Ben Reid
2 Sep 2006 4:13
When BitTorrent technology was first introduced, it was great for those who wished to share large files very quickly. Internet Service Providers (ISP's) however, didn't see it in quite such a positive light, as the majority of their bandwidth was consumed by BitTorrent traffic. As a response, some ISP's, such as Canadian provider Shaw began throttling the service, so BitTorrent clients such as Azureus added a feature that encrypted torrent traffic in an effort to circumvent these ISP roadblocks.
Now, a company called Allot Communications has developed a new hardware product, the NetEnforcer, which it claims is the first device that will identify and throttle encrypted BitTorrent traffic. According to a spokesperson for the company, the NetEnforcer utilizes deep packet inspection technology "to identify and analyze hundreds of applications and protocols, track subscriber behavior, prioritize traffic and shape traffic flows."
On one hand, increasing BitTorrent traffic is most definitely a problem for ISPs. In early 2004, torrents accounted for 35 percent of all traffic on the Internet. By the end of that year, the figure had almost doubled, and some estimate that in certain markets, such as Asia, torrent traffic uses as much as 80 percent of all bandwidth.
On the other hand however, BitTorrent is an extremely important tool that has many uses other than what most assume it is good for, namely piracy. Being able to deliver large files such as game demos, upgrades, and free video using a decentralized source makes it possible for small distributors to deliver their content to a wider audience without going bankrupt from the bandwidth bill.
Bram Cohen, mastermind behind the BitTorrent technology, believes that efforts by ISP's to make an "obfuscated" version of BitTorrent are harmful to not only the ISPs but the protocol itself. "Most ISPs don't do such shaping, and attempts at obfuscation won't work for long," he warns. He aslo explains that many such methods end up eliminating any performance advantages caused by their ISP caching popular torrents. But his main point is to not bite the hand that feeds you. "When it comes to dealing with ISPs," he concludes, "obfuscation is some combination of hostile, unprofessional, and harmful."
You can read Bram Cohen's "Obfuscating BitTorrent" journal in full here.
Source:
arstechnica