3 ms·

I wonder if you can uncover where the data center is just by using ping command.

fragmede 6mo ago
That's some of how geolocation works. Ping can't go faster than the speed of light, so that gives you a circle for where something is. Ping from enough places and you can get a good enough idea, if you're the Iranian Guard or otherwise.
sophacles 6mo ago
You can find data centers by looking for hvac units in satellite photos.
- Ekaros 6mo ago
  Probably also grid connections like size of transformers and if there is prominent number of trucks going in and out.
  - jmalicki 6mo ago
    The relative lack of trucks is what would identify the data center. The only other buildings like that are warehouses, which have a lot more trucks going in and out relatively speaking.
    - hnlmorg 6mo ago
      In rural areas maybe. But plenty of data centres are in cities too. And European cities are not generally known for an abundance of parking spaces.
      - jmalicki 6mo ago
        The giant kilometer by kilometer hyperscaler data centers aren't in cities.
        hnlmorg 6mo ago
        Actually sometimes they are. For example Lakeside Technology Center in Chicago Or Telehouse in London
- hirako2000 6mo ago
  You can make a few phone calls. Maintenance is not avoidable until boston dynamics figure out how to clean the toilets at least.
yabones 6mo ago
It could give you a rough idea, but it's far from precise. The delay added by a single router could throw you off by several KM. It's much more effective to just go through satellite imagery and land title records. https://www.wolframalpha.com/input?i=0.01+ms+at+speed+of+light https://www.wolframalpha.com/input?i=0.01+ms+at+speed+of+lig...
tcp_handshaker 6mo ago
>> I wonder if you can uncover where the data center is just by using ping command. Not exactly, but you can uncover cloud providers like Google and Azure, who forget to tell you, their "availability zones" are in the same data center ;-)
- jmalicki 6mo ago
  As long as they're on opposite sides so the same Shahed missile doesn't hit them both.

That's some of how geolocation works. Ping can't go faster than the speed of light, so that gives you a circle for where something is. Ping from enough places and you can get a good enough idea, if you're the Iranian Guard or otherwise.

sophacles 6mo ago

You can find data centers by looking for hvac units in satellite photos.

Ekaros 6mo ago
Probably also grid connections like size of transformers and if there is prominent number of trucks going in and out.
- jmalicki 6mo ago
  The relative lack of trucks is what would identify the data center. The only other buildings like that are warehouses, which have a lot more trucks going in and out relatively speaking.
  - hnlmorg 6mo ago
    In rural areas maybe. But plenty of data centres are in cities too. And European cities are not generally known for an abundance of parking spaces.
    - jmalicki 6mo ago
      The giant kilometer by kilometer hyperscaler data centers aren't in cities.
      - hnlmorg 6mo ago
        Actually sometimes they are. For example Lakeside Technology Center in Chicago Or Telehouse in London
hirako2000 6mo ago
You can make a few phone calls. Maintenance is not avoidable until boston dynamics figure out how to clean the toilets at least.

yabones 6mo ago

It could give you a rough idea, but it's far from precise. The delay added by a single router could throw you off by several KM. It's much more effective to just go through satellite imagery and land title records. https://www.wolframalpha.com/input?i=0.01+ms+at+speed+of+light https://www.wolframalpha.com/input?i=0.01+ms+at+speed+of+lig...

tcp_handshaker 6mo ago

>> I wonder if you can uncover where the data center is just by using ping command. Not exactly, but you can uncover cloud providers like Google and Azure, who forget to tell you, their "availability zones" are in the same data center ;-)

jmalicki 6mo ago
As long as they're on opposite sides so the same Shahed missile doesn't hit them both.