Speaking on Deep Background, the Press Secretary whispered:

It's worth noting that just because you have a working protect doesn't mean it isn't wdmed or muxed onto the same fiber. If it is supposed to be a widely divergant path, latency can provide a clue, but in the majority of cases as the customer you can't really tell if they've given you the protect you asked for or not.

WhatHeSaid. A friend runs an important netverk for Uncle Sam. They spend [BIG $$$] every ?year? forcing this issue with Ma's Bastard Kids and other Usual Suspects. It's a Royal PITA to do so, but they do the deed. (One way is contract language requiring that diversity, then demanding actual trunk # data... and pointing out the defn of "fraud"... In case anyone thinks otherwise, let me say you do NOT want to commit provable fraud against Mr. Suspenders. You can well go Up The River and I don't mean for visiting day. Not likely you say? That depends on who you do it to, and how serious the issue is.) -- A host is a host from coast to coast.................wb8foz@nrk.com & no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433 is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433