Regional differences in P2P

Fri Jul 16 04:16:08 UTC 2004

> Mikael Abrahamsson wrote:
> I would also like to add that over here Direct Connect is
> quite common among the more organized and hard-core file
> swappers, while the really-hardcore guys of course are
> still using private ftp servers.

There is some private FTP server use in the US as well; it is difficult
to measure the bandwidth it uses, as it often involves encryption and
therefore is inventoried as miscellaneous traffic by probes. I am not a
hardcore file swapper, but like everyone else I granted access to my FTP
to a few buddies. However, it works only over VPN: no static IP and no
encryption, no FTP (there also is an unwritten clause about red wine).

I believe that Europeans tend to underestimate American private FTP
usage (and vice-versa) because it is more difficult for someone from the
other side of the pond to penetrate the relatively private circles of
private FTP file sharing.

> With proliferation of 10 meg ethernet (full duplex) connections
> for residential use in (especially) northern europe and in asia,
> users are more likely to serve content to other users around the
> world.

Note that 10meg Ethernet full-duplex is becoming available in the US as
well. Where I live (Sacramento, California) we have this:
http://personal.surewest.com/internet/highspeed10mb.php
Note that they cap the service at 40 GB/mo, which still is ~40 movies,
more than I can watch :-)

> My interpretation of this is that p2p networks are quite
> intelligent in using the available bandwidth, and that
> Copyright holders only solution is a "content crunch" due
> to providers limiting their users upload potential due to
> heavy usage, such as capping the amount of bandwidth
> allowed per month or alike.

I agree, but see above: a 40GB/mo cap is not something that I care
about. Granted, I'm not a hardcore file swapper but 40GB/mo are more
than enough for most including myself. As shown here:
http://arneill-py.sacramento.ca.us/mrtg/192.168.222.1_et0_0.html
My usage last month was 2 GB and the average over the last 20 months was
8GB/mo. And I do share some files.

> Petri Helenius wrote:
> If you leave BitTorrent out, which is probably the fastest
> growing protocol out there, the statistics are missing about
> one third of the bits moved.

BitTorrent is a third of p2p traffic in Sweden? Wow. In the US it is a
small blip on the radar.

My reading about the big five is as follows:
+------------+-----------------+---------------------------------------+
! Protocol   ! Typical client  ! Comments                              !
+------------+-----------------+---------------------------------------+
! FastTrack  ! Kazaa           ! Declines everywhere. Privacy concerns !
!            !                 ! are killing it in the US.             !
+------------+-----------------+---------------------------------------+
! WinMX      ! Winmx           ! Stable client, stable market share.   !
!            !                 ! Fit for MP3s, not for warez or movies !
+------------+-----------------+---------------------------------------+
! Gnutella   ! various, a mess ! Doomed to disappear sooner or later.  !
+------------+-----------------+---------------------------------------+
! eDonkey    ! mostly eMule    ! Fastest rising in the US (at the      !
!            ! now             ! expense of FastTrack, mostly). There  !
!            !                 ! are more than one client but it's not !
!            !                 ! a mess like Gnutella. Fit for large   !
!            !                 ! files, for MP3s initial queing has    !
!            !                 ! pushed lots of users back to WinMX    !
+------------+-----------------+---------------------------------------+
! BitTorrent ! BitTorrent      ! New; reported fit both for large      !
!            !                 ! files and MP3s however privacy        !
!            !                 ! concerns are as high as Kazaa and the !
!            !                 ! interface is not nearly as polished   !
!            !                 ! as WinMX or eMule. Too early to call. !
+------------+-----------------+---------------------------------------+

Crystal ball reading: Gnutella will disappear. WinMX and eDonkey will
eventually eat FastTrack (numerous swappers use both WinMX and eMule);
BitTorrent is an outsider. Regional differences between Western Europe
and North America will blend; Asia/Pacific too early to make
predictions.

Michel.