[ NNSquad ] Re: "How to Patrol Your ISP"

[Neil Tiffin <neilt@neiltiffin.com>]

On Nov 14, 2007, at 3:36 PM, Seth David Schoen wrote:

> Lauren Weinstein writes:
>
> > How about this for an initial game plan to get the ball rolling?
> >
> > First, we need some writeups describing specific tests and
> > parameters that users can employ, making use of various currently
> > available open source tools, to begin measuring aspects of their
> > ISPs' performance.  Until more automated, purpose-built packages are
> > developed, this could still start bringing in some useful data.
> >
> > Writeups should be detailed and written for at least two levels of
> > user experience at such activities, e.g. beginner and expert.  These
> > need to describe both the tests to perform and the data to
> > collect -- they shouldn't just be elaborated versions of man pages.
>
> I just wanted to reiterate that I'm doing something somewhat like this
> for EFF, under EFF's name; this should be out pretty soon and everyone
> here is welcome to see whether you think it serves this purpose well.
> My article is oriented toward explaining how to use Wireshark to  
> capture
> data at two endpoints of a communication in order to compare how the
> same communication appears to both of them.

Wireshark on both ends may be a little complicated for beginners to  
utilize for nnsquad efforts.  It seems to me that some sort of  
standardized, specific to nnsquad, measurement server(s) should be  
set up to control variables at one end of the connection.  This would  
make the measurements somewhat more reliable and consistent.  Of  
course, this could be gamed by a smart ISP, but this would be  
interesting to know also.

Neil Tiffin
Chicago

           [ Purpose-built software is indeed the longer-range goal.
             This is crucial if non-techies are going to be willing
             to volunteer as measurement nodes.  The use of off-the-shelf
             tools is -- as far as I'm concerned -- mainly to prime
             the pump, and for the continuing use of the more "expert"
             project members.
                               -- Lauren Weinstein
                                  NNSquad Moderator ]