[aklug] Issues with google dns and Akamai on GCI?!

I have been using google dns for some time on all my systems without any =
problems=85.

Recently on one of them I have been using iTunes more then normal, =
downloading movies, music and books. I have been noticing slow =
speeds(~64 KiloBYTES per second) in iTunes when downloading.
I recently upgraded the IOS and made major configuration changes to my =
router as well as an OS upgrade on that system that was supposed to =
address wifi issues so I just assumed the slow speeds were related to =
one of those changes.

Tonight after a lot of troubleshooting on different systems and even =
pulling the router and AP out completely I think I found the issue.

The issue I "think" am seeing is google DNS is returning generic =
non-local Akamai cache servers(see below). The download speed from any =
of these is slow(~64 KiloBYTES per second).

____________________________
>>>GOOGLE DNS<<<
; <<>> DiG 9.7.3-P3 <<>> a729.v.phobos.apple.com
;; global options: +cmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 63211
;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 4, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 0

;; QUESTION SECTION:
;a729.v.phobos.apple.com. IN A

;; ANSWER SECTION:
a729.v.phobos.apple.com. 56830 IN CNAME =
a729.v.phobos.apple.com.edgesuite.net.
a729.v.phobos.apple.com.edgesuite.net. 18254 IN CNAME =
a729.w11.akamai.net.
a729.w11.akamai.net. 20 IN A 58.27.86.114
a729.w11.akamai.net. 20 IN A 58.27.22.152

;; Query time: 77 msec
;; SERVER: 8.8.8.8#53(8.8.8.8)
;; WHEN: Sat Feb 4 02:20:03 2012
;; MSG SIZE rcvd: 154
____________________________

However the GCI dns servers are returning the GCI local Akamai cache and =
that is fast(~1.5 MegaBYTES per second).
____________________________
>>>GCI DNS<<<
; <<>> DiG 9.7.3-P3 <<>> a729.v.phobos.apple.com
;; global options: +cmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 15386
;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 4, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 0

;; QUESTION SECTION:
;a729.v.phobos.apple.com. IN A

;; ANSWER SECTION:
a729.v.phobos.apple.com. 52363 IN CNAME =
a729.v.phobos.apple.com.edgesuite.net.
a729.v.phobos.apple.com.edgesuite.net. 1648 IN CNAME =
a729.w11.akamai.net.
a729.w11.akamai.net. 20 IN A 209.165.150.10
a729.w11.akamai.net. 20 IN A 209.165.150.16

;; Query time: 58 msec
;; SERVER: 209.165.131.12#53(209.165.131.12)
;; WHEN: Sat Feb 4 02:22:16 2012
;; MSG SIZE rcvd: 154
____________________________

I do not want to say this is a "problem" because it is smart for GCI and =
their users to point at a local in-state cache rather then chewing up =
out of state bandwidth. I just find the large performance difference =
between in-state and out of state a little strange.

I know a local server is going to be faster then one that is out of =
state I am just wondering if GCI or Akamai does bandwidth throttling for =
non-local cache requests?

I have done minor testing on other systems outside of iTunes and it =
appears I can replicate these results on other Akamai hosted services.

Can anyone else validate this or tell me what is really going on?

Thank You

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Received on Sat Feb 4 02:31:28 2012