About Internet shaping and big ISPs like Bell...
By Ray on April 16, 2008 - 9:08pm
If we go back to 'square one' on this, we could probably put some of the blame on
'Mighty Microsoft' for building this peer-to-peer capability into Windows, with core
Windows files like 'p2p.dll', 'p2psvc.dll', 'p2pnetsh.dll', etc.
This file-sharing with peer-to-peer technology first surfaced as a problem about a
year or so ago, when the BBC in the U.K. began offering its viewers older programs
for download to their home computers. The catch was that the users had to first
download a little 'facilitator' program which the BBC got from a company called
Kontiki, and it contained an executive file called 'kservice.exe' which in effect made
the user's computer a relay server on the network for anyone else who wanted to share
those BBC video files. When people began using that, their bandwidth usage went
right through the roof, and the ISPs serving those users had a hell of a time due to
the vastly increased demands on their systems.
More recently, the good old CBC has proposed a similar P2P file-sharing scheme
for those wanting to share certain older CBC programs - much as the BBC did.
The larger ISPs, like Bell and others, being aware by now of the mess created in
the U.K. by all that peer-to-peer file-sharing a year or so ago, have quite naturally
taken steps to limit the possible effects on their ability to provide acceptable service
to the bulk of their customers.
We don't need peer-to-peer in order to transfer files. The FTP system, similar to that
used by email programs works well also, but maintains a server-client relationship in
doing its thing, unlike P2P, which considers everyone equal for exchange purposes.
What all this means is that those who are downloading or sharing large files like movies
are hogging the system capacity which everyone depends upon for adequate speeds
during use of the internet. I don't think Bell is all bad in trying to limit that. It depends on how they do it, and to whom. It could be a selective thing, targeted at the offenders, rather than a blanket application hitting everyone perhaps.
Note: The above was written today to an eastern journalist who published an article
about this in an Ontario paper. It may or may not be appearing there as a 'letter to
the editor'. I'm copying it here, just in case anyone would like to read my thoughts on it.
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