University bans p2p apps
UConn (Univerity of Connecticut) Information Technology Services says it’s going to in effect ban all p2p file sharing programs, except DC++.
“The current restrictions on these programs allow them to work, but limit their ability to consume network bandwidth and restrict their network speed,” says the Daily Campus.
But, “According to a campus-wide e-mail from UITS, similar restrictions have been on the network in the past from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., but they now apply to the entire day.”
The story has Elaine David, assistant vp for information services and the director of information technology security, policy and quality assurance, stating:
“It’s not prevention, but a restriction.”
As of the fall semester, all p2p programs will be blocked by default on the UConn network, and users will have to ask if theywant to use them, “for a short amount of time”.
“Our initial approach is to disable all peer-to-peer programs, then we’ll put a mechanism in place to allow their use,” says Mike Lang, a security analyst with UITS, in the Daily Campus. “But we haven’t worked out complete details yet, and once we implement the program, we’ll make adjustments based on user feedback.”
The story says would-be users will have to get permission to use p2p programs within a “time window” during which, “they will have no bandwidth limits and once it has closed they can re-apply for more time”.
The p2p “restrictions” affect the UConn network edge and the Internet, Lang said, programs that allow users to share within the UConn network, such DC++, won’t be unaffected, adds the Daily Campus.
DC ++, an open-source p2p file-sharing client used to hook into the Direct Connect network, is, interestingly, being targetted in Norway.
Related article: Traffic Shaping, Good or Bad?
