Can P2P applications learn to play fair on networks?

Sun Oct 21 17:59:30 UTC 2007

On Sun, 21 Oct 2007, Mikael Abrahamsson wrote:
>> So your recommendation is that universities, enterprises and ISPs simply 
>> stop offering all Internet service because a few particular application 
>> protocols are badly behaved?
>
> They should stop to offer flat-rate ones anyway.

Comcast's management has publically stated anyone who doesn't like the 
network management controls on its flat rate service can upgrade to 
Comcat's business class service.

Problem solved?

Or would some P2P folks complain about having to pay more money?

> Or do general per-user ratelimiting that is protocol/application agnostic.

As I mentioned previously about the issues involving additional in-line 
devices and so on in networks, imposing per user network management and 
billing is a much more complicated task.

If only a few protocol/applications are causing a problem, why do you need 
an overly complex response?  Why not target the few things that are 
causing problems?

>> A better idea might be for the application protocol designers to improve 
>> those particular applications.
>
> Good luck with that.

It took a while, but it worked with the UDP audio/video protocol folks who 
used to stress networks.  Eventually those protocol designers learned to 
control their applications and make them play nicely on the network.