Possible Torrent Alternative.

[Chris]

On 10/25/07, Corey Edwards <tensai at zmonkey.org> wrote:
> If you're talking about consumer routers then you might be right, but big boy
> ISP routers won't drop your packets just because it's some unknown IP
> protocol. They don't care and they don't have the time to do inspection of
> that sort.

The big boy routers might not care, but that doesn't prevent ISPs from
inserting deep-inspection boxes into the chain--and those boxes /do/
care.  From what I gather, Comcast is using boxes of just that kind to
kill bittorrent traffic.

> They will forward your new protocol just as well as they would TCP
> or UDP.

Best case: the new protocol will be forwarded until someone starts
(ab)using said new protocol to overload the network, at which point
ISPs will adjust their deep-inspection filtering boxes to kill off the
new, objectionable traffic.  And the unwinnable battle will continue
to escalate.  You might generate a short-lived victory by inventing
some new protocol, but it won't take long for the ISPs to catch up and
crush the little rebellion. :-)

Chris