Cox Suckers BitTorrent Users with More Slowdowns
Written by Ernesto on January 28, 2009Cox, the third largest ISP in the U.S, is none too fond of BitTorrent users. Previously we reported that they disconnect alleged copyright infringers without warning. Today, Cox announced a new ‘network management’ trial where P2P, Usenet and FTP users will be slowed down when the network is congested.
Cox is known to manage its network by slowing down BitTorrent users, or by making it impossible for them to share files with others.
Comcast was slapped by the FCC last year for a similarly unfair treatment of BitTorrent users, but Cox managed to get away relatively unscathed, even though it was using the same TCP RST packet forging techniques. Cox has no intention of stopping the traffic slowdowns in 2009, it will just use different methods.
In February, Cox will trial a brand new throttling scheme that aims to slow down so-called “non-time sensitive” traffic when the network is congested. This includes all P2P, FTP and Usenet traffic. Although Cox announced the trials – which will start in Kansas and Arkansas – on its website, details are scarce.
For one, Cox does not explain what the definition of a congested network is, how often its users can expect to be throttled and more specifically, at what times of the day this is likely to happen. Secondly, it is currently unknown what measures Cox will actually take, and what applications will be used to slow down its customers.
Ben Scott, policy director of Free Press, is also concerned with Cox’s new plans. He said in a response to the news, “The lesson we learned from the Comcast case is that we must be skeptical of any practice that comes between users and the Internet.” Indeed, network neutrality is at stake – again.
“The information provided by Cox gives little indication about how its new practices will impact Internet users, or if they comply with the FCC’s Internet Policy Statement. Cox customers will certainly want to know more about how the company is interfering with their Internet traffic and what criteria it uses to discriminate,” Scott added.
It is really disappointing to see (some) ISPs using “network congestion” as an excuse to slow down users of P2P applications using expensive traffic shaping devices, particularly as this “congestion” doesn’t seem to deter them from taking on more and more customers.
Instead, they should invest in their network infrastructure. Five years from now the demand on the network’s resources might be a ten fold increase from today’s levels. They can close their eyes and wish, but that wont make BitTorrent and other high bandwidth applications go away.
Previously: BitTorrent Scam Shutdown After SMS Regulations Breach
Next: ISP Capitulates to IFPI, Agrees to Disconnect Pirates
76 Responses
You should have known when you asked the guy to install cox in your house …
Not that long ago there was a surplus of “dark fiber” from the Internet bubble no one knew what dto do with, and now they’re fighting congestion.
Indeed, FTP is used quite often by businesses and other important usages. It would be bad for a whole lot of people, in addition to the lot of file-sharers.
This is really bad. :( Especially after reading the article on Ars Technica about the fact that about 40% of the actual infrastructure is actaully used, even with more users. ISPs have the bandwidth and the backbone to handle all this P2P traffic, they just don’t want to. They know more and more people are using P2P, even for legit uses, and they don’t want to spend the money making sure their backbone can handle it.
Cox Suckers lol
Had to read that headline a few times.
I remember Cox was in my old hometown in NC USA, they were always pathetic.. nobody will really care because they are a very pathetic ISP.
What im waiting for is Time Warner.. there pretty big and I just know there gonna do something soon.
beat me to it
Cox, Suckers! Gold! lol
People
DNS > Encryption & Junk Filter (LOL if they send you copywrong infringo notices)
*-*
http://opendns.com/
Easy solution – don't sign up for cox.
A gem of a title.
"Our customers have been sucking our bandwidth, so now it's time for us to suck them" – Cox.
It seems Cox have too much consumers and money…
Simple Solution: Choose an ISP that isn't on this list:
http://wiki.vuze.com/index.php/Internet_service_p...
thats very bad :(
regards,
madhukarah
I do not doubt that this is a business strategy – yet, it is hardly conducive to business. What could they hope to gain through slowing down "non-time sensitive" traffic?
Roze
http://www.10ch.org
Wow… well done on the title. That was awesome!
chances are they will work with the RIAA just like AT&T and Comcast are expected to.
P2P and http://ftp... now they have gone wayyy to far…
haha, they obviously never heard of irc ^^
"Indeed, FTP is used quite often by businesses and other important usages. It would be bad for a whole lot of people, in addition to the lot of file-sharers."
