I've tried both ping and tracert to several different IP addresses (including vbforums) and always seems to get timed out before I reach the IP. I get around 8 hops before timeout occurs.

Yet I can connect to each host without a problem.

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Can someone please explain:

1) Why this would occur?
2) Is there anyway to get around (test) the host without a timeout?
3) If you are experiencing a slow connection (to a dedicated server) is there a way to determine where the problem exists (Tele, ISP, specific router, etc.) without ping or tracert?

Thanks
David