Note to readers: In this blog there will be some “rough language,” but nothing obscene.

Ok, thanks to fellow Lockergnome blogger and wyldryde chat user Snakeyes11 for twittering about this.

Apparently now the extremely comcastic (comcraptastic more like it) ISP Comcast is now able to traffic shape even your basic Web browsing traffic. This is from a Slashdot article that Snakeyes11 twittered.

Slashdot: Comcast Blocks Web Browsing

Posted by CmdrTaco on Monday April 07, @11:16AM

From the because-they-can dept.

Censorship Technology

An anonymous reader writes “A team of researchers have found that Comcast has quietly rolled out a new traffic-shaping method, which is interfering with web browsers in addition to p2p traffic. The smoking gun that documents this behavior are network traces collected from Comcast subscribers Internet connections. This evidence shows Comcast is forging packets and blocking connection attempts from web browsers. One has to hope this isn’t the congestion management system they are touting as no longer targeting BitTorrent, which they are deploying in reaction to the recent FCC investigations.”

In the article, there are three other links, and I shall post them here as well.

University of Colorado at Boulder: Broadband Network Management

SPECIAL NOTICE: Comcast has approached us to better understand our test, the equipment we used and the results of our analysis. We understand that their current network management techniques should not be producing the results we found and that they are not blocking access to any Web sites or email applications. We are committed to working together and will update our analysis once we have additional information. Thank you.

Contents

1. New traffic shaping can disrupt a Comcast Internet connection

2. Data collection methodology
3. Analysis of network traces
4. Implications
5. People

New traffic shaping can disrupt a Comcast Internet connection

Recently, it has been observed that Comcast is disrupting TCP connections using forged TCP reset (RST) packets [1]. These reset packets were originally targeted at TCP connections associated with the BitTorrent file-sharing protocol. However, Comcast has stated that they are transitioning to a more “protocol neutral” traffic shaping approach [2]. We have recently observed this shift in policy, and have collected network traffic traces to demonstrate the behavior of their traffic shaping. In particular, we are able (during peak usage times) to synthetically generate a relatively large number of TCP reset packets aimed at any new TCP connection regardless of the application-level protocol. Surprisingly, this traffic shaping even disrupts normal web browsing and e-mail applications. Specifically, we observe two different types of packet forgery and packets being discarded.

Data collection methodology

We synthetically generated TCP SYN packets at a rate of 100 SYN packets per second using the hping utility [3]. The packets were destined for the reserved IP address 2.2.2.2, on which no host is present. We simultaneously collect network traces using tcpdump [4]. This data collection process was repeated at various times throughout multiple days. In addition, we could monitor a destination host to determine if outgoing packets reached their destination, and to determine if responses are generated by the destination host or by a third-party. Finally, this data collection was conducted from multiple Comcast accounts, all within close geographical proximity.

Analysis of network traces

In this section, we present our network traces that show the network behavior while the TCP SYN packets are being sent. All traces were collected during peak usage hours (7-9pm local time). The first trace demonstrates an HTTP (web) connection being established, and subsequently being reset. The IP Time to Live (TTL) field for these forged TCP RST packets is consistently set to 255 (indicating that the forged RST packets are originating on one of the local Comcast links).

4717 41.307584 192.168.0.5 -> 207.68.173.231 TCP 53759 > www [SYN] Seq=0 Len=0 MSS=1460 TSV=504421360 TSER=0 WS=7

4718 41.308767 207.68.173.231 -> 192.168.0.5 TCP www > 53759 [SYN, ACK] Seq=0 Ack=1 Win=2048 Len=0 MSS=1460

4719 41.308792 192.168.0.5 -> 207.68.173.231 TCP 53759 > www [ACK] Seq=1 Ack=1 Win=5840 Len=0

4720 41.308852 192.168.0.5 -> 207.68.173.231 HTTP GET / HTTP/1.1

4721 41.310260 192.168.0.5 -> 2.2.2.2 TCP 7038 > www [SYN] Seq=0 Len=0

4722 41.310880 207.68.173.231 -> 192.168.0.5 TCP www > 53759 [RST] Seq=1 Len=0

The next trace shows a secure shell (SSH) connection being established and immediately reset. For this trace, we also captured the network traffic on the 128.138.x.x host. Surprisingly, absolutely no packets were received or sent from 128.138.x.x! This indicates that outgoing traffic from 192.168.1.104 is being dropped, and that the incoming responses from 128.138.x.x are being forged by Comcast.

