Headscratching Connection Problem

[BRL]

For those interested here is the traceroute whilst the connection was good, followed by one just done when the connection dropped out again just now.

(If you are wondering why it is a Sky.com rather than Virgin, the Sky account still works over a year after I stopped using Sky and it is better than the web based Virgin/NTL mail which I hate!!)

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.0.6002]
Copyright (c) 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

CUsers\Paul>tracert smtp.tools.sky.com

Tracing route to bskyb-smtp.l.google.com [74.125.43.208]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 2 ms 1 ms 1 ms 192.168.1.1
2 26 ms 10 ms 40 ms 10.10.140.1
3 * 61 ms 38 ms brig-core-1a-ge-111-2567.network.virginmedia.net
[80.3.65.37]
4 34 ms 100 ms 59 ms gfd-bb-a-so-020-0.network.virginmedia.net [212.4
3.162.221]
5 20 ms 91 ms 87 ms gfd-bb-b-ae0-0.network.virginmedia.net [213.105.
172.6]
6 20 ms 25 ms 40 ms man-bb-a-ae3-0.network.virginmedia.net [213.105.
175.145]
7 112 ms 20 ms 49 ms man-bb-b-ae0-0.network.virginmedia.net [62.253.1
87.178]
8 51 ms 26 ms 92 ms tele-ic-3-ae0-0.network.virginmedia.net [212.43.
163.70]
9 56 ms 108 ms 65 ms 162-14-250-212.static.virginmedia.com [212.250.1
4.162]
10 * 52 ms 41 ms 209.85.252.76
11 208 ms 60 ms 146 ms 216.239.43.123
12 75 ms 100 ms 74 ms 66.249.95.133
13 134 ms 94 ms 93 ms 216.239.48.5
14 53 ms 38 ms 88 ms 64.233.174.53
15 42 ms 106 ms 73 ms 209.85.255.249
16 117 ms 91 ms 142 ms bw-in-f208.1e100.net [74.125.43.208]

Trace complete.

CUsers\Paul>

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.0.6002]
Copyright (c) 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

CUsers\Paul>tracert smtp.tools.sky.com

Tracing route to bskyb-smtp.l.google.com [74.125.77.208]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 4 ms 4 ms 3 ms 192.168.1.1
2 114 ms 49 ms * 10.10.140.1
3 * 102 ms 70 ms brig-core-1a-ge-111-2567.network.virginmedia.net
[80.3.65.37]
4 162 ms 30 ms 66 ms gfd-bb-a-so-020-0.network.virginmedia.net [212.4
3.162.221]
5 93 ms 85 ms 128 ms gfd-bb-b-ae0-0.network.virginmedia.net [213.105.
172.6]
6 22 ms 191 ms 103 ms man-bb-a-ae3-0.network.virginmedia.net [213.105.
175.145]
7 180 ms * 47 ms man-bb-b-ae0-0.network.virginmedia.net [62.253.1
87.178]
8 35 ms 58 ms 26 ms tele-ic-3-ae0-0.network.virginmedia.net [212.43.
163.70]
9 43 ms 28 ms 27 ms 162-14-250-212.static.virginmedia.com [212.250.1
4.162]
10 99 ms 180 ms * 209.85.252.76
11 * 41 ms 32 ms 216.239.43.123
12 42 ms 44 ms 241 ms 72.14.239.199
13 103 ms 143 ms * 209.85.255.102
14 110 ms 64 ms * ew-in-f208.1e100.net [74.125.77.208]
15 45 ms 34 ms * ew-in-f208.1e100.net [74.125.77.208]
16 35 ms * * ew-in-f208.1e100.net [74.125.77.208]
17 61 ms 153 ms * ew-in-f208.1e100.net [74.125.77.208]
18 * * 35 ms ew-in-f208.1e100.net [74.125.77.208]

Trace complete.

CUsers\Paul>