Time delays from content servers to network devices on paths to a client are measured such as for, but not limited to, their use in selecting a content server based on a common network device. After identifying multiple context servers for possibly providing content to a client, time delays to multiple network devices along the path from each candidate content server to the client are measured, such as by the servers and/or probe agents associated therewith. The time delays to one or more network devices common to multiple content servers are analyzed to select one of the content servers, typically by selecting a smallest delay to a common network device. The operations involved in identifying delays to multiple network devices, as well as the operations involved in making a selection based on a delay to a common network device may be used in an extensible number of applications.