"Network Neutrality Squad": Users Protecting an Open and Fair Internet

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Andrew C Burnette <acb () acb net>
Date: November 6, 2007 5:56:10 PM EST
To: lauren () vortex com
Cc: dave () farber net
Subject: Re: [IP] "Network Neutrality Squad": Users Protecting an Open  
and Fair Internet

Lauren, Dave,

Let's not forget that verizon FIOS' delivered Actiontec router (a beast
of a wireless NAT box w/ a 533mhz proc and somewhere north of 200megs of
ram if I recall correctly) has a firmware limitation of 1024 NAT table
entries.

Perfect for email reading, and web surfing. Once you start up any peer
to peer app (pick any app with loads of connections), the Actiontec
holds the first NAT entries for four minutes, even if you overrun the
table. Thus, once you even try to bring up your favorite web page,
you've already DoS'ed yourself. Stop everything, and in 4 minutes,
you're back in business.

http://www.broadbandreports.com/forum/r17679150-Howto-make-ActionTec-MI424WR-a-network-bridge

(you then have a 75watt NIM in place....MoCa to Ethernet. Of course,
this also disables the VOD service, and guide data for STB's in the
house. I didn't notice that side effect immediately as I have a couple
Tivos in place which already provide a channel guide.)

I've personally verified the validity of the actions "accidentally"
after my own FIOS install and saw the exact error message "nat Error :
connection pool is full" (or something similar, it's been a while) once
the connections reach 1k entries or so.

The difference between this and most other SOHO routers (even far less
capable devices) is others typically "immediately" FIFO the NAT table
and do not hold entries for minutes at a time. A slowdown, perhaps, but
you can still check your email. The Actiontec isn't so kind.

Cheers,
andy

p.s. compared to comcast's alleged forging of packets, I'd call the
verizon solution far more clever. No network appliances or sandvine
services needed to throttle traffic that may be less desirable, or use
more network resources.  More like a flash grenade than a smoking gun.
Big flash, and you don't have a clue what hit your connection;-)

David Farber wrote:
> Begin forwarded message:
>
> From: Lauren Weinstein <lauren () VORTEX COM>
> Date: November 5, 2007 7:49:09 PM EST
> To: USACM-INFO () LISTSERV ACM ORG
> Subject: "Network Neutrality Squad": Users Protecting an Open and Fair
> Internet
> Reply-To: Lauren Weinstein <lauren () VORTEX COM>
>
>  "Network Neutrality Squad": Users Protecting an Open and Fair  
> Internet
>
>               http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/000327.html
>
>
> Greetings.  I'm very pleased to announce a new project from
> PFIR - People For Internet Responsibility:
>
>               "Network Neutrality Squad" - NNSquad
>
>                      http://www.nnsquad.org
>
>
> Joining PFIR Co-Founders Peter G. Neumann and I in this announcement
> are Keith Dawson (Slashdot.org), David J. Farber (Carnegie
> Mellon University), Bob Frankston, Phil Karn (Qualcomm),
> David P. Reed, Paul Saffo, and Bruce Schneier (BT Counterpane).
>
> Recent events such as Comcast's lack of candor regarding their
> secretive disruption of BitTorrent protocols, and Verizon's altering
> of domain name lookup results to favor their own advertising pages,
> are but tip-of-the-iceberg examples of how easily Internet
> operations can be altered in ways that may not be immediately
> obvious, but that still can have dramatic, distorting, and in some
> cases far-reaching negative consequences for the Internet's users.
>
> The Network Neutrality Squad ("NNSquad") is an open-membership,
> open-source effort, enlisting the Internet's users to help keep the
> Internet's operations fair and unhindered from unreasonable
> restrictions.
>
> The project's focus includes detection, analysis, and incident
> reporting of any anticompetitive, discriminatory, or other
> restrictive actions on the part of Internet service Providers (ISPs)
> or affiliated entities, such as the blocking or disruptive
> manipulation of applications, protocols, transmissions, or
> bandwidth; or other similar behaviors not specifically requested by
> their customers.
>
> Other key aspects of the project are discussions, technology
> development and deployment, and associated activities -- fostering
> cooperation and mutually agreeable methodologies whenever
> possible -- aimed at keeping the Internet a maximally unhindered,
> useful, competitive, fair, and open environment for the broadest
> possible range of applications and services.
>
> We invite individual, commercial, nonprofit, government, and all
> other Internet users and stakeholders (including ISPs) to
> participate in the Network Neutrality Squad.
>
> Please join the moderated mailing list (choice of immediate
> distribution or digest) for project announcements and discussions,
> by sending a message (any subject or text) to:
>
> nnsquad-subscribe () nnsquad org
>
> or by signing up at the mailing list Web page:
>
> http://lists.nnsquad.org/mailman/listinfo/nnsquad
>
> A moderated, interactive discussion and incident reporting forum is
> also available for more real-time communications on related topics:
>
> http://forums.pfir.org/main/messages/714/714.html
>
> Questions and comments are welcome at nnsquad-info () nnsquad org, or
> feel free to contact me directly for details.
>
> Working together, we can help to keep the Internet an incredibly
> useful resource for everyone around the globe, unhampered by any
> efforts to skew its enormous capabilities in ways that could hinder
> the many while benefiting the relative few.
>
> We hope that you'll join this cause. Thank you for your
> consideration.
>
> --Lauren--
>
> (Affiliations shown for identification purposes only.)
>
> Lauren Weinstein
> lauren () vortex com or lauren () pfir org
> Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800
> http://www.pfir.org/lauren
> Co-Founder, PFIR
>  - People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org
> Founder, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com
> Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
> Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com
>
>
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