I have heard about this magic thing, named X25 that are used to get good quality service. But here it looks like a problem. Going to Germany about the same distance as to Amsterdam, takes close to twenty times of what it takes to Tokyo. Virginia in the US as also close.. Virginia US; 1 130.237.210.5 4 msec 4 msec 4 msec 2 STOCKHOLM-EBS2.NORDU.NET (192.36.148.20) 4 msec 4 msec 4 msec 3 STOCKHOLM-EBS1.EBONE.NET (192.121.154.17) 12 msec 16 msec 16 msec 4 STOCKHOLM-WASHINGTON.EBONE.NET (192.121.154.242) 116 msec 132 msec 132 msec 5 ICM-FIX-E.ICP.NET (192.157.65.17) 128 msec 132 msec 144 msec 6 NSN-FIX-PE.SURA.NET (192.80.214.253) 140 msec 140 msec 124 msec 7 GSI.NSN.NASA.GOV (128.161.252.2) 128 msec 128 msec 140 msec 8 NIC.DDN.MIL (192.112.36.5) 160 msec 132 msec 152 msec Japan; 1 130.237.210.5 0 msec 8 msec 4 msec 2 STOCKHOLM-EBS2.NORDU.NET (192.36.148.20) 4 msec 4 msec 4 msec 3 STOCKHOLM-EBS1.EBONE.NET (192.121.154.17) 20 msec 16 msec 24 msec 4 STOCKHOLM-WASHINGTON.EBONE.NET (192.121.154.242) 124 msec 128 msec 124 msec 5 SL-DC-1.SPRINTLINK.NET (144.228.1.33) 132 msec 132 msec 124 msec 6 SL-STK-1.SPRINTLINK.NET (144.228.0.65) 208 msec 176 msec 196 msec 7 ICM-FIX-W.ICP.NET (144.228.1.162) 180 msec 176 msec 216 msec 8 NACSIS-GATE.SINET.AD.JP (192.157.64.10) 364 msec * 372 msec The Netherlands; 1 130.237.210.5 4 msec 8 msec 4 msec 2 STOCKHOLM-EBS2.NORDU.NET (192.36.148.20) 4 msec 0 msec 4 msec 3 STOCKHOLM-EBS4.EBONE.NET (192.121.154.50) 30 msec 35 msec 38 msec 4 AMSTERDAM1.ROUTER.SURFNET.NL (192.87.4.18) 36 msec 32 msec 44 msec 5 AMSTERDAM2.ROUTER.SURFNET.NL (145.41.9.130) 40 msec 36 msec 40 msec 6 CISCO.RARE.NL (145.41.9.66) 52 msec 52 msec 96 msec 7 ERASMUS.RARE.NL (192.87.30.2) 52 msec 52 msec 52 msec Germany; 1 130.237.210.5 4 msec 0 msec 0 msec 2 STOCKHOLM-EBS2.NORDU.NET (192.36.148.20) 4 msec 0 msec 4 msec 3 STOCKHOLM-EBS1.EBONE.NET (192.121.154.17) 12 msec 12 msec 12 msec 4 STOCKHOLM-EBS5.EBONE.NET (192.121.154.34) 52 msec 84 msec 72 msec 5 LONDON-STOCKHOLM.EBONE.NET (192.121.155.17) 100 msec 72 msec 56 msec 6 INT-GW.ULCC.AC.UK (128.86.1.2) 124 msec 60 msec 64 msec 7 DFNBIGATE_S2.GMD.DE (188.1.236.124) 1160 msec 1752 msec 1072 msec 8 MINNETONKA.RHRK.UNI-KL.DE (188.1.132.2) 7144 msec 6592 msec * 9 MINNEHAHA.RHRK.UNI-KL.DE (131.246.9.116) 8132 msec 6092 msec 4624 msec -Peter