[TriLUG] OT: TIME WARNER ANNOUNCES INTRODUCTION OF PACKET SHAPING TECHNOLOGY NATIONWIDE

[Glenn Starling]

This should be considered a federal marketing issue as this is true of
many cable systems throughout the US.  I suggest lodging a complaint
with the Federal Trade Commission, with a copy sent to the FCC and the
cable company.  Please stress that this "trend" is catching on with many
cable companies trying to save a buck all across the US.  You might even
try a Senator or Congressman with the suggestion that they look into
setting Federal standards.  (No one wants that and it probably wouldn't
get very far, but it would certainly get the attention of the cable
industry.)  Who knows, EVERY internet user in the US might ultimately
benefit!

-- Glenn



On Mon, 2007-06-11 at 08:53 -0400, OlsonE at aosa.army.mil wrote:
> ...read on past this article for my 2c.
> 
> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18468495
> 
> TIME WARNER ANNOUNCES INTRODUCTION OF PACKET SHAPING TECHNOLOGY
> NATIONWIDE
> 
> June 6, 2007 -- Time Warner today implemented a network management tool
> to improve the operation of the network for all subscribers. As a
> result, a small minority of users may experience slower speeds during
> peak hours when using certain applications that consume lots of
> bandwidth. You can address this situation by reducing your use of
> bandwidth-intensive applications during peak hours. "Peak hours" are
> generally in the evenings.
> 
> "Packet shaping" technology has been implemented for newsgroup
> applications, regardless of the provider, and all peer-to-peer networks
> and certain other high bandwidth applications not necessarily limited to
> audio, video, and voice over IP telephony. Road Runner reserves the
> right to implement network management tools for other applications in
> the future.
> 
> Customers are reminded of the terms of our Acceptable Use Policy at
> >help.rr.com/aup:
> 
> * The Road Runner service may not be used to engage in any conduct that
> interferes with Road Runner's ability to provide service to others,
> including the use of excessive bandwidth.
> 
> * The Road Runner service may not be used to breach or attempt to breach
> the security, the computer, the software or the data of any person or
> entity, including Road Runner, to circumvent the user authentication
> features or security of any host, network or account, to use or
> distribute tools designed to compromise security, or to interfere with
> another's use of the Road Runner service through the posting or
> transmitting of a virus or other harmful item or to deliberately
> overload or flood that entity's system.
> 
> Customers are further advised that efforts designed to circumvent our
> network management tools may be in violation of our Acceptable Use
> Policy and may result in account suspension without warning.
> 
> ========================================================================
> ====================
> 
> 2c.
> 
> I don't agree with this for so many reasons ...and really wish we could
> choose between cable providers. I'd even be willing to pay MORE ...if I
> could get something like OOL (Optimum Online, for all my non
> north-eastern bretheren), or FIOS.
> 
> But nooooo, the man's sticking it to me ...and I'm forced into Time
> Warner (if I want a broadband connection). I have their 8mb service
> (Premium), and after this month will be dropping it. Its not worth it. I
> hardly ever get the speeds they advertise (even if I'm on during
> non-peak hours), and my upload speeds are heavily throttled (25-50kbps)
> at best.
> 
> Anyone else feel like this?
> 
> /me equips Tin-Foil Hat +1
> 
> ...what's to say they don't: 
> 
> - Change "Peak Hours" to be from 5am - 9am, and 5pm - 10pm M-F; 9am -
> 12pm and 5pm - 12am S-S?
> - Force users who use "encryption" aka, IPSEC, SSL+TLS ftp's, or some
> other form of encryption into switcing over to their "business" service,
> because home service should only be for surfing the web.