Re: Time Warner Cable YouTube throttling

["Robert M. Enger" <NANOG () enger us>]

1) You can use wireshark or other monitor to determine the IP address that your video stream is originating from.

2) Upstream traceroutes to that address are probably not of that much interest.  The downstream path (carrying the 
video from the server to your house) can follow a different path.  Downstream traceroute is what is needed.

3) Before pointing fingers at anyone, you need to get your own house (literally) in order.  Get off wifi, that is just 
muddying the water.  Shutdown wifi so there are no other users.  Get off MocA. You need to be all hard-wired and 
totally error free and reliable in your local LAN before you can cast stones at carriers and/or inter-carrier 
interconnection

4) Run some speed-tests to COMPETENT speed test servers (not just the VZ, Time-warner or other in-house speed-test server, 
but COMPETENT 3rd-party servers).  Run those tests during middle-of the night (idle) as well as evening (peak-use) periods.  
Compare the results.  Make sure your ISP last-mile network isn't collapsing under evening (peak hour) load.


After all is said and done, you probably still can't do anything except complain to Google.   Without the downstream 
traceroute, you can't really point fingers at a carrier or interconnect.

So far as I am aware, google/youtube does not provide a looking-glass or downstream traceroute from any of its 
(numerous) server sites.

So Google staff would have to run the tests.
They would have to be adequately staffed to provide that level of investigation and remediation.
Google management would have to get involved.

How is the consumer ever going to enjoy OTT video with image fidelity suitable for large-screen, lean-back viewing (HD 
cable-TV quality, if not Bluray quality), if even moderate-rate data flows cannot be sustained into the home when the 
flow crosses multiple providers?
Cable/Satellite, networks, studios will continue to have monopoly on high fidelity lean-back viewing until such time as 
we can deliver high rates from a remote source into the home. *Clearly FTTH last-mile is not in itself sufficient to 
guarantee success.*

The carriers have to bury the hatchet and start playing nice with one another.  As long as they try to gouge money out 
of both direct customer (receiver) as well as the content provider (sender), this problem will likely not be resolved.

Given the big bucks involved, it seems likely that the issue will persist in perpetuity.  Regulators and legislators 
won't act.  Their allegiance is not to the citizen consumer.