Route atlas
All 10 routes on this site, in one table. Scores are editorial ratings out of 5 — the ASN column is the thing to look for in a return-path trace.
| Route | Carrier | ASN / segment | Peak | Speed | Value | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN2 GIA | China Telecom | 59.43 |
5.0 | 4.8 | 2.2 | Telecom broadband with a comfortable budget. Look for 59.43-prefixed nodes in the return route. |
| CN2 GT | China Telecom | HALF |
3.6 | 3.8 | 3.5 | Telecom broadband with a moderate budget. If a vendor writes "CN2" without "GIA", assume GT. |
| 163 Backbone | China Telecom | 202.97 |
2.0 | 2.8 | 4.2 | Learning, simple sites, bulk downloads — anything where latency does not matter. |
| China-optimised, Backbone Unstated | Vendor-stated optimisation | unspecified |
3.2 | 3.4 | 4.0 | Anyone on a limited budget who wants to avoid plain 163. Ask for a test IP before paying. |
| Ordinary International Transit | International backbone | multi-hop |
2.4 | 3.0 | 4.3 | Learning, simple sites, downloads, backups — anything where latency does not matter. |
| Unicom 9929 | China Unicom | AS9929 |
4.6 | 4.4 | 3.9 | Unicom broadband. Unicom's ordinary line is AS4837 — slightly better than 163, but the same tier's floor. |
| Mobile CMI | China Mobile | AS58453 |
4.3 | 4.2 | 4.1 | Mobile broadband plus an Asian datacenter. A Mobile user buying GIA is simply paying Telecom's tax. |
| Japan SoftBank | SoftBank Japan | JP |
4.0 | 4.1 | 3.7 | Mixed carriers, low latency, moderate budget. Limited stock sells out — if you see one, do not wait. |
| Domestic Hosting | Mainland carriers | Direct |
4.5 | 2.5 | 4.0 | Sites whose visitors are mostly in mainland China, and anything that needs low latency more than bandwidth. |
| Unicom CUG | China Unicom | AS10099 |
4.2 | 4.0 | 4.0 | Unicom broadband, and only on products whose vendor explicitly names CUG. Do not assume an unnamed "Unicom optimised" line is this one. |
Peak / Speed / Value are editorial ratings, not measurements. A route that is 5.0 for a Telecom user may be 2.0 for a Mobile user — the same box, different carriers.
Triple-network optimised return path
Telecom via CN2, Unicom via 9929, Mobile via CMI — one box taking the best path for each of the three carriers, and usually the most expensive tier as well.
How to verify：Get a test IP before ordering. Check the return path with NextTrace during peak hours and identify the segments by ASN — never trust the marketing copy.
One page per route
Eight-lane expressway, no traffic jam
Telecom broadband with a comfortable budget. Look for 59.43-prefixed nodes in the return route.
Half expressway, half country road
Telecom broadband with a moderate budget. If a vendor writes "CN2" without "GIA", assume GT.
Country road, gridlocked at peak hour
Learning, simple sites, bulk downloads — anything where latency does not matter.
Optimised — but which backbone?
Anyone on a limited budget who wants to avoid plain 163. Ask for a test IP before paying.
No optimisation, but cheap
Learning, simple sites, downloads, backups — anything where latency does not matter.
Unicom's own child
Unicom broadband. Unicom's ordinary line is AS4837 — slightly better than 163, but the same tier's floor.
Mobile's own child
Mobile broadband plus an Asian datacenter. A Mobile user buying GIA is simply paying Telecom's tax.
The short hop
Mixed carriers, low latency, moderate budget. Limited stock sells out — if you see one, do not wait.
Single-digit latency, at the cost of ICP filing
Sites whose visitors are mostly in mainland China, and anything that needs low latency more than bandwidth.
Unicom's global egress
Unicom broadband, and only on products whose vendor explicitly names CUG. Do not assume an unnamed "Unicom optimised" line is this one.