[R-390] Email transit time/slow electrons?

[rbethman at comcast.net]

Dan,

It is a very convoluted traffic path.

YOUR ISPs mail server has delays inherent as to the traffic as the moment, the path to the next server is dependent on traffic load, AND the overall network connections are dependent on the current traffic load.

There is NO way to predict what the loads are at a given time.

I used to work at the funny Five-Sided building, located in VA, with a snail mail address of DC.  For three years we saw the same issues that you do.  We could never figure out the delays either.

There are times when you can predict traffic load to some extent.

1) When folks first come to work - They check and reply/forward Emails.

2) Lunch time - Folks have a spike in the load.

3) the last hour of the day - There is another spike in the load.

4) when folks get home - another LONGER spike in the load.

Now add the time zones into this and you can SORT of get an idea how traffic will be impacted and flow or not.

BTW - That five-sided building has at LEAST 70,000 email accounts that the "Backbone" servers handle.

Bob - N0DGN


> Hi, I'm sure there's a reason - is it that some electrons are slower than
> others?  I sent mail post at 7:01 pm and it was posted  and back to me at
> 9:29 pm.  I sent mail post at 8:34 pm and it was posted and back to me at
> 8:34 pm within the minute.  Is this somewhat random depending on pathway and
> some kind of blockage?  This is first time I've noticed this reversal of
> times happen.   I never looked into the protocol or process for email going
> from point A to point B - I know it involves phone lines and at least one
> storage event on the receiving end.  Was my delayed message just going
> around and around or was it more likely just waiting on traffic somewhere?
> Multiple skip until it hit the right port? R390,  Dan.
> 
> 
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