ger87410 Posted January 11, 2008 Report Share Posted January 11, 2008 http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/09/business/media/09fcc.html?_r=1&ref=business&pagewanted=print&oref=sloginFile a complaint at fcc.gov. This is about our only chance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Switeck Posted January 11, 2008 Report Share Posted January 11, 2008 I couldn't read that article...and many others no doubt won't be able to either. I went to www.fcc.gov and couldn't find where to complain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewelisheaven Posted January 11, 2008 Report Share Posted January 11, 2008 There is no page linked: The article is reproduced below. I was able to access it by removing all that appended garbage[noparse]LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Federal Communications Commission will investigate complaints that Comcast actively interferes with Internet traffic as its subscribers try to share files online, the commission's chairman, Kevin J. Martin, said Tuesday.Mr. Martin confirmed the investigation in comments at the Consumer Electronics Show.In an investigation last year, The Associated Press found that Comcast in some cases hindered file sharing by subscribers who used BitTorrent, a popular file-sharing program. The findings, first reported Oct. 19, confirmed claims by users who also noticed interference with other file-sharing applications."We look forward to responding to any F.C.C. inquiries regarding our broadband network management," said David L. Cohen, executive vice president at Comcast.Comcast denies that it blocks file sharing, but acknowledged after The A.P. article that it was "delaying" some traffic between computers that share files. The company said the intervention was necessary to improve the surfing experience for the majority of its subscribers.Peer-to-peer file sharing is a common way to exchange copyright files illegally, but companies are also rushing to use it for legal distribution of video and game content. If Internet providers hinder or control that traffic, it makes them gatekeepers of Internet content.The F.C.C.'s response will be an important test of its willingness to enforce "net neutrality," the principle that Internet traffic be treated equally by carriers. The agency has a broadly stated policy supporting the concept, but its position has not been tested in a real-world case.[/noparse] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Switeck Posted January 12, 2008 Report Share Posted January 12, 2008 Not that the poster is even a ComCast customer, the behavior described is indeed very similar to the kind of disruption done by ComCast:http://forum.utorrent.com/viewtopic.php?id=34383...And that's far worse than JUST affecting BitTorrent traffic!I am on ComCast.I'm very much aware of connections being "reset by peer". Many, if not most BitTorrent connections die 30-38 seconds after they first connect. Sometimes an outgoing, encrypted connection manages to avoid that fate for awhile...but even it too seldom lasts more than an hour. Occasionally, there are mass die-offs, where the vast majority of my connections disconnect all within less than 15 seconds. Then again, "mass" may be a misnomer here...I seldom am able to top more than 20 connections -- even though in the past I used to be able to make 70-200. (My router proved a limiting factor preventing me from going higher.)"Network management" (to maintain a high availability of service to <other> customers) is a lousy excuse to do something 24/7 (rather than just peak hours!) that is very disruptive to the basic workings of networking software...or even TCP/IP handling in general!I'm personally seeing connections get stuck in SYN_RCVD mode till they time out. It'd be a SYN flood if I had enough connections like that at once...good thing I don't put by half open rate very high!The only solution I can offer is change ISPs...and hope they don't do it too!We are at the mercy of what ComCast allows us to do, as they define what the "internet" is...and how well it is supposed to work.The deal has changed!Pray the "deal" does not change again!Most ISPs reserve the right to change the contractual agreement, possibly even without notice.They have a minimum contract for often 6 months...if not 2 years!They lock you in, and you're forced to pay pretty substantial "penalty fees" if you leave their service sooner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ultima Posted January 13, 2008 Report Share Posted January 13, 2008 http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080109-congress-to-probe-fcc.html[T]he House Energy and Commerce Committee announced a formal investigation of the FCC...The news couldn't be more welcome to the industries that the FCC regulates....The telephone companies aren't thrilled about the FCC's 700MHz auction conditions (Verizon even sued), and everyone wants the FCC to keep away from their traffic monitoring and shaping practices.Gotta hope this doesn't throw a wrench anywhere in the process :| Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewelisheaven Posted January 13, 2008 Report Share Posted January 13, 2008 Well yea, now that supposedly AT&T and NBC are working together for network-wide content elimination... I mean AT&T has already been fingered for being complicit in domestic wiretapping... Why don't businesses bother with trying to make a paradigm shift instead of locking in further to a deprecated failing system :/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ger87410 Posted January 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 To file a complaint with the FCC, follow these steps:goto http://fcc.govLook under the 'Consumer Center' section on the left side of the screen. You should see 'filing complaints'. Click on that.You should now see 'Step 1: Choose a complaint type'. Click 'general complaints'. People, it's important that we band together and have everyone file a complaint. It's how the FCC works.Following is an article concerning what I'm talking about.http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/01/16/0238244"The FCC has officially opened proceedings investigating Comcast's use of Sandvine to send RST packets and 'throttle' P2P connections by disconnecting them. The petitioner, Vuze, Inc. is asking the FCC to rule that Comcast's measures do not constitute 'reasonable network management' per the FCC rules and to forbid Comcast from unreasonably discriminating against lawful Internet applications, content, and technologies. If you want to weigh in on these proceedings, you can use the Electronic Comment Filing System to comment on WC Docket no. 07-52 any time before February 13th."