Traffic Shaping

[Fawkes]

Originally Posted by Toto

Agreed.

Traffic shaping on the level that ntl appear to be implamenting cannot be done at the human level, the hardware ntl will need to install will do all that for them. Obviously there will be traffic data that will be analysed by humans, but it is largely data flow based on volume over time and port traffic and there will be insufficient time for human intervention to make this work properly that would breach any privacy issues.

Don't be so sure:

Verizon, Comcast, Bell South and other communications giants are developing strategies that would track and store information on our every move in cyberspace in a vast data-collection and marketing system, the scope of which could rival the National Security Agency. According to white papers now being circulated in the cable, telephone and telecommunications industries, those with the deepest pockets--corporations, special-interest groups and major advertisers--would get preferred treatment. Content from these providers would have first priority on our computer and television screens, while information seen as undesirable, such as peer-to-peer communications, could be relegated to a slow lane or simply shut out.

Taken from here.

EDIT:

These "deep packet inspection" technologies are partly designed to make sure that the Internet pipeline doesn't become so congested it chokes off the delivery of timely communications. Such products have already been sold to universities and large businesses that want to more economically manage their Internet services. They are also being used to limit some peer-to-peer downloading, especially for music.

But these tools are also being promoted as ways that companies, such as Comcast and Bell South, can simply grab greater control over the Internet. For example, in a series of recent white papers, Internet technology giant Cisco urges these companies to "meter individual subscriber usage by application," as individuals' online travels are "tracked" and "integrated with billing systems." Such tracking and billing is made possible because they will know "the identity and profile of the individual subscriber," "what the subscriber is doing" and "where the subscriber resides."

[Toto]

Originally Posted by Fawkes

Don't be so sure:




Taken from here.

EDIT:

So why shouldn't I be so sure?

[Fawkes]

Originally Posted by Toto

So why shouldn't I be so sure?

So data mining peopleââ‚Ã⠀šÃ‚¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢s online habits and using that data to change their online behaviour has no privacy implications then?

[totalwar]

Thoses dl from newsgroups GrabIt beta 6 has been release and the dl speeds seem be lot more stable getting 10,000kb/s to 12,000kb/s.You now have the option of up to 32 connection slots.

[Toto]

Originally Posted by Fawkes

So data mining people’s online habits and using that data to change their online behaviour has no privacy implications then?

Of course it has, but ntl is traffic shaping, not looking at each individual packet at the human level. I don't think ntl have the cash to take on a substancial storage of all their customers traffic.

[Chrysalis]

Originally Posted by Frank

You are free to leave now if you want.

sad but true, it seems to be if someone notices how bad the service is they get told you can leave or here have a discount, it is easier to do this then invest.

---------- Post added at 14:42 ---------- Previous post was at 14:39 ----------

I think in my case shaping is almost certianly going to provide an improvement but ntl should on top of this doing an upgrade, but if they do the shaping alone then they probably using shaping to replace network investment rather then compliment it.

Originally Posted by Chrysalis

sad but true, it seems to be if someone notices how bad the service is they get told you can leave or here have a discount, it is easier to do this then invest.

---------- Post added at 14:42 ---------- Previous post was at 14:39 ----------

I think in my case shaping is almost certainly going to provide an improvement but ntl should on top of this doing an upgrade, but if they do the shaping alone then they probably using shaping to replace network investment rather then compliment it.

Well after 6 years as a customer with first Nynex then Cable and Witless and finally Ntl i am on the move to BT and Ukonline. 13th of this month is the big day for me. Will be on the phone to disconnections first thing Monday morning will give them 30 days. The situation is that i cannot see Ntl just keeping to the 6 till 11 slot. soon they will use it to extract as much money from the customer as they can without investing any back in.

[Shaun]

Originally Posted by unlimited

The situation is that i cannot see Ntl just keeping to the 6 till 11 slot. soon they will use it to extract as much money from the customer as they can without investing any back in.

How long until they introduce a new tier with no traffic shaping at a £45 a month?

[Chrysalis]

6 to 11 doesnt apply here right now, it starts declining around midday and isnt upto a good standard until around 2 or 3am. The last 24 hrs have blow that out of the window tho and their was contention all the way through the night.

[jtwn]

Originally Posted by Shaun

How long until they introduce a new tier with no traffic shaping at a £45 a month?

When they get a system which can actually cope with the provisioned speeds (DOCSIS 3.0).

Originally Posted by jtwn

When they get a system which can actually cope with the provisioned speeds (DOCSIS 3.0).

And would that be coming soon

[jtwn]

Define soon.

Originally Posted by jtwn

Define soon.

Well in NTL times that is between now and the next 5 years or 2 buyouts and a chapter 11 ?.

[jtwn]

....

To be honest, ntl could just do as other people, just not announce things until they are ready to role. I can't actually remember the last official ntl document that said coming soon about a product. Well maybe VOD but then there is a schedule for that now.

One thing that has to be remembered, is the scale of operations that BT and ntl work on, things are just going to take longer.

Originally Posted by jtwn

....

To be honest, ntl could just do as other people, just not announce things until they are ready to role. I can't actually remember the last official ntl document that said coming soon about a product. Well maybe VOD but then there is a schedule for that now.

One thing that has to be remembered, is the scale of operations that BT and ntl work on, things are just going to take longer.

Having been on the inside and outside of NTL, It saddens me to watch them going down the road they are. They have fantastic staff who will help the customer all they can, Then they have these money grabbing idiots called senior management, who have no idea what a network is or where you would find one.
who have one and only one task in life, get as much as you can out of this thing called a network, Dont spend money on it, then reduce the use of the network while trying everything in there power to charge more for it whilst giving even less.

You might think i am bitter and twisted but i have seen the change over the last year and i dont like what i am seeing.