News How to detect BitTorrent blocking

[CardJoe]

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2008/05...ent-blocking/1

The Max Planck Institute for Software Systems is running a project designed to gather data on which ISPs block BitTorrent traffic - and you can help.

[darklord of chaos]

well virgin throttle your connection speed if you actually use the web, they say it only affects the top 5% downloaders
so 2 files ~700MB in size accross 3 days makes me in the relam of the big DL's...I think not, virgin's system does not work but I am moving house soon so I have chance to get a more user friendly ISP.

[mmorgue]

@darklord of chaos

I agree. I'm on VM myself and sometimes it's days and days since I have done anything online and I'll notice my connection is nothing near the 20mbit I'm paying for.

Sadly, my only other option is ADSL which, as I'm far from the exchange, the max I can get is 2mbit.

[AlexB]

Tiscali and BT throttle you too. Tiscali said their average user used 20mb a day. (that's 1 minute at 8mb internet speeds).

Stupid. I wonder if we can do anything about unfair-fair-usage rules?

[Woodstock]

@AlexB 20mb is actually close to accurate for my flatmates when im away according to the logs, and can anything be done since you have probably agreed to the restrictions in the terms and conditions when you signed up

[Flibblebot]

Originally Posted by AlexB

...Tiscali said their average user used 20mb a day.

Probably true, most "average" users only use basic e-mail and browse a couple of websites a day.

[leexgx]

throttleing and packet filtering are not the same thing (Tiscali does that, bt just send nag letters whenyou go over the 5gb monthy download limit)

throttleing speed
is what Virgin now do between 4pm and 10pm When You download/upload combined an set amount (350MB 2mb / 700MB 4mb / 20mb 3GB) your broadband gets cut in half for 4 hr's from when you hit the limit (20mb gets cut down to 5mb), other BT based broadband providers do this as well but some drop it to ISDN speeds (64kb bb and i not talking in KB) untill the end of that month
Virgin have no packet filtering on there lines allso 20mb not all web sties ftp servers or any p2p network can allways fill that speed use an download manager or goto http://www.speedtest.net test the 3 servers on that map that are in the UK


packet filtering is what Tiscali does (and some other ISPs), after i think 4pm thay kick in and basicly all p2p traffic is droped down to 1KB/s

[Cheapskate]

LOL Denmark is blacked out. It's like one giant server.
How long will it be before they come out with a throttle tester? I'm pretty sure I'm getting choked here.

[dslickness]

I'm over here in California, and I don't seem to have an bandwidth issues. Luckily I use Sbc Yahoo DSL, instead of the cable monopoly Comcast.

All I have to say is, I'd take consistency over raw power any day! GO DSL!! NO WEB HOGS HERE!

[Darkened]

dAMN

[Darkened]

Premature enter-key syndrome hit me just now.

I was about to say that those limitations are something I wouldn't be able to live with, I'm on 16Mb dsl now and I'd raise a hellstorm if I couldn't download at about 1500-1700kbits/s 24/7/365. That is what I pay for every single month, though if it is on the contract, then I couldn't blame anyone else but myself.

I think these kind of limitations nullify the whole meaning of dsl, what's the point of having a fast internet connection if you can only use it for a while a day?

I said it before and I'll say it again dAMN

Darkened

[DaSuperFly]

Be Broadband cheesecake. No throttling, reliable service and great customer service.
I'm not even being paid to say this!

[banshee256]

Seems like Danish ISP Cybercity doesn't do anything to your connection, except for delivering what the promise... or, in my case, what the 2nd hand copper under the street can handle. Which is around 16 Mbit/s.

[CowBlazed]

Useful, but they need to come out with something that tests for throttling, that way people can make better informed decesions about their ISPs. Outright blocking is pretty rare because there would be alot of backlash, but many ISPs (including Bell Canada which I use) have come out saying they are now doing intensive throttling for P2P stuff, but how many others just aren't saying anything.

They also need to release the name of the ISPs not just "1 blocked" thats pretty useless IMO.

[LordPyrinc]

I think throttling is just a way for the ISPs to cut their costs.

A. Either, they don't want to have to spend the $$ to upgrade outdated network infrastructure or
B. they don't want to lease more bandwith from other telcoms.

[Gareth Halfacree]

Originally Posted by CowBlazed

They also need to release the name of the ISPs not just "1 blocked" thats pretty useless IMO.

As I understand it, they're waiting for a peer review of the code behind the tool before publishing detailed results. Claiming a particular ISP blocks BitTorrent when they don't is a sure-fire way to get yourself snotty letters from serious laywers, so it's understandable that they want to be completely certain the tool is working properly before naming and shaming.

[Jipa]

I just read through the comments and holy ****. What's up with all the limitations, I haven't even heard of limitation after the 56k-days. I love my 8/1 M connection that I can (and do) use as much as ever I like.

I bet you can fill that 20 MB daily limit easily by browsing through a couple of project logs or galleries... DSLs are made to be fast and if the user can use his/her fast connection a minute per day then something sure isn't right.

EDIT: btw I can't do the test as the server is busy. Well there are always problems but atleast it's not because of my ISP