Comments on: Blocking Network Packets - The Comcast Fiasco http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2007/10/25/blocking-network-packets-the-comcast-fiasco/ tech, science, news and social issues for geeks Fri, 05 Dec 2008 01:20:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Comcast Does 180 on P2P blocking http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2007/10/25/blocking-network-packets-the-comcast-fiasco/#comment-53560 Comcast Does 180 on P2P blocking Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:23:13 +0000 http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2007/10/25/blocking-network-packets-the-comcast-fiasco/#comment-53560 [...] have written here a few times that Comcast was justified in using traffic shaping to protect equal access among all of their [...] [...] have written here a few times that Comcast was justified in using traffic shaping to protect equal access among all of their [...]

]]> By: EFF Flogged Over Comcast Report http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2007/10/25/blocking-network-packets-the-comcast-fiasco/#comment-33360 EFF Flogged Over Comcast Report Sat, 15 Dec 2007 15:18:04 +0000 http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2007/10/25/blocking-network-packets-the-comcast-fiasco/#comment-33360 [...] multi-users blog, a subject can be covered from many angles. This is one example, and here’s another one. This post does bring up some good point about what an access provider should and should not do. I [...] [...] multi-users blog, a subject can be covered from many angles. This is one example, and here’s another one. This post does bring up some good point about what an access provider should and should not do. I [...]

]]> By: reality http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2007/10/25/blocking-network-packets-the-comcast-fiasco/#comment-29631 reality Wed, 28 Nov 2007 09:53:05 +0000 http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2007/10/25/blocking-network-packets-the-comcast-fiasco/#comment-29631 "Or maybe Comcast is filtering all .pdf email attachments due to rampant viruses exploiting weaknesses in old versions of Adobe Acrobat reader. Thus, they are protecting their customers, the bastards." Yeah.. hey how about you never ride in a car because you might get into a car accident.. You should also probably never have sex because you might get an STD.. and just to be on the safe side you shouldn't ever watch an 'R' rated movie because it might corrupt your weak malleable mind. Looks like its staying at home masturbating to the Disney channel for you BelchSpeak. “Or maybe Comcast is filtering all .pdf email attachments due to rampant viruses exploiting weaknesses in old versions of Adobe Acrobat reader. Thus, they are protecting their customers, the bastards.”

Yeah.. hey how about you never ride in a car because you might get into a car accident.. You should also probably never have sex because you might get an STD.. and just to be on the safe side you shouldn’t ever watch an ‘R’ rated movie because it might corrupt your weak malleable mind.

Looks like its staying at home masturbating to the Disney channel for you BelchSpeak.

]]> By: BelchSpeak http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2007/10/25/blocking-network-packets-the-comcast-fiasco/#comment-22397 BelchSpeak Wed, 31 Oct 2007 04:50:35 +0000 http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2007/10/25/blocking-network-packets-the-comcast-fiasco/#comment-22397 Macuserme <blockquote>Obviously Comcast was blocking our access to a perfectly harmless monthly newsletter.</blockquote> Its a conspiracy, isn't it? Write your congressman. Or maybe Comcast is filtering all .pdf email attachments due to rampant viruses exploiting weaknesses in old versions of Adobe Acrobat reader. Thus, they are protecting their customers, the bastards. http://www.f-secure.com/weblog/archives/00001303.html Macuserme

Obviously Comcast was blocking our access to a perfectly harmless monthly newsletter.

Its a conspiracy, isn’t it? Write your congressman.

Or maybe Comcast is filtering all .pdf email attachments due to rampant viruses exploiting weaknesses in old versions of Adobe Acrobat reader. Thus, they are protecting their customers, the bastards.
http://www.f-secure.com/weblog/archives/00001303.html

