The Causal Factors Behind Internet Power-Law Connectivity

In this paper, we investigate the impact of layer-2 devices on our perception of the Internet IP topology and on the performance and security of the Internet. We make the case that a power law connectivity observed in the Internet IP topology is not an illusion as suggested by some researchers. It is mainly manifested due to the blindness of traceroute to layer-2 devices, and this manifestation will persist independent of the nature of the underlying physical topology. Furthermore, we make the case that the Internet physical topology is not likely to have a power law connectivity. Our conclusions challenge common wisdom about the Internet topology and highlight the need for more thorough investigations.