Tool from EFF tests whether your Internet is being throttled

By Ed Oswald | Published August 4, 2008, 11:25 AM

Just hours before the FCC slapped Comcast on the wrist for its BitTorrent throttling practices, the Electronic Frontier Foundation unveiled an open source tool for users to test their high-speed Internet connections.

Developers have said that up until now, tests for interference had been narrow and for specific categories, often very difficult to use. Now, the EFF's Switzerland tool aims to be easier -- at least at some point in its development -- while at the same time testing for a broader set of techniques employed by ISPs.

Switzerland tests for various software tools aimed at throttling connections, including Sandvine and Audible Magic. In addition, the organization says, its software is able to test for the presence of advertising systems and methods of censorship used by ISPs.

In order to figure out whether there is suspicious activity, it compares "pcap" packets from the beginning and end of a communication. It then alerts the user when it detects a packet being dropped or spoofed along its route.

EFF developers based Switzerland on an earlier tool called "pcapdiff.

The initial version of the tool is targeted towards those who have significant technical experience. For now, it's launched from the command line, though the EFF plans to make the tool easy to use in subsequent versions.

The software is part of a larger project by the Foundaqtion called "Test Your ISP," which consists of a list of testing applications whose results may be pooled together to help users figure out whether or not their provider is throttling.

Comments

View comments by with a score of at least

"Tool from EFF tests whether your Internet is being throttled"

Your Internet? I thought we all had the same Internet. I guess they mean that this is to test if your Internet connection is being throttled.

Score: 0

|

Get the hell off my internets!

Damn kids....

*grin*

Score: 0

|

Did someone find any "quick start" guide or something similair? I have more than one network adapter, and I didn't find a way how to select one...

Score: 0

|

Can this also be used to throttle the CEO's of lousy ISPs?

Score: 0

|

Thanks again to the EFF for keeping on top of the issues at the electronic frontier!

Score: 0

|

Awesome

Score: 0

|

Microsoft's Ray Ozzie: 'Nobody's going to be 100% open'

The mobile apps ecosystems of the world may converge over time, led by apps being ported over across platforms, according to the Chief Software Architect.

Will Firefox beat IE9 to Direct2D rendering?

Just days after Microsoft executives gave conference attendees a peek at a new rendering technology, a Mozilla contributor revealed he's working on the same thing.

Where there's smoke: Apple warranty stance raises troubling questions

Carmi Levy | Wide Angle Zoom: Smoking can be dangerous not only for your lungs, it appears, but for your Apple hardware warranty.

The fallacy of Facebook privacy

Carmi Levy | Wide Angle Zoom: If an insurance company learns something interesting about its client through the Internet, is that snooping?

Microsoft 'worked with Apple' for Silverlight on iPhone, says Goldfarb

By not making such a big deal out of trying to stream video to the iPhone, Microsoft got a big deal out of it, revealed the Silverlight product manager.

Clicker.com cuts through the Web video chaos

In a world where homemade video and Hollywood movies travel the same pipeline, it's good to have a real search engine to cut through the clutter.

A case study in improving software: What Office 2010 can learn from Notion 3

A music composition product gambles with a complete overhaul, in an effort to make headway against two well-known competitors in a tough market.

Kindle 2 update adds battery life, native PDF reader

Amazon has pushed out an update to the Kindle 2 e-reader that lengthens battery life and adds a native PDF viewer.

Safari on iPhone gets competition from a $1 browser app

Apple likes to say it gives iPhone users a full browsing experience, but a new competitor tries to incorporate more desktop browser features.

Action Replay maker sues Microsoft for Xbox 360 'predatory technological barriers'

Third-party video game accessory maker Datel has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft over the Xbox 360's recent Dashboard update.