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51 Comments
- pedstrom, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3This of course, only affects those who get their internet via cable companies. DSL follows the same rules that the phone companies have to follow: that is, that they can not restrict the content going over their wires.
Comcast, on the other hand, can legally block cnn.com, nytimes.com, google.com or anything else they want. And even if they don't block it outright, they can slow it down just enough so that Skype no longer works well on their network. - unkn0wn, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Um, I may be wrong, but I thought I heard that some ISP down south tried to block VO-IP on their network a few months back. People filed complaints to the FCC who then threatened to slap the ISP with a hefty fine.
...wish I could find the article. - mr804, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2vonage is just SIP. would be easier to block than this.
- Mark_H, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Next thing you know, newspaper companies will be paying ISP's to filter and block news websites because it eats up profits.
That sucks. - 5blocksfree, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1There is a real easy fix for all of this, and it all depends on how much of a backbone consumers really have. It goes something like this:
"If you block my voip packets, I will block any future payments to your company, thereby terminating my service."
The real question is whether people can bear the thought of going without their pay-per-view and all the other junk cable offers. - teh_techie, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Man oh man.. well if this starts to happen widely, I'd be one pissed off VoIP'er....
- signal15, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1In the US, it's a felony to disrupt communication of calls over the PSTN. If a Skype user is using SkypeOut to a landline, and the provider blocks it. The argument could be made that they are breaking the law.
- diggnationdevon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1This is fu***** stupid.
- rankinreb, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1This FN sux. "Big Brother is watching." What businesses is it of theirs anyway?
- Paradox, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Violates the bill of rights.
Oh, and this is like microsoft blocking mail sent from apple mail to hotmail. - holiday, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Why don't they work on improving there service and prices instead of blocking someone who does...
Don't get me wrong Skype sucks, but at least they are trying... - XTrek, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I'm I missing something. Can't a proxy second party VPN defeat this?
- JRMillion, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I tried Vonage, but my upstream is only 768kb, so even with changing the QoS settings in my router, I couldnt make a good quality call while uploading files... and that is important because I am a web developer so I am basically alwasy uploading.
- Cascading, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0VoIP detection applications are now using VimOutliner technology.
A non-technical presentation will be given to the local at UCF. - pcgeek101, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0If they're tagging voip packets, then that would affect Vonage customers also, would it not?
- ReinMasamuri, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0It won't happen because it would spawn HUGE anti-trust lawsuits. Those are designed to make even the biggest companies hurt. Even Microsoft was rather afraid when they recieved the summons.
- the.cloned, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0why would they even bother
- SwornPacifist, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"...only affects those who get their internet via cable companies. DSL follows the same rules that the phone companies have to follow: that is, that they can not restrict the content going over their wires..."
posted by pedstrom (0) at 09:51 AM 10/25/05
No, actually. If you had RTF article, you would have seen:
"U.S. broadband-cable companies are considered information services, which by law gives them the right to block VoIP calls."
"In August, a Federal Communications Commission ruling gave phone companies the same latitude for DSL."
Phone companies can block DSL traffic however they see fit to. This isn't shocking news however, there have already been reports of ISPs blocking bittorrent traffic, but in this case they're just blocking something that competes with a service they offer. - Acebo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I'm not sure how this would even make it to a court if they're authorized to block. But, this will never work for the same reason you can't stop P2P and any other unwanted traffic. If it were so easy, there would be no internet, just a bunch of ads the ISPs want you to see. And if they slow down or manage to block skype, people will just change ISPs. Granted, they're motivated now because they think they're losing money to skype.. but ultimately, they're just shooting themselves in the foot, so let them.
- digitalrao, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0yea what about AT&T callVantage ,Vonage, MCI The Neighboorhod Broadboand phone serives? Verizon gets its hands on MCI and SBC mergering with AT&T
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0This is like ameritech saying that they are going to block all MCI customers... VoIP is the future you can't just block it.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0This is stupid...all its going to do is start a lame ass war between the companies to a 1) VOIP companies will start to come up with ways to hide their traffic in the rest of the net traffic, and 2) ISP's will try to hunt that traffic down. It will just start a never ending cat/mouse game between them that will do nothing but hurt the consumer.
Man, I don't know why someone does not market a ISP service as "non-restricted, the way the internet was supposed to be, not the way big-brother cable/phone company wants to show it to you"...seems like they would have lots of business.
Hell, I might even go back to dialup with the small local ISP if this ***** continues. - johnsto, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0On packets and encryption:
Yes, all VoIP systems use encryption. Encryption only stops interception, not detection. However, for a packet of data to end up at the right place (i.e. Skype on your computer, rather than your e-mail client or web browser) the data needs to be formatted so that Skype recognises it and other programs ignore it. Hence filtering just needs to look for that format. It's pretty impossible to get around without a lot of additional work, secure tunnels and all that, which could all be blocked separately anyway and would cost lots of the features VoIP needs (like rapid delivery, ability to work through firewalls, etc.) - dbr_onix, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Not going to happen, basicly..
