Technologies K–10 · Years 7–8

How fast is the network: ping times and the speed of light in fibre

Digital and Communication Technologies focus area (NSW Technology 7–8, 2023); Digital Technologies: Knowledge and understanding, Digital systems (ACARA v9)

Practical, model not builtLow risk

This site has no interactive model of its own. Where a step or a material names a Concept Studio model, simulation or tool, it has not been built; an external simulation a step names (for example PhET) is not part of this site.

The idea

Data crosses long distances as light in optical fibre, which travels about 204 km every millisecond, so the distance to a server sets a minimum round-trip time that no network can beat.

What you need

Computer with a terminal (ping and tracert or traceroute), used under the school's acceptable use policy
A list of test hosts approved by the school's IT staff, with the city where each server is known to be
Map or great-circle distance calculator; spreadsheet

How to do it

Find the default gateway address (ipconfig or ip route) and ping it 10 times; record the minimum time.
Ping each approved host 10 times and record the minimum round-trip time.
Find the great-circle distance from your school to each host's city.
Work out the fastest possible round trip: 2 × distance ÷ 204.2 km per ms.
Compare measured minimum times with these floors and run tracert to one distant host to count the hops.
If the network gives no ping replies, repeat the timing with the browser's developer tools (Network tab).

What you should see

The gateway on the local network answers in a few milliseconds or less. From Sydney, the floors are: Melbourne 713 km, 7.0 ms; Auckland 2,156 km, 21.1 ms; Perth 3,290 km, 32.2 ms; Singapore 6,306 km, 61.8 ms; Los Angeles 12,074 km, 118.3 ms; London 16,994 km, 166.5 ms (schools elsewhere recompute from their own location). Every measured minimum is above its floor, because cables do not follow great circles and each router adds delay. A host that answers faster than the floor for its home city is being served from a closer copy (a content delivery network). The learner knows it worked when no measurement beats its floor and they can explain any that come close.

What changes

This activity lists no variables to change, measure and keep the same.

Common misconceptions

Each of these ideas is wrong, and the activity is a chance to test it.

Internet data travels instantly (distance adds a delay that cannot be removed).
Wireless data goes through space to the other side of the world (most of the distance is in undersea and underground fibre).
A fast answer means the server is nearby its company's home (it may be a nearby copy).

Safety card

Low riskLearners carry it out

Hazards

Misuse of network tools

Controls

Ping only the approved hosts, 10 requests at a time, under the acceptable use policy

Note

No chemicals or heat.

Curriculum references

The NSW syllabus outcomes and Australian Curriculum v9 codes this activity supports. They are references, not a verified or complete curriculum alignment.

Technology 7–8 Syllabus (2023), NESA. Current: taught from 2026. Code read from the outcomes page on 2026-09-22.TE4-DIG-01
Technology Mandatory 7–8 Syllabus (2017), NESA. Outgoing: replaced by the Technology 7–8 Syllabus (2023) from 2026 and not available after December 2027. Code read from the official syllabus document (DOCX) on 2026-09-22.TE4-7DI
Australian Curriculum v9AC9TDI8K02

Sources

The pages the author read to write this activity.

All Concept Studio activities