[ NNSquad ] Re: Catalog of Measurement Tools/Scorecard

["Matthew Tarpy" <tarpy@tarpify.com>]

I'd like to suggest that this project also think about eventually
generating a scorecard (gotta use consultant speak somewhere in here :-)
for each provider. 

Robb mentioned earlier that DSL Reports contains a lot of useful data
regarding blocking of certain ports, this would be very much in line
with what I am thinking about.

Once a consensus is gathered about how to measure neutrality (that could
be a somewhat long process), it should be a simple matter to generate
metrics based on reporting/known limitations for each ISP and then
present users with a quick visual guide to the "neutralness" of a
particular vendor, with the ability to drill down into a more in-depth
look at why they got the particular score they did. 

Off the top of my head I could think of a number of particular metrics:

1) Port freedom: "are ports that a user would want to use open?")
2) Traffic freedom: "is traffic unmolested while it transits the network
leg of this provider?"
3) Caps: "what 'bandwidth' do I get with my purchase, and what is my
limit, and how clearly is that explained?")
4) Civil freedom: "Does my provider allow anyone other than the
destination address/route to see my traffic in the absence of a valid
civil order compelling disclosure?"

While this involves an immense amount of data mining/reporting, I think
such an exercise would be useful for both persons wanting to find as
neutral of a network as possible, or as a tool to explain to the world
at large what restrictions are present on their network of choice.

--matthew

-----Original Message-----
From: nnsquad-bounces+tarpy=tarpify.com@nnsquad.org
[mailto:nnsquad-bounces+tarpy=tarpify.com@nnsquad.org] On Behalf Of
Lauren Weinstein
Sent: Tuesday, November 13, 2007 4:04 PM
To: nnsquad@nnsquad.org
Subject: [ NNSquad ] Catalog of Measurement Tools


I'd like to start gathering a "catalog" of existing Internet
measurement tools (including tools already published, and those that
are "private" but available) as a foundation for an initial set of
recommended software that folks can use to begin exploring the
capabilities and conditions of their own Internet connectivity.

If you have suggestions, please send them to the list (comments from
the group regarding these packages would be very useful) along with
some details about what functions they perform, how easy they are to
use (suitable for consumers or pros?), and any other relevant
information (free?  shareware?  commercial?  OS types supported?)

It's time to get some initial metrics churning.  Thanks.

--Lauren--
NNSquad Moderator