Well that's the same as an isp throttling all encrypted traffic, such as Rogers was doing, this not only affects p2p, but anyone using a vpn into work would also suffer.
Bell has been throttling through peek times, and you know what, i haven't noticed it at all, my speeds stay maxed if it's well seeded. I think you guys should verify your tcpip limit and torrent settings before you blame the isp, as long as you get the right amount of peers you'll be fine.
You know though really if all I had was cox.. I would just wait (As I do already). The key is..
A computer that runs 24/7 with a torrent client.
Remote access to that machine like Logmein.com (free and just ridiculously easy)
Log in while at work or from a mobile device and add torrents, by the time you get home there already done, and if not of course it just downloads all night.
This method has worked for me so well I dont pay for cable. Hook up the computer to your TV and watch them directly off the machine (No burning). I run a big HDTV in 1080P, I can download HD content and play directly.. the can imagine how much I save on BS technology I dont need. (IE blue ray player))
Patience is the key.
They probably would slow down IRC file transfers as well.
ya cox go suck a cock
Did AT&T and Comcast already announce that they'll work with the RIAA?
not that i know of. it is still an expected thing and is not definite. so just keep an eye out.
Who exactly are the ones expecting it? The RIAA, the government, the population, the news media, the ISPs themselves, who?
:))
Honestly, one of the best titles of a post I have seen in quiiite some time.
Article was regular TF, informative & good but
+10 just for the title Ernesto ;))
You know what i dont get about throtoling… dont we have a contract with our ISP that stricly defines the speed of our internet connection, yes they do say you may not do anything iligal, but p2p can be used for legal download, and FTP, what the hell are they thinking, isnt this a breach of contract?
Indeed, my service is provided by Time Warner via a local reseller, and I'm a bit worried about them going all Comcast on me.
Yeah, perhaps suing them might straighten things out.
lol
best article title on TF ever…
do it.
damn i have cox :(
pretty much the only choice out here, besides dialup
Well, the more they expand the discrimination, the more powerful the response will be. Now they'll be screwing over more than just "dirty pirates"… maybe that will help in the bigger picture.
Dang, Usenet AND FTP? What the heck man!
RT
http://www.total-privacy.us.tc
Watch out! You can get banned by Digg for such a flippant play on words unless that COX Sucker that runs it agrees with you.
Easier said that done, most areas don't have many options. Every single day at 6pm they throttle my internet to the point I can't load a webpage and there are no alternatives.
I hope IPv6 comes sooner that later…That'll teach those Cox Suckers for good.
Actually, Cox users appreciate being protected from having all of their bandwidth sucked up by their neighbors Bittorrent seeds.
Can Cox diffrentiate between xbox-live and Torrent dloads? Maybe that's why my online gaming experience is not great some days?
what happens if u stop using p2p, does the internet go back to usual?
Actually, a lot of the traffic being slowed down has important usages.
I work for COX ABUSE DEPARTMENT.
We do not work with the RIAA accualy teh way it works we receive a complaint form them.
we set an abuse code on the acct and call you and tellyou delete the file. and remove the abuse code . essentially if you are found violating this 4 times your acct is terminated.
Rather than give up your information to the RIAA and protecting YOUR INFORMATION.
and keeping it form the RIAA. wed rather ust cut you off so your protected on that end.
and you say your cox suckers. so what your bit torrent is throttled which isnt proven cause i get 1.1-1.5 MB per second download. on a 8kbps down speed on my bit torrent client.
just be sure to make your ip and you guys should be fine use a proxy thats tehbest way around the system and Spoof your MAC youll be fine.
hope this clears things up
What the hell are you talking about? IPv6 may or may not become ubiqitous but it's got nothihg to do with speed, throttling or BT particuarly.
Read the small print – I'd say no it isn't. Contracts generally allow ISP's to do as they see fit to any traffic on their own network.
But check it regardless of what I say.
i'm a cox subscriber in arkansas…. :'(
Wow – you get up to 1.5 MB/s on a 8kb/s connection. Amazing! They aren't throttling people, they're giving them more bandwidth than they signed up for!
