[ NNSquad ] Re: [IP] BitTorrent uTorrent 2.0 uTP will self-throttle to protect networks

["David P. Reed" <dpreed@reed.com>]

I find the word games/rhetorical tricks that Ou and Bennett use fascinating.  We'll see whether Farber posts my response below.

George Ou wrote:

Subject: RE: [ NNSquad ] BitTorrent uTorrent 2.0 uTP will self-throttle to protect    networks

Too bad nobody ever bothered to test if these claims actually hold water
before repeating them endlessly.  I just tested uTorrent version 2 build
16850 today and it still grabs all the bandwidth and jacks up the ping to
unbearable levels for online gaming and VoIP.  It certainly does NOT protect
my network.

I will do some testing myself, because I am curious about the mechanism in uTorrent 2.0.   I do note that "unbearable levels for online gaming and VoIP" is an interesting statement.

If true that means that ping times might be 100 msec or more.   Now, since I have been recently measuring ping times on networks where there are no "uTorrent" or other P2P services running, I can tell you that on a variety of commercial providers, 150 msec. ping times are common - and on ATT 3G in several cities, there are stable ping times that can be measured that are on the order of 2000-5000 msec.

So the "data" presented by Mr. Ou represents a very, very interesting choice of phrase.   Say that it is "unbearable" for two of the most sensitive-to-latency applications (only).  

I would, myself, stick to scientific measurements: how many milliseconds?   Clearly he has measured that data.   But I presume the hope of a talented columnist is to get the word "unbearable" to stick in the mind, and leave the "bumper sticker" impression without the qualifying information.

Rhetorical trickery?  You be the judge.   I'm gonna report numbers.