Google joins fight against bittorrent-throttling ISPs

[~NeonFire372~]

Hundreds of ISPs all over the world limit and restrict BitTorrent traffic on their networks. Unfortunately, most companies are not very open about their network management solutions. With a newly launched website, Google is now helping out by supporting applications that distinguish the good ISPs from the bad.
ISPs have been throttling BitTorrent traffic for years, but only recently has this become a hot topic. In collaboration with New America Foundation's Open Technology Institute and the PlanetLab Consortium, Google is helpng ‘the cause' by launching Measurement Lab (M-Lab), a site that helps users determine if their ISP is interfering with BitTorrent traffic.

Among other tools, M-Lab will run the Glasnost application developed by the Max Planck Institute. Last year, tests performed with the Glasnost tool revealed that Comcast and Cox were actively interfering with the BitTorrent transfers of their subscribers.

The Java applet developed by the Glasnost project uploads and downloads data via BitTorrent for a few seconds, and compares that to your regular download speed. It detects if your ISP is limiting all BitTorrent traffic, or just the flow of data through well known BitTorrent ports. All in all this tool should be able to tell you whether your ISP is messing with BitTorrent traffic or not.

In their quest for Net Neutrality, Google is backing the M-Lab project with 36 servers in 12 locations. Google will also provide network connectivity for the tools hosted on M-Lab. The servers Google has promised will be rolled out over the next few months, while the PlanetLab Consortium manages the tools hosted on the site.

The project aims to reveal the throttling practices of ISPs worldwide and put an end to all the secrecy. “Transparency has always been essential to the Internet's success, and everyone can agree that Internet users deserve to be well-informed about what they're getting when they sign up for broadband,” says M-Lab, explaining the ideals behind its website.

Among the other Net Neutrality tools hosted on M-Lab is a diagnostic tool which allows user to test their connection speed and receive sophisticated diagnosis of any slowdowns. More tools will be added soon, Google powered.

Interesting tool: http://www.measurementlab.net/

 

[Ð88]

bah! I know! My ISP has been throttling my connection for a long time. I will consider joining this project.

 

[~NeonFire372~]

bah! I know! My ISP has been throttling my connection for a long time. I will consider joining this project.

Rogers?

 

[Half Evil]

Thats sweet I am definitely going to key my eye on this!

 

[StratosP]

I don't FULLY understand this article.

Is Google with torrent sites and against ISP's? If this is the case I'll be the #1 google fan!

 

[Rubber314Chicken]

google isn't for pirating, but they know there are legit uses of bit torrent being slowed down.


I can't say I've noticed throttling. Then again I don't download much.

 

[StratosP]

google isn't for pirating, but they know there are legit uses of bit torrent being slowed down.


I can't say I've noticed throttling. Then again I don't download much.

Obviously the campaign won't be for pirating, because they'll get a lawsuit filed against them. But secretly, I know some of these people are for it >_>

Anyways, I'm for Google!

 

[Benny M]

This is made to help the users on fighting net neutrality. Since Google is one of the most usable search engines in the world, it is very important that they must have some development to make their service more efficient and more satisfying to the users. M-Lab, or Measurement Lab, will gauge the speed of your Internet connection and tell you how fast your connection is and what is slowing it down. That is why Google are about to launch a program, for you to get quality service, especially with broadband.

 

[~NeonFire372~]

Obviously the campaign won't be for pirating, because they'll get a lawsuit filed against them. But secretly, I know some of these people are for it >_>

Anyways, I'm for Google!

Piracy? I thought bittorrent was for sharing linux distros.

 

[StratosP]

Piracy? I thought bittorrent was for sharing linux distros.

What are you talking about? Heaps of torrents are piracy...