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1.  

   A ping here, a ping there

   

   Mousky, Sep 21st, 2005 @ 6:50pm

   
   

   Sounds to me that all they are doing is pinging network stations and network endpoints, taking the smallest number and using a mathematical equation to determine the geographical whereabouts of said network stations and endpoints. How is this patentable? Or more importantly, how is this different from the IP Locator at geobytes? Just wondering.

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2.  

   They took down Al Capone for Tax Evasion...

   

   will, Sep 21st, 2005 @ 7:13pm

   
   

   I suspect they may try to prosecute deliberate attempts at anonymizing or obscuring a node on the network. If the technique used requires information specific to the patent or reverse engineering, they might try bludgeoning folks with IP laws along the lines of the DMCA.

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3.  

   Re: A ping here, a ping there

   

   StaticVector, Sep 21st, 2005 @ 8:50pm

   
   

   The patent might have been granted tuesday, but it was filed December 29, 2000. So, this technology has been around for a while now. That is why you see it just about everywhere these days.

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4.  

   Revenue

   

   Field, Sep 21st, 2005 @ 8:59pm

   
   

   Maybe they see it as a revenue-generating mechanism? Think about it: foreign governments and dictatorships, corporations and organizations. A penny per ping? =P

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5.  

   No Subject Given

   

   GBM, Sep 21st, 2005 @ 9:54pm

   
   

   Wouldn't that give them the ability to track who, what, when, and where illegal downloads are taking place?

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6.  

   Discard

   

   iosd, Sep 21st, 2005 @ 11:12pm

   
   

   Maybe this is naive, but most networks are now discarding all anonymous traffic, ping included. How does this affect the algorithms they are using?
   
   
   
   

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7.  

   Re: Discard

   

   Joost, Sep 22nd, 2005 @ 5:35am

   
   

   I don't see how a ICMP Echo (more commonly known as Ping) packet is anonymous, because an ICMP Reply packet has to travel back. Therefore, both destination and source IP addresses are in a ping packet.
   
   It is possible that ICMP Echo and Reply packets get blocked at some routers, but not because they're anonymous.

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8.  

   Re: Discard

   

   bman, Sep 24th, 2005 @ 12:52pm

   
   

   He means anonymous as connections that didn't originate from with the local network or connections that aren't in the TCP-established state.

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