3 0.036409 192.168.1.104 -> 128.138.x.x TCP 50051 > ssh [SYN] Seq=0 Len=0 MSS=1460 TSV=4498697 TSER=0 WS=5

4 0.038646 128.138.x.x -> 192.168.1.104 TCP ssh > 50051 [SYN, ACK] Seq=0 Ack=1 Win=2048 Len=0 MSS=1460

5 0.038672 192.168.1.104 -> 128.138.x.x TCP 50051 > ssh [ACK] Seq=1 Ack=1 Win=5840 Len=0

6 0.040426 128.138.x.x -> 192.168.1.104 TCP ssh > 50051 [RST] Seq=1 Len=0

The final trace is perhaps even more remarkable. A TCP SYN packet is sent to a non-routeable, reserved IP address (2.2.2.2) and a SYN, ACK packet is received in response. The only problem is that no host exists at 2.2.2.2! This again shows that the outgoing SYN packet is being dropped, and the “expected” response is being forged by Comcast. The IP TTL field for these forged TCP SYN, ACK packets is consistently set to 30.

4912 43.259271 192.168.0.5 -> 2.2.2.2 TCP 7222 > www [SYN] Seq=0 Len=0

4913 43.260406 2.2.2.2 -> 192.168.0.5 TCP www > 7222 [SYN, ACK] Seq=4159779480 Ack=1 Win=2048 Len=0 MSS=1460

From our experiments, we noticed that only outgoing TCP connections trigger TCP reset packets. Also, TCP connections established before the traffic shaping is activated are not effected, and it is possible to establish TCP connections to a host experiencing the traffic shaping. Finally, only TCP connections are effected.

Implications

Although the traces given above were generated synthetically, it is possible to produce the TCP reset packet flood using peer-to-peer applications such as BitTorrent. Users may find it extremely difficult to establish new TCP connections while using any application that has a relatively high rate of TCP connection establishment on a Comcast link. For instance, the Firefox browser will give this error message when an HTTP connection is reset.

So yeah, now it appears that if you visit a site too much, comcast will use the dreaded TCP reset (RST) packets for basic browsing. Sorry, but to all you people looking up porn, expect WAY slower than normal load times. That might be a tongue in cheek joke, but the fact that they are resetting the packets of webpages… WHAT THE HELL IS COMCAST THINKING?!? I mean, are they attempting to just infuriate more users now? Are they trying to alieniate the normal users who are trapped in their clutches because alternate net service isn’t available?

Which brings me to this…

Slashdot: Comcast Makes Nice with BitTorrent

Posted by Zonk on Thursday March 27, @11:24AM

From the friendly-dogs-and-cats dept.

The Internet Media

An anonymous reader writes “In a dramatic turn-around of relations, cable provider Comcast and BitTorrent are now working together. The deal comes as BitTorrent tries to put its reputation for illegal filesharing behind it. The companies are in talks to collaborate on ways to run BitTorrent’s technology more smoothly on Comcast’s broadband network. Comcast is actually entertaining the idea of using BitTorrent to transport video files more effectively over its own network in the future, said Tony Warner, Comcast’s chief technology officer. ‘”We are thrilled with this,” Ashwin Navin, cofounder and president of BitTorrent, said of the agreement. BitTorrent traffic will be treated the same as that from YouTube Inc., Google Inc. or other Internet companies, he said. It was important that Comcast agreed to expand Internet capacity, because broadband in the United States is falling behind other areas of the world, Navin said. Referring to the clashes with Comcast, he said: “We are not happy about the companies’ being in the limelight.”‘”

OK, honestly, what the hell? I mean Comcast is all “BitTorrent bad” back before. Now they are in bed together? I mean what’s next.. Paris Hilton not being a bimbo?

And finally…

Slashdot: FCC To investigate Comcast Bittorrent Meddling

Posted by kdawson on Tue Jan 08, 2008 06:41 PM

From the just-the-bits-please dept.

