Scott (lshugh@hotmail.com.nospam) wrote:
: After running spybot, adaware, etc. I can not determine why no matter
: what I traceroute, it always has 10.32.96.1 as its first connection.
:

10.32.96.1 is in the private address space specified by RFC 1918:

http://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc1918.txt
Address Allocation for Private Internets

"...3. Private Address Space

The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) has reserved the
following three blocks of the IP address space for private internets:

10.0.0.0 - 10.255.255.255 (10/8 prefix)
172.16.0.0 - 172.31.255.255 (172.16/12 prefix)
192.168.0.0 - 192.168.255.255 (192.168/16 prefix)

We will refer to the first block as "24-bit block", the second as
"20-bit block", and to the third as "16-bit" block. Note that (in
pre-CIDR notation) the first block is nothing but a single class A
network number, while the second block is a set of 16 contiguous
class B network numbers, and third block is a set of 256 contiguous
class C network numbers.

An enterprise that decides to use IP addresses out of the address
space defined in this document can do so without any coordination
with IANA or an Internet registry. The address space can thus be used
by many enterprises. Addresses within this private address space will
only be unique within the enterprise, or the set of enterprises which
choose to cooperate over this space so they may communicate with each
other in their own private internet..."

Note the Net-10 address in the start of the following traceroute:

C:\>tracert riceng.rice.edu

Tracing route to riceng.rice.edu [128.42.105.4]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 8 ms 9 ms 9 ms 10.48.160.1
2 8 ms 8 ms 10 ms pos5-0.hstntxroy-rtr1.houston.rr.com
[24.28.97.5]

10.48.160.1 is the Time Warner Road Runner CMTS which is the first
hop from my cable modem to the outside world.

Perhaps 10.32.96.1 is a CMTS that your internet connection communicates
with.

--Jerry Leslie
Note: leslie@jrlvax.houston.rr.com is invalid for email