If you have spent some time with a local provider , you know that all servers are not created equal . Local ISPs often run on consumer level PCs stuck in a closet with wires running everywhere. They tend to focus on dial-up access accounts and give less attention to hosting services . Packet Loss is the main cause of unreliable internet connections .
Information is sent across the internet in little bundles called packets .
These things have a tendency to get lost every once in awhile. No matter, the sender keeps sending more until they all get there. However, there are limits to how many they will send and how long the receiver will wait for the lost packets. All of these packets are routed thru the network grid according to agreements between the owners of the wires and the senders. Where these wires connect, we have a node.