[clue-tech] a network mystery - traceroute

[David L. Anselmi]

Collins Richey wrote:
[...]
> I downloaded and installed traceroute_1.4a12-18_i386.deb from Debian
> stable, but the mystery continues.
> 
> traceroute produces the same results as tracepath on my system!!!
> 
> Not only that:
> 
> 1) tracepath from my laptop (same ubuntu feisty as my desktop) from a
> different port on my hub produces the same results.
> 
> 2)traceroute from the laptop booted from knoppix 5.0 produces the same 
> results.
> 
> I'm wondering if this is a debian networking problem. Maybe I still
> have a bootable non-debian system on my desktop.

Yes, this is an issue between Debian and Comcast.

Windows tags its traces differently that Unix does, see:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314868/

Most Linux distributions ship a modified traceroute that mimics the 
Windows tagging so it behaves the same.  But since MS regards their 
tagging as proprietary, and Debian are nazis when it comes to 
proprietary software, Debian won't ship a compatible traceroute, even in 
non-free.  You might be able to get a RH version of traceroute to 
install using alien and that might show you the same results as Windows.

Comcast knows about this issue, but their routers are set to recognize 
Windows traceroute (that's all their network support people use) and 
they won't fix it.  Their tone indicates that they don't really care 
about Linux and are actually hostile to Debian.  You can understand 
their position since Debian users are quite the minority, and most of 
them are tightwads anyway.  See:

http://slashdot.org/articles/06/05/03/1525240.shtml

There's a link there to the Comcast forum that discusses this (I can't 
get to it since I'm a Debian user, not a Comcast user).

Probably your best bet is to post your Windows tracert output and don't 
admit that you use Linux.  Then they won't laugh at you and say, "fix it 
yourself, genius."

Dave