Patent ID: 8243599

Claim:
A method for execution by one or more processors, the method comprising: periodically synchronizing a time clock of a first probe connected to a first access point on a data network with a time clock of a second probe connected to a second access point on the data network, the frequency with which the synchronization occurs is increased or decreased based upon sensitivity to variations in timing of communications over the data network; receiving a first capture time corresponding to a first time that a data packet is received at the first probe, the data packet being from the existing network traffic transmitted over the data network, the first probe being configured to capture the data packet in response to a first capture instruction; receiving a second capture time corresponding to a second time that the data packet is received at the second probe, the second probe being configured to capture the data packet in response to a second capture instruction, the first time and second time being different; and calculating, using one or more processors, the latency of at least a portion of the data network based on the first capture time and the second capture time.