[asterisk-users] Server response time

[Gordon Henderson]

On Mon, 1 Mar 2010, Juan C. Villa wrote:

> On 2/28/2010 10:21 AM, Gordon Henderson wrote:
>> On Sun, 28 Feb 2010, Juan C. Villa wrote:
>>
>>> Hey Guys,
>>>
>>> I am considering leasing a new server in Germany to run my Asterisk
>>> infrastructure and I was wondering how response time would affect the
>>> performance of the system. Right now I have a response time of around
>>> 60-70ms with my server in California. The server in Germany would have a
>>> response time of around 140ms (both ways). My DID/Termination providers
>>> are in Canada and the USA, and all my voip boxes are also in the USA.
>>> Any suggestions or recommendations?
>>>
>> Being based in the UK, I'd say why not the UK rather then Germany - we're
>> closer to the US after-all :)
>>
>> However, one thing we don't know: Where are you and your customers based?
>>
>> I also find it odd that a lot of people UK based still think they can get
>> better deals (cheaper&  more b/w) by hosting in the US rather than in the
>> UK - so I'm curious as to why you'd want to host outside the US...
>>
>> But as long as you're not passing media then anywhere you have good
>> connectivity ought to work - however if you are passing media, then I'd be
>> concerned that someone in California is calling their neighbour and the
>> data is going all the way to Germany and back again... That really will be
>> noticeable...
>>
>
> In response to Gordon: Hetzner offers the best dedicated server deal I
> have every seen. I have been a Cari.net client for  over a year now, but
> I am needing a more powerful server and I don't want to pay $200+ a
> month for it. Hetzner has a connection to the Level 3 network that
> recently installed a transoceanic fiber optic link with a lag of less
> than 40 ms.

You're not going to get much better than 40ms each way from NY to Europe 
because as Scotty would say: Ye canny break the laws o' physics! (Actually 
light in fibre takes 26.1ms according to Wolfram alpha but London to NY 
has been ~40ms each way since as long as I've been involved with that 
stuff (mid 90's)

And most big ISPs in europe now connect to Level3 - e.g. the co-lo I use 
in deepest darkest england (nowhere near London, although we do have Gb to 
London) has a ping time like:

   gordon @ unicorn: ping -q -c10 www.nyiix.net
   PING ns3.nyiix.net (209.137.140.21) 56(84) bytes of data.

   --- ns3.nyiix.net ping statistics ---
   10 packets transmitted, 10 received, 0% packet loss, time 9009ms
   rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 78.865/79.947/86.082/2.079 ms

It goes via L3 and that's probably not the best end-point, but it's close 
enough, and ~40ms each way.

> The total lag from Germany to USA (2 way) is around ~110ms (Just tested
> it today). Who this cause any issues with my VoIP applications? Right
> now I have two VoIP boxes installed in Switzerland which are connected
> to my server in California (avg response time = 190ms) and I have no
> problems at all. What would you guys advice?

So are you passing data, or just signalling? If data, then why? (Although 
I guess you're actually terminating to the PSTN in those countries?) But 
as you already have servers in Switzerland, why can't you use those to run 
some extended tests, and work it out for yourself?

Personally, I'd not even think about servers in another country unless I 
had good reason to - and good "remote hands"/support, etc. and a 
requirement to plumb in to the local PSTN - either directly or via a local 
VoIP carrier - and even then, if it's via a local VoIP carrier - why not 
just connect directly to them from 'home' rather than put a box over 
there.

But I if you already have servers in .ch which you indicate you're happy 
with, then I guess you do have good reason to have them there, so since 
.de is just up the road from .ch, then if you're happy with the ISP/co-lo 
then go for it...

Do make sure the facility has multiple carrier ISPs though - if L3 does go 
down (and no-ones perfect), you still need a way to get to it - L3 isn't 
the only backhaul ISP with trans-atlantic links - get the co-lo's AS 
number and see who they're peering with using the various 'whois' tools, 
etc.

Good luck!

Gordon