]]> By: Macuserme http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2007/10/25/blocking-network-packets-the-comcast-fiasco/#comment-22393 Macuserme Wed, 31 Oct 2007 03:51:52 +0000 http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2007/10/25/blocking-network-packets-the-comcast-fiasco/#comment-22393 Sorry folks, I'm not a geek and not that knowledgable about how these ISPs work, but I do know that after 6 or 7 years of receiving a Mac User Group newsletter in PDF form once a month, all of a sudden none of the users with a Comcast email address received the newsletter. All others did. Obviously Comcast was blocking our access to a perfectly harmless monthly newsletter. After the monthly meeting I had it sent to my Yahoo account and received it with no problem. We did a lot of griping about Roadrunner when we had that, but oh how I wish it was back! Sorry folks, I’m not a geek and not that knowledgable about how these ISPs work, but I do know that after 6 or 7 years of receiving a Mac User Group newsletter in PDF form once a month, all of a sudden none of the users with a Comcast email address received the newsletter. All others did. Obviously Comcast was blocking our access to a perfectly harmless monthly newsletter. After the monthly meeting I had it sent to my Yahoo account and received it with no problem.
We did a lot of griping about Roadrunner when we had that, but oh how I wish it was back!

]]> By: BelchSpeak http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2007/10/25/blocking-network-packets-the-comcast-fiasco/#comment-22102 BelchSpeak Mon, 29 Oct 2007 18:22:10 +0000 http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2007/10/25/blocking-network-packets-the-comcast-fiasco/#comment-22102 Illegal method to deter P2P? Comcast is a criminal? What law have they broken? Please enlighten us, Deaf Mute. Illegal method to deter P2P? Comcast is a criminal? What law have they broken? Please enlighten us, Deaf Mute.

]]> By: Deaf Mute http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2007/10/25/blocking-network-packets-the-comcast-fiasco/#comment-22100 Deaf Mute Mon, 29 Oct 2007 18:14:15 +0000 http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2007/10/25/blocking-network-packets-the-comcast-fiasco/#comment-22100 That is nice. Except for that Comcast is not taking responsibility. They don't need to and they won't, ever. What they are doing, to prevent being given this responsibility, is imposing a possible illegal method to deter legal and illegal use of P2P clients. And even without delving into the ethical and moral problems of illegal downloading, I could tell you that Comcast is definitely the criminal here. That is nice. Except for that Comcast is not taking responsibility. They don’t need to and they won’t, ever.

What they are doing, to prevent being given this responsibility, is imposing a possible illegal method to deter legal and illegal use of P2P clients.

And even without delving into the ethical and moral problems of illegal downloading, I could tell you that Comcast is definitely the criminal here.

]]> By: BelchSpeak » Post Topic » Finally, Some Common Sense Thinking on ComCast and Net Neutrality http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2007/10/25/blocking-network-packets-the-comcast-fiasco/#comment-22093 BelchSpeak » Post Topic » Finally, Some Common Sense Thinking on ComCast and Net Neutrality Mon, 29 Oct 2007 17:06:28 +0000 http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2007/10/25/blocking-network-packets-the-comcast-fiasco/#comment-22093 [...] Geeks Are Sexy takes on this issue by saying that Comcast was wrong.  [...] [...] Geeks Are Sexy takes on this issue by saying that Comcast was wrong.  [...]

]]> By: Monday morning links serving: The October 29th edition | [Geeks Are Sexy] Technology News http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2007/10/25/blocking-network-packets-the-comcast-fiasco/#comment-22049 Monday morning links serving: The October 29th edition | [Geeks Are Sexy] Technology News Mon, 29 Oct 2007 10:31:14 +0000 http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2007/10/25/blocking-network-packets-the-comcast-fiasco/#comment-22049 [...] To Bypass Comcast’s BitTorrent Throttling If you’ve already read our Comcast article, you’ll understand what this is about right [...] [...] To Bypass Comcast’s BitTorrent Throttling If you’ve already read our Comcast article, you’ll understand what this is about right [...]

]]> By: Adam http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2007/10/25/blocking-network-packets-the-comcast-fiasco/#comment-21064 Adam Fri, 26 Oct 2007 22:56:32 +0000 http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2007/10/25/blocking-network-packets-the-comcast-fiasco/#comment-21064 "As BelchSpeak stated, this might be a misconfigured IDS system." I've never heard of an IDS that would send cross-forged RST packets to two systems simultaneously, as reported in one of the above articles. Cisco's IDS, e.g., only tries to terminate the identified attacker's connection. That's the part that strikes me as suspect. “As BelchSpeak stated, this might be a misconfigured IDS system.”