The Internet Politics

An anonymous reader writes “FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said Tuesday that the commission will investigate complaints that Comcast actively interferes with Internet traffic as its subscribers try to share files online. A coalition of consumer groups and legal scholars asked the agency in November to stop Comcast from discriminating against certain types of data and to fine Comcast $195,000 for every affected subscriber. While known for months in tech circles, the issue wasn’t given broad attention until an Associated Press report last year, in which reporters tested and verified the data blocking.”

So what now? If the “power users” were up at arms then, just image the normal user up at arms because it’s taking forever to check email, or look at the family photos online. Comcast needs to do one thing. STOP ATTEMPTING TO TRAFFIC SHAPE! All it has done is make them the laughing stock of the net. I mean for every thing they attempt to fix, there is another way for it to backfire. I mean at first it was, “Oh, we don’t throttle our users traffic.” They were exposed. Now they are exposed as throttling browsing of Web pages. Now they are in bed with Bit Torrent.. I mean, before we know it, Comcast will be broke from the lawsuits that people will file as parts of a “class action lawsuit”.

Here is a piece of advice to Comcast execs. Stop trying to cover your backsides. Give people an open net. If the “big isp” starts going for net neutrality, then everyone will follow suit, and the netizens will be happy and quit using your name and slogan (comastic) as negatives.

Yes, the title of this blog is a spoof of the classic play, “Death of a Salesman”.

So, why call it this? well I have been almost killing myself this week. I get tot he local stage on Saturday and help a little with set construction, as we are entering tech week. Tech week is the last week before a show opens where you start adding the technical stuff like lights and sound to the play so the cast can get used to it. Then Sunday, since we are using the local college’s stage because the new company, Encore Theatrical Company, is  still trying to earn capitol to either buy a building or build a new one.

Ok,  Sunday at three pm the local college’s “community band” decided to have their concert. That’s all fine and dandy, but Encore decided to move up the production of Annie so that we would not be interfering with the original scheduled band performance.  Well, apparantly he college moved up the band’s performance too.. Darn college.. Ok, so after the band was done, did they stay and help clear their crap from the stage? Ha! No.. So the sound director, , and the director of the show moved all the chairs, stands, and percussion equipment back tot he band room, and then we started setting the stage for the first real tech rehearsal. Ok, near the end of the rehersal our lighting designer, Travis got there. So at the end of the rehersal Travis and I starting cutting gels for the lights. Side note.. Gels are teh colored pieces of plastic like paper that change the color of the lights on the stage.

Monday, we have tech rehersal. That night Travis, director Micah-Shane, and I stay and start to set the light cues for the show. We stayed till about 3:30 am setting all the levels and recording them into the computer controlled light board. Now here comes the rub. I need to be up at 6 am to start getting ready for Tuesday’s performance of Suessical: The Musical that we are touring some of the Elementary schools with. Besides, I need to take the sound equipment that we borrowed from the college to the school and set the sound system up that morning, which takes about an hour to do. After we end the show, tear down the sound system and the backdrop for th set, and load it into my van, we get a pizza lunch fromt eh school we just performed at. It helps when one of th teachers is the mother of one of the actresses, and who is also in our “mainstage show” of Annie. So at around noon, we head back to the college, unload, and I start the rest of my Tuesday with about 1.5 hours of sleep. So I leave the college and go work and collect the money from the vending machines I work. After i’m done with that, I got home with an hour before I needed to be back at the college for rehersal that night.

Now comesto yesterday, Wednesday. I go to  Knoxville TN that day, which is about an hour from Morristown. I get back around 1 pm, and go tot he college. In there, I have to adjust some of the lighting equipment to take care of “dark spots” and to make sure we can get the baton of one of our flies down for a drop. side note, the fly system is the way of lowering a drop, set pieces, or curtain into place and then raising them back up. Jonathan, one of the actors who I have the upmiost respect  for and I start working on various things to get them done, and some we are goign to work on and end up not because it would be too much money cost for the theatre to get them done. After the rehersal, I end up getting home at around midnight.