&http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,2249209,00.asp Update: FCC Asks Comcast for P2P Answersby Chloe AlbanesiusComcast this week received a letter from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) asking that the cable provider respond in writing by January 25 regarding accusations that it is blocking access to certain file-sharing applications."We did receive a letter from the FCC asking us to respond in writing to the Free Press, Media Access Project complaint," said Comcast spokeswoman Sena Fitzmaurice.On Monday, the FCC also opened a public comment period on the Free Press petition that will examine whether "degrading peer-to-peer traffic" violates FCC rules for reasonable network management.In addition, the FCC will examine a petition from file-sharing company Vuze that asks for clarification on what constitutes "reasonable network management." The inquiry will also touch on whether text messaging and short codes are subject to the FCC's non-discrimination rules, prompted by Verizon Wireless' decision to ban and then allow Naral Pro-Choice America to use its mobile network for an abortion-rights text program.The letter Comcast received from the FCC "is different and separate from the three dockets that the FCC has opened asking for public comment on various broadband network processes and the Verizon text messaging issue," Fitzmaurice said.Comcast has not made any decisions about whether it will submit public comments, she said.The commission's wireline competition bureau will accept comments until February 13 and reply comments until February 28. The bureau will also examine a petition from file-sharing company Vuze that asks for clarification on what constitutes "reasonable network management."At issue is an October article from the Associated Press that accused Comcast of using software from Sandvine to block customer access to P2P services like BitTorrent and Gnutella.Comcast admitted to "delaying" P2P traffic when traffic levels were high, but denied that P2P access was being blocked. Internet groups were not convinced, so they filed a complaint with the FCC in November calling on the commission to stop Comcast from violating customer rights.FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said last week at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) that the commission would investigate the complaint to ensure that customers were not being blocked.After that announcement, Comcast pledged to "work with the commission" on the issue, according to David L. Cohen, executive vice president for Comcast. "We believe our practices are in accordance with the FCC's policy statement on the Internet.""These inquiries will go a long way to setting out a road map for determining who will control the Internet, and whether texting will be seen in the same light as wireless voice services," said Gigi Sohn, president of Public Knowledge, one of the groups that filed the complaint with the FCC. "We look forward to participating in these dockets, and we anticipate that at the end of the day, consumers will have more control over their Internet and wireless experiences than they do now." Everyone, please file a complaint. The FCC has wanted 'net neutrality' for awhile now and they're starting to enforce it.I've already filed a complaint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybercne Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 Here is the DIRECT link to the page at the FCC to file against Comcast / Sandvine (be sure to mention that Comcast uses Sandvine)http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgb/fcc475.cfm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Switeck Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 I'm not sure Sandvine should be emphasized really heavily, since similar products can be used to produce similar results...We do not wish for one form of disruption to be replaced with another, we wish to show that the disruption itself is both uncalled for and excessive.That can only be done by showing that it not needed 24-7 like it is used and that other methods, such as simple throttling during peak hours when it IS needed are generally sufficient. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewelisheaven Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 Err, I hope you mean shaping > throttling Switeck. I do not enjoy my connection being reset because my ISP's hardware decides I am making too many connections. What would be best, is if the ISPs were "suggested" to disclose the methods/limitations as presented somewhere... the gist I got was that the lawyer was pressing on vs Comcast because they were not "reasonable" limitations partly because Comcast was not disclosing the extent of their mangling of internet packets, including injection, delay, and dropping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Switeck Posted January 18, 2008 Report Share Posted January 18, 2008 Read my post again, carefully. I meant in a worst-case scenario where the ISP does get overloaded on the local circuit, they can do simple throttling (which means delaying OR dropping packets, but not resetting connections) instead of what they ARE doing.Sandvine is NOT ComCast's only tool to screw over your internet experience. And forcing them to change tools will probably just mean they resort to more blunt force trauma style tools without the finesse that Sandvine has.And yeah, if Joe Neighbor here is attempting to make 50+ new connections at once on top of already having 300 connections, I won't be too unhappy if Sandvine kicks him down to 100 connections and ignores most new connection attempts past that if there's local overloads during peak hours. If there's not local overloads, then let him hit 1000+ if he can reach them!Do note that there are multiple bottlenecks in our relatively transparent internet connections, some of which are due to the raw bandwidth limits of shared lines, others due to processing power of routers and switches, and lastly due to hub-style only-1-speaker-at-once issues. Any of these reasons can force an ISP to take unwanted crippling steps on customers to prevent everyone from suffering...till the ISP can upgrade! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ecsacker6306 Posted January 18, 2008 Report Share Posted January 18, 2008 I'm really sorry guys, but apparently I'm brain damaged. Plus, I don't want to make an innacurate compalaint, because I really want this problem fixed, because I'm pretty sure it's happening right now...What specifically should I write in the description box?Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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