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This is a command prompt. Something with a red line under or to the right side means it's a Comcast IP, blue means Google:
I go through Comcast six times before I even reach a Google server. Why do I have to go through all these servers?
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This is a command prompt. Something with a red line under or to the right side means it's a Comcast IP, blue means Google:
I go through Comcast six times before I even reach a Google server. Why do I have to go through all these servers?
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This is probably a good thing.
Basically when you go to a website or other resource on the internet, you never connect point to point - you're bounced between routers. To have a connection between two systems not go between other systems, they would need to have a dedicated line directly between them. Having a dedicated line between Google and each person using it would get complex fast. Connecting point to point is not the best option except in the smallest network. Don't forget, even to connect to a system in your own LAN through a router, you need 2 hops, so 11 hops to a server that's somewhere else is pretty darned impressive
Since Comcast owns their own links for most of the way, they're using them to save on cost. In many cases Google has servers in ISP datacenters for extra speed, so this might also be a reason for using your ISPs links most of the way.
This is the internet used as designed, in a manner that ensures you have a good enough connection to your destination, at lower cost.
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I am not sure Journeyman Geek's answer is what the OP's was after. I have the impression the OP knows quite well that he cannot reach any given site (for instance, Google's) directly, I think instead his question is: why are there so many hops within my ISP?
The answer to that lies in a variety of factors.
When you factor in all of the points for a signle large operator like Comcast, you catch a glimpse of why your data packet destined to a given site may take a very roundabout route. Of these voices, the possible unavailability of a direct connection (the outcome of redundancy), load balancing, and peering (the need to take a route inside the company boundaries to avoid incurring in the charges of higher-Tier operators) figure most prominently.
2http://superuser.com/questions/679641/why-do-i-go-through-to-comcast-so-many-times-before-i-reach-a-website#comment860506_679644 convinced me he didn't, and I felt that the most major contributing factor was using internal links to save on costs. – Journeyman Geek – 2013-11-23T16:03:51.040
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As aluded to by akira, this is due to the way the Internet Protocol works. (Simplifying somewhat), every machine on the Internet is connected to the Internet through another machine. A traceroute shows the path of every machine between you and the target. In the case of Comcast, they obviously have a lot of machines working out where everything goes, and thus your traffic needs to go through a few machines. (These machines are typically known as routers).
The answer to your question is thus "because of the way Google and Comcast Interact", you need to go through a number of Comcast systems to reach Google. This would not seem hugely abnormal or problematic.
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"The internet is a series of tubes." - Former United States Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska)
Although Ted Stevens is incorrect in his description of the Internet, its actually a good way to answer your question.
Think of plumbing in your house. The pipe that carries water to your faucet is quite small. It connects to a larger pipe in your yard, which carries more water. That pipe connects to an even larger pipe that connects your whole street. That pipe connects to a even larger pipe that connects your neighborhood to the pumping station... etc...
Each of those "servers" are routers that are like the junctions of pipes, regulating the flow of data. Each one has a certain capacity and is placed both logically and physically to connect everyone to the internet.
Now imagine if everyone your faucet had a direct connection to every water source on the planet (every website). The sheer number of pipes would be massive and impossible to maintain. Now imagine that for every house on the planet.
What if Google went down? Then all those direct connections to them would be broken. You - and everyone else in the world - would have to run new pipes to them. That would be a massive undertaking. However, in its current set up, Comcast can just reroute a few lines and everyone would be connected again.
I know others have answered this, so will comment on this point: “Why do I have to go through all these servers?” Your first mistake is believing each IP address “hop” is a full-fledged servers. What you are seeing are the IP addresses of routers and/or switches. Machines designed to deliver traffic efficiently. So if you are concerned about speed degradation, the reality is unless a network is misconfigured, the traffic will really just quickly with little noticeable speed issues. – JakeGould – 2014-12-18T07:12:30.037