"Them". You know "them" right? "They" are trying to stop freedom of speech, sex before marriage and have a microphone in your house at this moment. I'm surprised you haven't heard of "them".
If you try to dispute me on this then it means you are one of "them" OK!
They may – however the proportion of users using DCC (or fserve… wait does anybody use fserve these days?) is tiny compared to p2p.
I'd guess that FTP used on business service connections would not be throttled.
What could they hope to gain? Well, lower bandwidth usage to start with. Which means more is available to sell to other customers.
So lemme get this straight – you people pay for Cox? :P
First of all I'm from Slovenia and i have not yet experienced any throtoling.
I read the contract and it does not alow uploading/downloding of iligal material, but thats it. They only reserve the right to disconnect the connection in case of maintinence. So as my contract go, they cant do it. But you all should check your contract as I have a feeling that this is a legal gray zone so if you try and downlode some totaly legal thing (Linux distro from bittorrent) and you a throteled, show this as evidance and I think they are gonna have a problem explaining that.
We all have to hide somehow now. Encrypt your bittorent traffic, use open proxies.
John
http://openprox.info
WHERE ARE ALL THE HACKERS? WHY DON'T THEY DO SOMETHING…
When i dont torrent for anything other than free software, or ftp/ssh for work from home, and they cut my speed from 25mb down to 3mb I'm pretty pissed. I'm sorry but work and activities related to work are in fact time sensitive. They need to rethink their model or I'm certain that they will be facing a fairly decent legal bout.
I don't think that means what you think it means.
So I moved about 8 or 9 months ago I used to have comcast which when I tried to download
torrents used to slow my whole entire network to a grind when I moved I had to switch to Cox and in a three month span they cut my internet on me twice for downloading, which sucked and was a pain in the ass to get hooked up again. After this happened I wrote a email to my state representative and a few weeks later got a response basically giving me a line of bullshit about how he voted for this and against this but it was a out of state matter and there was nothing he could do. I'll post it up on my blog if anyone is interested in seeing it. I have been also thinking if theres anyway out of my cox contract im most likely going to switch to Fios
Yeah, I am worried about Time Warner as well…
Yes, basically… article here :
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10151389-93.html...
So what happens when websites like Netflix and Hulu start offering HD streaming? In the case of Netflix, I'm paying for that and I'm paying Cox for the connection. I'll be madder than a hornet if I run into frequent interruptions in HD playback because Cox is throttling my connection due to "network congestion."
Impossible when there is only one internet solution.
So if you violate your ISP's contract four times and get your internet disconnected upon that result, will you still able to sign up for another ISP that is within your area?
I'm not totally sure about that so that is why I am asking.
SOrry shoudl have clarified 1.5 Megabytes per second n my download.
on a 8 Mbps(megabits per second) down and 1.0 Mbps (megabit per second) sory shoudl have clarified. still 1.5 megabytes per second is pretty good downlaod an entire dvd single layer in approx 4.7 gig in approx 51 min .
thats preety dman good if your being throttled
Huh, I have been torrenting with cox's service and I havent noticed any problems or slowing down.
They have not stated that they would make any exception for business service connections. Of course, we will have to see, but it does not seem so.
If I do receive confirmation that this bs happens in vegas Cox, then they can be sure that I will be siwtching to another ISP, and taking as many people as I can with me.
I don't think people will join you, mainly because it is inconvience for them and they don't want to get involved with legal issues.
I don't think people will join you, mainly because it is an inconvience for them and they don't want to get involved with legal issues.
Seriously, can't you sue them for that? You pay their wages goddamnit!
Customer pays –> company provides service
.. oh wait that's not how it works is it?
Customer pays –> company tries to do as little as possible right down to not providing the service at all. And then shuts down random customers.
They are called PROVIDERS, this is fucking outragious!
Logmein is not free
i told you so lol
http://torrentfreak.com/comcast-labels-innocent-c...
I'm seriously considering canceling my service with these Cox over this type of activity. Sadly the only other alternative i have in my area is Verizon Fios. Does anyone know of any reports of Verizon attempting this type of bullshit?
lol "cox suckers"
Cox is a joke, and hopefully the FCC will step in and do the same thing they did to Comcast when they tried this crap…
http://www.newsadmin.com/usenet_commentary/commentary_02092009.asp
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