 ms 6 ms 7 ms 8 ms 6 ms 8 ms 7 ms 6 ms 7 ms 6 ms 6 ms 8 ms * * 7 ms 9 ms * 7 ms 8 ms 7 ms 7 ms 8 ms 8 ms * 8 ms 8 ms 7 ms 6 ms * * 8 ms 10 ms 7 ms 9 ms 8 ms 18 ms 8 ms * 7 ms 8 ms * * 12 ms * * * 7 ms * 6 ms 8 ms 7 ms gig2-0-0.austtxrdcsc-rtr4.texas.rr.com [24.93.33.150]
4 15 ms 15 ms 15 ms 16 ms 20 ms * * * 15 ms 16 ms * * 14 ms * 16 ms * * 16 ms 16 ms 17 ms * * * * 16 ms 16 ms * * 15 ms 15 ms * 15 ms * * 15 ms 27 ms * 15 ms * 15 ms 14 ms 20 ms 14 ms 37 ms * 15 ms 14 ms 15 ms * 15 ms 29 ms 15 ms 16 ms 15 ms * 15 ms 15 ms * * [72.179.205.37]
5 -32764 ms -32764 ms -32764 ms -32764 ms -32764 ms -32764 ms 150 ms -32764 ms -32764 ms -32764 ms 20 ms 19 ms 33 ms 16 ms 16 ms 18 ms 92 ms 16 ms 17 ms -32764 ms 16 ms -32764 ms 29 ms -32764 ms 16 ms 15 ms * * 16 ms 26 ms 16 ms -32764 ms 168 ms -32764 ms 17 ms 17 ms 17 ms 16 ms * -32764 ms -32764 ms 17 ms 17 ms 15 ms -32764 ms -32764 ms -32764 ms 15 ms 25 ms 17 ms -32764 ms * 16 ms 33 ms 16 ms * * * 188 ms tenge-2-4.car1.Houston1.Level3.net [4.79.88.25]
6 * 20 ms * * * 19 ms * * * * * 17 ms * * 26 ms 18 ms * 19 ms * 18 ms * * * 16 ms * * * * 20 ms * * * * * * 24 ms * * 26 ms 15 ms * * * * * * * * 19 ms * * * * * * * * * * ae-5-5.ebr1.Dallas1.Level3.net [4.69.132.230]
7 18 ms * 16 ms 110 ms 16 ms 17 ms 15 ms 16 ms 16 ms 15 ms * 24 ms 15 ms * * * 185 ms 15 ms 19 ms 16 ms 16 ms 19 ms 15 ms 16 ms 19 ms * * * 16 ms * 16 ms * 16 ms 26 ms * * 16 ms 16 ms * 16 ms 15 ms 17 ms 15 ms 17 ms 16 ms 17 ms 15 ms 16 ms 18 ms 17 ms 21 ms 53 ms 17 ms 40 ms 16 ms * 84 ms 16 ms 15 ms ae-13-53.car3.Dallas1.Level3.net [4.68.122.79]
8 * 17 ms 16 ms 17 ms 16 ms 17 ms 17 ms * 18 ms 17 ms * 18 ms 17 ms 16 ms * 17 ms 16 ms * 18 ms 16 ms 16 ms 18 ms 17 ms 16 ms 16 ms 17 ms 19 ms 18 ms 16 ms 16 ms 16 ms 16 ms 16 ms 16 ms * * 19 ms 17 ms 16 ms * 16 ms 23 ms * * * 19 ms 15 ms 16 ms 17 ms * 16 ms 17 ms 16 ms 17 ms 25 ms * 25 ms 17 ms 15 ms l3-gw.dlstx.ip.att.net [192.205.32.113]
9 71 ms * 71 ms * 71 ms 70 ms 73 ms * * 73 ms * 70 ms 74 ms * 82 ms 76 ms 71 ms 70 ms * 71 ms 72 ms 81 ms 71 ms 72 ms * * 72 ms 75 ms * 72 ms 72 ms 72 ms 71 ms 72 ms * * 72 ms 71 ms 71 ms 71 ms * 72 ms * 72 ms 71 ms 73 ms 71 ms 70 ms * 71 ms 70 ms 71 ms 71 ms 80 ms 71 ms 70 ms 70 ms 70 ms 71 ms tbr1-p012101.dlstx.ip.att.net [12.123.16.2]
10 77 ms * 66 ms 69 ms 78 ms 66 ms 68 ms 68 ms 66 ms 66 ms 77 ms 66 ms 65 ms 69 ms 67 ms 66 ms 70 ms * * * 67 ms 65 ms * 67 ms 67 ms 65 ms 66 ms 65 ms 72 ms * 67 ms 71 ms 66 ms 66 ms 66 ms 67 ms 78 ms 67 ms 66 ms * * 67 ms 66 ms * 70 ms 67 ms 71 ms 68 ms 67 ms 71 ms 67 ms 65 ms 65 ms 68 ms * 67 ms 67 ms 69 ms 119 ms tbr1-cl20.la2ca.ip.att.net [12.122.10.50]
