rec.autos.simulators

>Latency can increase dramatically on AOL due to how their Internet
>traffic is handled. AOL uses a
>central location in Herndon, VA to link their customers to the Internet.
>How this effects you is that
>rather than having an Internet 'presence' in your local area, your
>access actually starts in ***ia.
>Let's say you live in Phoenix. Rather than logging onto the Internet and
>having mplayer.com's Phoenix
>game cluster nearby, the closest cluster to you is now in Herndon. The
>distance from your computer in
>Phoenix to that cluster in Herndon is obviously much farther than if
>your Internet 'presence' began in
>Phoenix and you were playing on the Phoenix game cluster. This
>difference in connection speed may mean
>the ability to play the faster, more latency 'sensitive' games, and only
>being able to play turn-based
>games. Thanks

>Don Wilshe

>   For all practical purposes, what Don says below is true.  However, the
> real factor is not physical distance.  The number of pieces of network
> equipment (and what make/model they are) that span the distance is what
> really matters.  Usually, a greater distance means more "stops" along the
> way, but not always.

> -Bill