NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad
[ NNSquad ] Who Confirms The Accuracy Of ISP Usage Meters?
----- Forwarded message from Dave Farber <dave@farber.net> ----- Date: Wed, 13 Jan 2010 15:39:16 -0500 From: Dave Farber <dave@farber.net> Subject: [IP] Who Confirms The Accuracy Of ISP Usage Meters? Reply-To: dave@farber.net To: ip <ip@v2.listbox.com> Begin forwarded message: > From: Jason Livingood <jason_livingood@cable.comcast.com> > Date: January 13, 2010 3:26:52 PM EST > To: Dave Farber <dave@farber.net>, ip <ip@v2.listbox.com> > Subject: Re: [IP] Who Confirms The Accuracy Of ISP Usage Meters? > > This post on Broadband Reports came out last week. The main concern I > had > at the time was a specific claim about Comcast's transparency on the > matter, > rather than the general question of meter accuracy (which seems a > logical > question to ask, and which we anticipated). Here is my response to > that, > which was posted on their forum last week: > > <BEGIN QUOTE OF BBR POST> >> Karl wrote: "Comcast recently unveiled their new meter in Portland, >> using a >> firm of their choice to determine it's accuracy. The firm they hired, >> of >> course, proclaimed proudly that the meter was accurate to within 0.5% >> each >> month. >> >> Who'll confirm this? Nobody." > > While I can understand the generalities of your story*, the specific > ding > against how Comcast released the meter seems unjustified. In an > environment > where an ISP could simply release a meter, it seems an objectively good > thing that we used an independent party to audit the meter, that we had > them > share a report on the matter, and that they fully described how the > system > functioned and how they tested it. > > If you question their independence or background, which I think is > unfounded, you can find out who they are here: > http://netforecast.com/ContactInfoFrameset.htm > - Scott Bradner - http://netforecast.com/biography%20Scott%20Bradner%20.htm > - Rebecca Wetzel - > http://netforecast.com/biography%20Rebecca%20Wetzel%20.htm > - John Bartlett - http://netforecast.com/biography%20John%20Bartlett.htm > - Peter Sevcik - http://netforecast.com/biography%20Peter%20S.htm > > You can see their client list here: > http://netforecast.com/ClientFrameset.htm > > And I can tell you they were highly recommended by members of the > Internet > community. > > Jason > -- > JL > Comcast > > * I think it is completely fair to ask how you can stand behind a meter > and > is it accurate. And for that reason, I think the basics of your story > prompt > a worthwhile discussion. When we planned the meter, I thought that it'd > be > the case that the question of proving its accuracy would logically be > raised > and so I suggested having a 3rd party audit it and - further - share > the > results of that with our customers and the public. > <END QUOTE OF BBR POST> > > http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r23607298-Hmmm > > Jason Livingood > Comcast - Internet Systems Engineering > > > On 1/13/10 2:19 PM, "Dave Farber" <dave@farber.net> wrote: > >> >> >> Begin forwarded message: >> >> From: "George Ou" <george_ou@lanarchitect.net> >> Date: January 13, 2010 1:16:58 PM EST >> To: <schlake+gmail@gmail.com>, "'Bob Poortinga'" <nnsquad@k9sql.us> >> Cc: nnsquad@nnsquad.org >> Subject: [ NNSquad ] Re: Who Confirms The Accuracy Of ISP Usage >> Meters? >> >> This kind of paranoia is just getting silly. It's basically assuming >> that >> the ISP is committing fraud that is easily detectable. >> >> There are so many easy ways to measure this it's not even funny. If >> you're >> running a firewall like IPCOP or for example, it has extensive usage >> reports >> which will almost certainly match what the ISP is reporting. >> Moreover, you >> can measure the internal Ethernet interface which does not include >> DoS >> traffic because it gets blocked by the firewall. >> >> You can also easily enable PERFMON logging built into Windows and get >> second-by-second usage data. This only gives you measurements on a >> single >> computer though but a lot of people only have one computer. You >> could log >> data from multiple computers and just merge the data though. >> >> >> George >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: nnsquad-bounces+george_ou=lanarchitect.net@nnsquad.org >> [mailto:nnsquad-bounces+george_ou=lanarchitect.net@nnsquad.org] On >> Behalf Of >> Schlake >> Sent: Wednesday, January 13, 2010 9:02 AM >> To: Bob Poortinga >> Cc: nnsquad@nnsquad.org >> Subject: [ NNSquad ] Re: Who Confirms The Accuracy Of ISP Usage >> Meters? >> >> So what we need is a independent device that can measure that network >> usage. It should be open source, to be verifiable, and cheap. It >> won't fix the problem, but it would put a solution in the hands of >> many users. The more users that have it the more accountability >> which >> could be imposed on the service providers. >> >> A small box with two ethernet ports, one for the outside world, and >> one for the inside world. >> >> A web server on the inside world that displays statistics. >> >> An NTP server that keeps the time up to date. >> >> A configurator page that lets users configure ip blocks to be tracked >> separately (unmetered streaming video from the service provider for >> instance). >> >> A NAT-like interface that can count packets at a variety of >> resolutions. Total packets through would be the main one, but what >> about attacks on peoples homes where you send a large amount of >> traffic at an IP address to raise their bill? If that was detected >> and listed as a separate line item it could be useful. In general, >> the more data a person can store about their own traffic the more >> useful it would be (I'm sure law enforcement would agree on this >> point). >> >> It would need a good robust data storage system internally, and a way >> to automatically synchronize the data into a machine on the inside >> world for backup purposes. >> >> Obviously if someone implements this you should send me some of the >> money you make from my idea! >> >> >> [ Actually, much of this functionality already exists in, or >> could be added to, somewhat higher-end commodity cable/DSL >> modem/routers. >> >> But what happens if a subscriber's locally gathered usage >> statistics turn out to be at wide variance from the ISP's >> official figures? Then the real fun begins. >> >> -- Lauren Weinstein >> NNSquad Moderator ] >> >> >> >> On Wed, Jan 13, 2010 at 8:35 AM, Bob Poortinga <nnsquad@k9sql.us> >> wrote: >>> Here's a good article in DSL Reports which brings up some important >> points: >>> >>> >> <http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Who-Confirms-The-Accuracy-Of-ISP-Usage-M >> eters-106292> >>> >>> -- >>> Bob Poortinga K9SQL >>> Bloomington, IN US >>> > ------------------------------------------- Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=now RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/ Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com ----- End forwarded message -----