I’ve never heard of an IDS that would send cross-forged RST packets to two systems simultaneously, as reported in one of the above articles. Cisco’s IDS, e.g., only tries to terminate the identified attacker’s connection. That’s the part that strikes me as suspect.

]]> By: Badcop666 http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2007/10/25/blocking-network-packets-the-comcast-fiasco/#comment-21057 Badcop666 Fri, 26 Oct 2007 20:32:51 +0000 http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2007/10/25/blocking-network-packets-the-comcast-fiasco/#comment-21057 What is most interesting about this is the fact that, inevitably, the establishment raises the bar on anti-democratic practices, intrusions into freedom etc., and brings about the evolution of the next generation of technology - what will be the solution from the p2p community? No-one should be surprised by this. The research carried out by the article's authors sounds legitiate and well conceived. The results indicate a deterministic scheme, not some more random malfunction. Comcast is no-doubt seen as a flgship in right-wing circles, including the RIAA and it's ilk, a flag-ship amongst neo-fascist practices being rolled out in the name of protecting profit margins in the decadent media industries. But this is the tip of the fascist iceberg people!! Politically and socially, this internet 'war' is perhaps the most interesting phenomenon. The establishment is claiming the moral high ground, and taking the opportunity to create and implement technologies which will be used against freedom of speech and freedom of activity per se, as suits the needs of the establishment and it's political and economic community. I note that encryption is now available in p2p client implementations. And what role might IPv6 play in all this? How is QoS and security balanced in an encapsulated protocol/content-type-agnostic scheme? Is it still true that the 'internet' is inherently a democratic space? Anti-terrorism legislation (enacted by the terrorists themselves!) and anti-piracy measures are, simply put, the vehicles for anti-democratic controls and intrusions. What is most interesting about this is the fact that, inevitably, the establishment raises the bar on anti-democratic practices, intrusions into freedom etc., and brings about the evolution of the next generation of technology - what will be the solution from the p2p community?

No-one should be surprised by this. The research carried out by the article’s authors sounds legitiate and well conceived. The results indicate a deterministic scheme, not some more random malfunction.

Comcast is no-doubt seen as a flgship in right-wing circles, including the RIAA and it’s ilk, a flag-ship amongst neo-fascist practices being rolled out in the name of protecting profit margins in the decadent media industries. But this is the tip of the fascist iceberg people!!

Politically and socially, this internet ‘war’ is perhaps the most interesting phenomenon. The establishment is claiming the moral high ground, and taking the opportunity to create and implement technologies which will be used against freedom of speech and freedom of activity per se, as suits the needs of the establishment and it’s political and economic community.

I note that encryption is now available in p2p client implementations. And what role might IPv6 play in all this? How is QoS and security balanced in an encapsulated protocol/content-type-agnostic scheme? Is it still true that the ‘internet’ is inherently a democratic space?

Anti-terrorism legislation (enacted by the terrorists themselves!) and anti-piracy measures are, simply put, the vehicles for anti-democratic controls and intrusions.

]]> By: PENIX http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2007/10/25/blocking-network-packets-the-comcast-fiasco/#comment-21047 PENIX Fri, 26 Oct 2007 18:11:43 +0000 http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2007/10/25/blocking-network-packets-the-comcast-fiasco/#comment-21047 I read their site and I came to the same conclusion as you: Sandvine is just packet analysis + QoS. It enables them to detect P2P and deprioritize it, or route it differently. It does not block it or use packet forgery. I've also e-mailed Sandvine in hopes that they will shed some light on the matter. I dislike Comcast very much, but this isn't a witch hunt. We need to have facts before we throw away the key. I read their site and I came to the same conclusion as you: Sandvine is just packet analysis + QoS. It enables them to detect P2P and deprioritize it, or route it differently. It does not block it or use packet forgery.

I’ve also e-mailed Sandvine in hopes that they will shed some light on the matter. I dislike Comcast very much, but this isn’t a witch hunt. We need to have facts before we throw away the key.

]]>