Comcast says it's not blocking content, applications

In response to news report, Comcast says bandwidth management technologies may slow a peer-to-peer service as part of what's called bandwidth shaping.

The story "Comcast says it's not blocking content, applications" published October 22, 2007 at 4:19 AM is no longer available on CNET News.

Content from Reuters expires after 30 days.

[inachu]

I disagree with comcast assertions.

I am kicked off internet game servers such as
WORLD OF WARCRAFT
QUAKE WARS
AGE OF EMPIRES III
OUTLOOK EXPRESS times out 3 times a week.

Many times for either having low ping or lost connection.

I want to be that old lady with a hammer so bad.

[timber2005]

How about the old lady...

How about that 74 yr old lady that had the multi-Gbps connection? I'd think you'd rather be her :p
At least no one would commit you afterwards.

[chrisaroz]

So what's the use of "SpeedBoost"

So basically you can pay Comcast for high speed and get their "SpeedBoost" stuff to help download large files like movies, but you'll never actually be able to use it since they throttle back your connection when downloading large files like movies. Well done Comcast, well done.

[limefan913]

Agreed!

I pay for their 16/1Mbps connection, and using anything useful is impossible. Their reset packets are screwing with my router and everything. I wish I had a war chest to sue them on grounds of first amendment violations.

[Tomcat Adam]

Brightest Rock...

Their "Speedboost" service is for:
-Web page loading.
-File downloads.
And by file downloads, I mean _legal_ ones.

When comcast says "large files like movies" they mean download them from Itunes or similar.

[jbelkin]

One AP User "Hogging?"

"hogging all the bandwidth and slowing down the experience for other users," Bannerman added."

The AP experiment was ONE user - that's "hogging" the bandwidth, what is their network - pig guts & kindling as wiring?

That excuse might make sense if the AP user was trying to download 10 HD movies ... but clearly the Comcast network is either that feeble that ONE user requires rejiggering of the Eastern seaboard?

That should be the followup - if one user is "hogging," what are two p2p users? A crash?

[DMAN3k]

If that's just one, I'm 2

That "one" AP reporter didn't test this for no reasons. There are many complaints from individuals such as me. That's why the AP reporter went out to test it.

The media is generally more creditable than thousands of Comcast users... That's how sad our democratic society is. The people have no say in things until someone break it out in the news.

[zyzzy77]

Is it any surprise...

that Comcast has oversold it's network capacity? Just like the airlines, some customer traffic are going to be bumped randomly (to protect the 'common good'). C-cast had the opportunity over 10 years ago to build a fiber-to-premises network and decided to stay with coax to save some cash. Now they have HDTV, voice and data they have try to compress and push through a copper delivery technology over thats over 100 years old. No surprise that internet users will have to fly standby. Just repeat after me..... It's comcastic!

[clumpkin]

As usual story missing key point

The story points out that Net Neutrality is not a law but missed the part about HOW Comcast was allegedly blocking the Bittorrent clients. The way Bittorrent works AFAIK the two clients communicate between each other. The tests concluded that reset commands were sent to both clients but were not FROM the other client. Basically someone between the two clients impersonated the clients and sent bogus data to the clients. That is not blocking that is hijacking and possible fraud. Both of which are most definitely illegal.

[WJeansonne]

Good for Comcast! I don't want thieves slowing my connection!!

It figures a liberal news organization to side with bandwith (and intellectual property) thieves. I hope Comcast, ATT and other backbone providers choke off the air supply to Bit Torrent hosted sites. Has anyone visited or researched Web sites that utilize Bit Torrent's technology? They are packed with stolen software and movies!!

[TBolt]

Really?

Really? Stolen content? Are you sure?!?

[rnieves1977]

BitTorrent is not the point, your blind

What's to stop Comcast from prioritizing it's own content over another broadband company's content. Like I can connect to a website within comcasts network at 8mbps but they are throttling down my connection to a website on bellsouths network to 56kbps. They didn't BLOCK access but it's just as bad because I'm not gonna wait forever for the page to load. It's about milking the general public and controlling the market. This is monopolization disguised as competition. May seem good to some(usually the people who don't know how the net works) right now, but give it a couple of years and you'll see what these guys have in store for us. WAKE UP! Get schooled: savetheinternet.com

[zyzzy77]

So....

What part of "unlimited" don't you understand? I'll accept bandwidth limits (err sorry, "traffic shaping") if they tell me what they are in advance, and I can pay accordingly. How much usage is too much? Which applications are off-limits?

[Heebee Jeebies]

You pay for a service that...

is charged for by the upload and download speed you want. Now if providing this speed to their customers is not doable then Comcast and any other ISP that charges based on how fast the upload and download speed is is perpetrating a fraud on their customers who expect to get the upload and download speed they are paying for.

Also, since you pay for upload and download speed and not buy how much you upload or download you should be able to use that upload and download speed for whatever you want even if because their system chokes on it.

No Comcast and many others just want you to pay them the big bucks and then buzz off. They want your money but don't want to provide you with what you are paying for.

Robert

[TBolt]

per Mb

Let's just hope that ISP's don't start charging by the megabit, though.

[WJeansonne]

I'd bet on it smarta**!

Really, really really, really. LOL.

[DMAN3k]

On my end, Comcast is also limiting access to att.com

I can't even check my phone bills without disconnecting.

I pretty sure it's not a coincidence either. I can repeat it anytime. Let me check on that now.

Yup. It took about 40 seconds to get reconnected again.