Google Joins Fight Against BitTorrent Throttling ISPs
Written by Ernesto on January 28, 2009Hundreds 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.
Previously: ISP Capitulates to IFPI, Agrees to Disconnect Pirates
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39 Responses
Between The Pirate Bay and the RIAA and IFPI, which side is Google likelier to side on? I myself am quite unsure.
I discovered the source by accident when searching for "Chernobyl Webcam", all the info is on the above link.
But for more info about how the rules work:
http://www.google.co.uk/dmca.html
Good job Google! Keep those tools comin'
yay good google!!!!!!
Not exactly too fond of google with all their spy stuff…. but heh, at least its a step in the right direction.
also what happened to "36 servers in 12 locations" the site is slow as shit lol
"helpng" should be "helping"
the link does not work
amen to that
Yeah, with Google, I am usually suspicious of what they are doing.
Between The Pirate Bay and the IFPI, which side is Google likelier to side on? I myself am quite unsure.
Google side with DMCA laws and are censoring the internet, I've posted this previously to no response. http://bbs.dontassrape.us/viewtopic.php?id=222
I still run Google's analytics, I just dont agree with their censorship policies.
Google doesn't seem to be to cooperative regarding the countless warez blogs the're hosting nor do they voluntary take any measures beyond the DMCA so i at least hope google is kinda with us.
I don't consider Google totally open about this sort of thing. After all, isn't it the case that Gmail and Talk are STILL considered betas simply as part of a ploy to avoid having to include them in earnings projections? That sounds like something other than "transparency" to me. Anyone who installed Chrome on their Windows computer has probably seen how the program installs itself in the hidden AppData folder for each user, rather than in Program Files like *every* other program. Doesn't even give you a choice of directory for install. Transparent? Maybe too much so…
I use their services, but I don't trust them 100%
Google sides with DMCA laws? Interesting, what is the source?
man almost none of the tests actually work. all servers are fully overloaded
Actually, I think its more like keep those services coming so we can keep the tools who throttle at bay ;)
heh
http://www.eZee.se
I'm testing out Glasnot as I type this. I know for a fact that my university does throttle torrents. BUt hey, we are not in much of a position to rebel.
http://stuckinframes.blogspot.com
WOW! I love Google that much more, that's awesome
That's crappy… there's no throttling at the University here. Depending on the network load, you can upload between 2 and 8 MB/s… that'll get your ratio up pretty quick! No idea how fast the download can go, I've never gotten it above 1.5MB/s.
I discovered the source by accident when searching for "Chernobyl Webcam", all the info is on the above link.
But for more info about how the rules work:
http://www.google.co.uk/dmca.html“target=”_blank”>http://www.google.co.uk/dmca.html
I discovered the source by accident when searching for "Chernobyl Webcam", all the info is on the above link.
But for more info about how the rules work:
http://www.google.co.uk/dmca.htm
There are good uses of BitTorrent in the wild. It is great that Google is helping to identify which ISPs are limiting its use.
Probably neither – why would they choose a side?
If they did I'd say TPB helps them serve ads through web searches – so I doubt they'll respond to any requests to remove search results from public trackers. Unless it's copyright takedown requests.
To the people complaining of it being slow, read the article fully next time.
"The servers Google has promised will be rolled out over the next few months…"
Morons.
As the article says, the 36 servers are going to be rolled out in the near furure.
No one forces you to use Google – and if you never give your real name nothing can be identified in reality. In reality Google is very open with their "get srvices for free and lose a small level of privacy" model of providing services – far more open than most organisations that use tracking. However, they are somewhat ubiquitous in their web presence so they have reach far beyond any other company.
Lets hope you keep the good work up google and continue to make good on your decision to avoid the evil corporation path
hahaha i laughed when i read this
Good one google! power to the people :)
Go google! woo! :D
UM… ok, what the hell has the fact that Gmail and Talk are classed as beta got to do with transparency or how open they may be? And you forgot to mention that avoiding adding to earnings projections can have tax implications. WHich would make more sense than the "google is secret and evil" line you appear to be pushing.
And many applications install critical components into the Applications folder, it's a way of seperating user accounts – so for example if a user account is removed their data can be removed without effecting others. What the hell has that got to do with transparency?
What do you think they are trying to hide with any of this?
Thank you google, you are my hero!
Greetz Mike – http://www.sitelogr.com“target=”_blank”>http://www.sitelogr.com
With Google on side, we stand a much better chance of winning this fight.
Wow, go Google! We all know one day Google will rule the world right?
http://www.anoweb.alturl.com
there evil plot to rule the world..
(psst… hitler lives!)
are you naive….even facebook and many search engines do take your private data.But this is only to help in ur search results…making it more refined
Is it just me, or is the site not loading?
I'm using OpenDNS on Time Warner Cable.
Love it.
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