  By focusing on the simple $w\neq-1$ extension to $\Lambda$CDM, we assess
which epoch(s) possibly source the $H_0$-tension. We consider Cosmic Microwave
Background (CMB) data in three possible ways: $i)$ complete CMB data; $ii)$
excluding the $l<30$ temperature and polarization likelihoods; $iii)$ imposing
early universe priors, that disentangle early and late time physics. Through a
joint analysis with low-redshift supernovae type-Ia and gravitationally lensed
time delay datasets, {and neglecting galaxy clustering Baryonic Acoustic
Oscillation (BAO) data}, we find that the inclusion of early universe CMB
priors is consistent with the local estimate of $H_0$ while excluding the
low-$l$+lowE likelihoods mildly relaxes the tension. This is in contrast to
joint analyses with the complete CMB data. Our simple implementation of
contrasting the effect of different CMB priors on the $H_0$ estimate shows that
the early universe information from the CMB data when decoupled from late-times
physics could be in agreement with a higher value of $H_0$. {We also find no
evidence for the early dark energy model using only the early universe physics
within the CMB data. Finally using the BAO data in different redshift ranges to
perform inverse distance ladder analysis, we find that the early universe
modifications, while being perfectly capable of alleviating the $H_0$-tension
when including the BAO galaxy clustering data, would be at odds with the
Ly-$\alpha$ BAO data due to the difference in $r_{\rm d}\, vs.\, H_0$
correlation between the two BAO datasets.} We therefore infer and speculate
that source for the $H_0$-tension between CMB and local estimates could
possibly originate in the modeling of late-time physics within the CMB
analysis. This in turn recasts the $H_0$-tension as an effect of late-time
physics in CMB, instead of the current early-time CMB vs. local late-time
physics perspective.