They could, but think of : 1, the number of complains, 2, the ammount of people that will try (and will)to get around this, 3, the ammount of people moving ISP to a-non-stupid one
- Ben - snapya, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0not cool
- aresef, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Is this even legal?
- kungfustickman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I have a question? Remember in the old days of the internet where serving a webpage via port 80 was a problem for some ISPs? What was that all about? Was it to save bandwith or something? I'm just curious because I'm almost certain that by using bit torrent I'm consuming more bandwith than I would if I were serving a webpage. Is there an alternative motive?
Just thought there might be a connection. - leefuntime, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Clearwire, Wireless ISP already blocks Skype or as Clearwire says it they do not support. If you want to complain call Clearwire 1(888)253-2794 they love to hear from people.
- lame_duck, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Here's the URL of the real story: http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/oct05/1846
This is the site that the article was taken from word for word. That Mathaba place is a joke of a news site with 2 bit hacks running it. Charging $2.50 just to read the whole story that they copy word for word. Isn't that illegal or something? Anyway, I call bs. Even the site the original story came from doesn't have a source for this information. It reminds me of the paranoid kid at college going, "YOUR DRINKING STARBUCKS COFFEE?!?! Don't you know the government puts mind-control metals in that stuff?!?!?" - jeff4379, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0@lefrenzy
You may not care now, but what about when FIOS comes around? (I do believe that Verizon is doing this already in the major markets) - Grassmunk, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Easy fix:
"TOC Ammendment Section G subsection 4.6.7: SIP Packets or the use of your internet connection for VOIP purposes is prohibited and upon discovery will cause your account to be terminated."
Now, since you signed the TOC which said 'we can add ammendments without notifying you and without your support' your generaly *****. Then they'll say: 'OH but your just getting residential service. To get our VOIP Upgrade package which allows voip simply add on another $20 a month to your bill and we'll allow all the VOIP you want'. So then you think Vonage: $10 a month, new phone $15 a month. Vonage plus VOIP Pacakge: $30. So most people will be doign that.
Infact Bell is doin just that in Canada. I NEED a phone line for DSL. But the kicker is that you need phone service or dryline. Dryline costs $15 a month. Home phone costs $20 a month. So home phone costs less than Vonage and Dryline. So scummy. - baldwinmathew, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Personally, I think this type of action will eventually undo those companies who are attempting to stop the movement forward. At some point a critical mass of Skype or equivalent users will outweight users using more traditional phone services. Also, at least in the states, companies will most likely be forced to allow interoperability among each others networks. I know some companies are doing QoS tagging with their VoIP services, in theory providing higher quality to the subscriber. Who can say what will happen in other countries, though. The sad thing are people trying to call their families back home who may not have an Internet connection, but might have crappy phone service from a state-sponsored monopoly.
My 2 cents.
-matt - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0>I NEED a phone line for DSL.
Actually, there are some technical reasons why that is true, it not just they are trying to screw you.
However, some phone companies are working on deploying equipment that will let them provide DSL without having a hard phone line requirement. - LeFrenzy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0good thing I don't use DSL and that I'm on cable internet.
- nugget, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0that just sucks...
- adml_shake, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Do the VOIP packets use some sort of special encryption that the filter can pick up on? I mean I'm sure it's possible if a company throws enough time and money at it, but still seems a little hard to pull off these days. Maybe you'll get a few mins of talk time before it can figure out what your doing and then it cuts you off.
- kindrobot, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0This is a load of crap.
- TomClements, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0"Violates the bill of rights?" --no it doesn't.
This is very similar to the way that AOL IM will not let the MSN Messenger interface with thier system.
I highly doubt that Skype will be blocked anywhere. - cr0wbar, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0people actually use voip? My cell phone calls while not free are pretty cheap.
- Bindibadgi, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Could they sniff packet headers? Could then skype reverse engineer it to have a common packet header??
- msgmsg, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0:( this is just sick
digged - gab00n, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Skype encrypts its data, how can they determine that it is voip by inspecting meaningless packets?
- fu_fish, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0As this starts to happen in the US, it will get quickly tied up in court for years.
- XTrek, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0If it gets bad enough we'll need to get a proxy provider. Just VPN to this intermediary fully encrypted. Then your primary provider can work on there real-time 128-bit decrypting skills!
- celeb, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0this will soon be made into law, this cant happen
- ScottyTee, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0hhmmm I suppose as they are loosing a _lot_ of money due to it, but well perhaps they can start their own phone company :)
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http://www.diggfans.com - infra172, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0Magic
- blackmesa, on 10/12/2007, -3/+0Cant be done IMO.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -3/+0If it's true, I don't care because I use my vonage with a cable modem.
- canucksin2006, on 10/12/2007, -3/+0damn my trolling skills have become weak lately I must be more alert to catch stories like this.