11 70 ms * 69 ms 71 ms 69 ms 70 ms 68 ms 69 ms * * 71 ms * 70 ms 70 ms 69 ms 70 ms * 71 ms * * 70 ms 68 ms 69 ms * * 68 ms * 69 ms * * 69 ms 70 ms 69 ms 70 ms * * * * 69 ms 70 ms * 70 ms * * 70 ms 71 ms 70 ms * 70 ms * 74 ms * 70 ms 74 ms * 70 ms * 70 ms 70 ms tbr1-cl3.sffca.ip.att.net [12.122.10.25]
12 70 ms 70 ms 70 ms 70 ms 69 ms 69 ms 69 ms 207 ms * 69 ms 69 ms * 79 ms 70 ms 71 ms 70 ms 69 ms 75 ms 71 ms * 70 ms 71 ms * 70 ms 70 ms 69 ms 71 ms 69 ms * * 70 ms 81 ms 70 ms 71 ms 71 ms 70 ms * 69 ms * 208 ms 69 ms * * 68 ms 68 ms * 70 ms 68 ms 70 ms * * 68 ms 69 ms 68 ms 73 ms 70 ms 68 ms 68 ms * tbr2-cl30.sffca.ip.att.net [12.122.9.138]
13 * 70 ms 70 ms 68 ms 70 ms 68 ms * 71 ms 69 ms 68 ms 68 ms 69 ms 70 ms 69 ms 69 ms 71 ms 69 ms 70 ms 73 ms 69 ms 69 ms 72 ms 69 ms * * 79 ms 70 ms 69 ms 70 ms * 69 ms 69 ms * 70 ms * 68 ms 70 ms * 70 ms 71 ms 69 ms * * 70 ms * 73 ms 69 ms 68 ms 76 ms 68 ms 68 ms 70 ms * 68 ms 69 ms 70 ms * 68 ms 69 ms tbr1-cl10.st6wa.ip.att.net [12.122.12.114]
14 70 ms 69 ms 70 ms 72 ms 68 ms * 69 ms 69 ms 69 ms * 68 ms * 68 ms 69 ms 69 ms 69 ms 69 ms 68 ms 68 ms 69 ms 68 ms 68 ms 68 ms 69 ms 70 ms * 69 ms 68 ms 69 ms * 69 ms 69 ms 69 ms 71 ms 70 ms 69 ms * * * * 68 ms 71 ms 70 ms 69 ms * 69 ms * 69 ms 69 ms * 69 ms * 69 ms 69 ms 70 ms 68 ms * 69 ms 68 ms [12.122.82.241]
15 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * [-]
16 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * [-]
17 * 78 ms 79 ms * 79 ms * * 79 ms 79 ms 77 ms 78 ms 79 ms 91 ms 79 ms * 79 ms 79 ms 79 ms * 79 ms * * 78 ms 79 ms 79 ms 79 ms 81 ms 79 ms 79 ms 92 ms * * 79 ms 80 ms 79 ms 79 ms * 229 ms 79 ms 87 ms 79 ms * 80 ms * 79 ms * 78 ms 80 ms 80 ms * 77 ms 78 ms 80 ms * 81 ms 81 ms 80 ms 80 ms 78 ms ladykillers.movies.go.com [199.181.132.250]

Normally, you look at the final destination and then look back for the first hop that shows similar packet loss (or latency problems) to find the culprit. In your case, hop 1 is showing a picture *very* similar to the final destination (as are all hops in between), so I'd definitely look for hop 1 as part of the problem. Since there are no hops that are responding well, you also can't rule out your own computer, or the connection between your computer and hop 1 as a possible culprit either.

- Pete