New tool to 'spy' on the web

2007-06-07 12:28

Boston - What does the internet look like? A free new web service from Akamai Technologies Inc offers a peek, providing a sort of internet weather report on global traffic tie-ups, cyber attacks and spikes in activity.

Akamai, which says it delivers 15 to 20% of internet traffic on any given day, hopes its new website also helps the general public.

The service features a real-time monitor measuring internet traffic globally and by region. The tool shows the 10 cities with the slowest web connections at a given moment, and ranks the regions facing the most network attacks.

Other sections measure traffic on digital music, retail and news websites.

If an internet connection is slower than usual, Akamai's tool can show whether traffic is clogged overall in a certain city.

"We originally built this feature as a tool for our customers, but once it was built it seemed like a fun thing to put out there to the public," said Tom Leighton, Akamai's chief scientist.

The service - check out http://tinyurl.com/yooz96 - reveals some of the data that engineers at Akamai's headquarters rely on to monitor and service global server networks and ensure information flows over the most efficient paths.

- AP