One more comment: traceroute from two linux boxes on the same network, one running Ubuntu 8.04, the other Mandriva 2008.1: Mandriva: [root@localhost opifka]# traceroute -V Version 1.4a12 Usage: traceroute [-dFInrvx] [-g gateway] [-i iface] [-f first_ttl] [-m max_ttl] [ -p port] [-q nqueries] [-s src_addr] [-t tos] [-w waittime] [-z pausemsecs] host [packetlen] [root@localhost opifka]# traceroute -I www.google.com traceroute: Warning: www.google.com has multiple addresses; using 209.85.129.99 traceroute to www.l.google.com (209.85.129.99), 30 hops max, 38 byte packets 1 asus (192.168.255.2) 1.501 ms 1.333 ms 1.455 ms 2 faraon-dg (10.92.6.65) 8.293 ms 4.686 ms 24.652 ms 3 frb2f (10.92.16.61) 4.297 ms 6.030 ms 4.224 ms 4 b2frb (10.92.16.58) 7.893 ms 6.119 ms 4.784 ms 5 g2b (10.92.0.38) 9.331 ms 5.700 ms 5.052 ms 6 r32g (10.92.0.54) 8.073 ms 8.596 ms 8.552 ms 7 r3-r2.suchdol.czf (10.19.3.109) 14.231 ms 21.386 ms 10.528 ms 8 18g-r2-r1.suchdol.czf (10.19.26.1) 10.312 ms 22.786 ms 11.038 ms 9 r1-r0.trustica.cz (82.208.32.233) 16.565 ms 12.460 ms 17.647 ms 10 81.0.236.1 (81.0.236.1) 18.485 ms 10.968 ms 28.555 ms 11 * * * 12 R3-NE80e-etht0.cas.ip-anywhere.net (217.11.224.17) 12.858 ms 10.082 ms 11.585 ms 13 nix.dialtelecom.cz (194.50.100.9) 62.259 ms 18.921 ms 13.666 ms 14 cz-prg-cr1-sit-10ge2-2.dialtelecom.cz (82.119.245.137) 11.256 ms 12.371 ms 9.815 ms 15 google-gw.dialtelecom.cz (82.119.245.178) 10.891 ms 11.847 ms 10.613 ms 16 209.85.250.228 (209.85.250.228) 12.108 ms 11.546 ms 13.098 ms 17 209.85.250.232 (209.85.250.232) 22.639 ms 18.189 ms 26.728 ms 18 72.14.232.201 (72.14.232.201) 21.384 ms 22.091 ms 72.14.232.203 (72.14.232.203) 46.020 ms 19 72.14.233.206 (72.14.233.206) 58.700 ms 24.022 ms 72.14.233.210 (72.14.233.210) 27.265 ms 20 fk-in-f99.google.com (209.85.129.99) 20.184 ms 19.321 ms 21.651 ms Ubuntu: rzajic@rzajic-laptop:~$ traceroute -V Modern traceroute for Linux, version 2.0.9, Nov 19 2007 Copyright (c) 2006 Dmitry Butskoy, License: GPL rzajic@rzajic-laptop:~$ sudo traceroute -I www.google.com traceroute to www.google.com (209.85.129.147), 30 hops max, 40 byte packets 1 asus.libcice.czf (192.168.255.2) 1.666 ms 2.255 ms 3.466 ms 2 * * * 3 * * * 4 * * * 5 * * * 6 * * * 7 * * * 8 * * * 9 r1-r0.trustica.cz (82.208.32.233) 43.916 ms 44.740 ms 45.585 ms 10 81.0.236.1 (81.0.236.1) 47.559 ms 49.233 ms 49.638 ms 11 * * * 12 R3-NE80e-etht0.cas.ip-anywhere.net (217.11.224.17) 55.063 ms 55.436 ms 57.787 ms 13 nix.dialtelecom.cz (194.50.100.9) 55.836 ms 56.575 ms 56.455 ms 14 cz-prg-cr1-sit-10ge2-2.dialtelecom.cz (82.119.245.137) 55.356 ms 55.625 ms 36.154 ms 15 google-gw.dialtelecom.cz (82.119.245.178) 36.336 ms 36.752 ms 36.354 ms 16 209.85.250.228 (209.85.250.228) 37.026 ms 35.466 ms 36.623 ms 17 209.85.250.232 (209.85.250.232) 36.665 ms 47.869 ms 48.066 ms 18 72.14.232.201 (72.14.232.201) 48.304 ms 72.14.232.203 (72.14.232.203) 47.997 ms 47.708 ms 19 72.14.233.210 (72.14.233.210) 49.198 ms 72.14.239.174 (72.14.239.174) 63.419 ms 72.14.233.210 (72.14.233.210) 47.700 ms 20 fk-in-f147.google.com (209.85.129.147) 24.995 ms 23.567 ms 24.150 ms Same machines, same internet connection, same IP and DNS configuration, different traceroute package, different results from the second to eighth hop.