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Is Rogers Blocking Podcast Downloads?
from the more-info-please dept
We've talked in the past about how various ISPs want the right to control their pipes to block out things they don't like. Sometimes it's competitive applications, but many of these companies like to defend their actions by saying they need to block certain applications to protect their network. This is often the argument given for blocking things like BitTorrent, from providers who say it eats up too much bandwidth. Of course, many of these providers are selling "unlimited" bandwidth -- so it really looks like they're just unable to live up to what they're selling. Still, even in cases where they claim they're just protecting their network, things are going to get very confusing very fast, as plenty of perfectly legitimate applications make use of the full power of that network. Boing Boing is pointing to a discussion forum claiming that some Canadian ISPs are blocking the download of Podcasts via iTunes, because it downloads the file from multiple sources. There's almost no evidence to support this, so it might not even be true (if anyone does have evidence one way or the other, please post it here), but either way it does show how such restrictions become problematic. An ISP might put in place such restrictions early on assuming that any traffic like that must be for illegal purposes -- but then they're caught off guard when others use the same technology for perfectly legitimate reasons. Update: Plenty of people are suggesting the story isn't true -- which is a good thing. However, it doesn't take away from the questions about how this issue will be handled in the future. Traffic shaping or trying to block one kind of traffic just opens up a lot of troublesome questions.
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No Subject Given
doesnt anyone just go for a run anymore? or play sport?
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Re: No Subject Given
yeah, but not every day out of the week.
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Not True
I work for Rogers. This is not true.
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Re: Not True
I had an ISP tell me I was only allowed to game from the hours of 12am - 2 am. They blocked all ports, except 80. So I couldn't do anything except surf the web. It was really cool.
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Re: Not True
cool, can you tell me why they pull my cable modem offline once a week for 8+ hours religiously? I used to get great service, now it's really starting to bite the big one.
P.S. I can download without problems on mine. They are traffic shaping a lot of stuff however.
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downloads just fine.
Everything on my Rogers connection downloads just fine.
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Re: Not True
I work for Sony. There are no rootkits.
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Re: Not True
I'm a Rogers customer and my Podcast downloads through iTunes have been nothing but trouble for the past month or so. I believe this is true, but I think it is a side-effect of their BitTorrent blocking, not a purposeful blocking of iTunes.
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Re: Not True
I'm on Rogers. My bit torrenting and podcasting is just fine.
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Can download ITunes podcasts fine, but BitTorent i
I can download ITunes podcasts fine on Shaw, but BitTorent is being shaped so much it's nearly useless.
(see http://news.fudo.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=15 )
I have verified that it is being packet shaped because BitTorrent works OK on Shaw when you use a client that encrypts the header so that it's not recognized as BitTorrent.
All those denials from them earlier this year ring just a little false now that I've spent literally days trying to figure out what was wrong, and even purchased a new router/firewall to see if that had anything to do with it.
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Rogers server blocking
If the story isnt true, why cant I get iTMS to work?
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Re: Not True
And we're supposed to believe you because....?
Let me tell you something. I was told one thing by 1st level tech support and something rather different by 2nd level support. Nobody there is offering a believable explanation of what's going on. At least at the 2nd level of support they don't bother with the worn out "it must be your router" routine. It's certainly not just an iTunes Music store issue. I can't even get streaming audio from various sources anymore.
I don't know what you do at Rogers but although there doesn't seem to be any hard evidence to confirm what they are doing, what they're not doing is looking like they are taking this situation very seriously.
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No Subject Given
I love the fact that some little pleeb from Rogers chimes in to say that "it" isn’t true. Meanwhile thousands of Rogers customers are scratching their heads not knowing what to do. Ya we’re all crazy and it’s our routers and computers that are the problem. Not the fact that you are packet shaping!! PACKET SHAPPING!?!?! Is that what the marketing kids are calling it these days? I call it bad service and completely unacceptable.
The irony is that Rogers sells their ultra high speed service for which we pay a mint under the banner "Now YOU control YOUR internet". Riiiiiiight!!
I wonder how long it will be until our Vonage telephone service falls under the packet shaping hammer. We’re talking Lord of the flies if that happens. ;-)
The sad part is that Rogers is completely clueless about what they are doing this type of filtering kills off innovative services such as Podcasting Not to mention that some of us (many) are willing to buy songs from iTMS and as a result we get shafted because of an uninformed service provider like Rogers. Shameful, truly Shameful...the sad part is that Bell is no better.
Take the time to complain to Rogers. Also please go Digg this story at www.Digg.com. Its great that Corey BoingBoing'ed this but we need to make sure that the message is heard.
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Re: No Subject Given
HOW ABOUT THIS. ROGERS IS A BULLSHIT ISP AND YOU SHOULD SWITCH TO BELL
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Re: No Subject Given
i worked for an outsourced company (not there now) that worked for rogers and they do block certain services and practice this ongoing whenever they see a trend in what they consider *power users* high bandwidth consumption ... even though you have thier 3m or 5m connection they really dont want you using it all... ;)
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personal emails are blocked by ROGERS
I can not email to my sister's email at home.
I am not on her blocked senders list.
Any ideas ?
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Couldn't you just get around this by switching to other ports to download torrents with?
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