Today, I am going back at some point and trying to help get some more stuff done. We still got to work on the catwalk lights, which are the lights that are hanging from a catwalk over the audience. We need to “open” some of them up so that they hit more upstage (toward the back of the stage) to eliminate some more dark spots. We also need to get done with hanging one of our final drops and we also need to paint some onthe stage. Not to mention replace the bulb on one of the “follow spots” that is weak. I say “Follow spot” wiotht he quyotation marks because all these spots are are standard Ellipsodial Reflector Spotlights (Leeko) that are modified with a big handle that allows them to be moved as a spotlight. Who know what else needs to be done before we open n Friday.

Now, if you are into a particular field of study or interest, and you have someone ask you for advice, give them the best advice you can. If you are asking the advice. Listen to the people. if they are a friend of yours they should not steer you wrong.

Case in point, I was asked by a friend who is the director of a community theatre where I live. He asked me recently what we needed for a sound system for a touring show we are doing to the local elementary schools. Well, he got the mics, arranged for us to borrow a decent sound control board, and even got us two powered external speakers for the main outputs. However, I told him for monitors we would need a power amp.

Ok, here is some basic sound advice for those looking at running sound for big shows and musicals. Most good sound mixers do not have a way to power the output. Now for small bands, Peavy is good as it gives powered output. Peavy is REALLY REALLY bad for professional audio, like musicials abnd theatrical use. Now, when you have an non powered output source going into a non powered speaker, the sounds is going to be LOW. If you can get sound output, you are not going to get much of it, and when you do, it’s very easy to get it to distort because you are going to have to have it way too hot to get any output. Kind of like listening to an IPOD set loud with the earphones on the desk in front of you. Now, take a pair of speakers that are powred, and the audio sounds fine. Why is that you ask, well the answer is simple.

It’s because the powered speakers have built in power amps (power amplifiers) that take the sound, amplify it, and output it in one cabinet. These speakers have a power cord that plus into them and supplies the external power that the amp needs to function. Most powered sepakers also have both the subwoofer (for bass) and tweeter (for higher pitched sounds) built in the same cabinet as well.

Now today, at the rehearsal, one of the cast says, “I can’t hear the music”.. I nearly lost it. Not only am I stressed at not having a moment to do anyting except set up the system, let alone having to get the director and tour manager to set the wireless mics up, I get that. I reply, “Well, I tried to find a solution that was free for us. Sadly, it didn’t work.. So I am getting some other stuff later tonight to try to make it work.” To this the director, who I consider a real friend, said, “Don’t flip out.” At that point I shot him a look that could have melted ice. He doesn’t know how close he came to losing the only person he has right now that can run sound and knows what he looks for in tech stuff. I volunteer, and for a friend to to say that to someone who is giving their damn time to help him… That is not cool.

Now, I will take to chat cast member, who is a col guy. He was giving an excuse as to why he was messing up the song. I hate to tell him, but that about he times that he could hear the music and he messed up? But, thanks to our touring manager Daniel, we should have a power amp that I can jury rig to work with that we got. Just gotta get the theatre board to spring for come couplers, converters and good long mic/speaker cords. Of course, I will get the old, “But we dont have the money, I mean we just spent $6000 on wireless mics.. Why do we need to buy more things?” Sadly, they fail to realize that the wireless mics are but one component in a cascade that is sound design.

Okay, we all know that most problems in our everyday existence outside of work or school will not deal with algebra, calculus, trigonometry , or any other advanced mathematical study. However, there is one study of math that we tend to use, and that is the basic math.

By basic math, I mean addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. We use these every day of our lives. However, it seems nowadays, that if people don’t have a damn calculator in their hand, they can’t even figure out simple addition. I was in the convenient store earlier this evening, when I was heading home from the rehearsals. Well, i was standing in line, and this women, about forty, who looked about as smart as a turnip and that is only if I feel inhospitable toward vegetables. It took her a few minutes to be able to process the only other person in the store’s lottery ticket. Finally, after the computer wouldn’t take the card, she punched it in by hand. So, she tells him that he has a four dollar ticket and an eleven dollar ticket. He said, just give me the cash. She goes over to the and gets fifteen dollars out of the drawer, and as she is walking the few steps toward the man, you could see her give that dipshit look, and I knew exactly what she was thinking. She was thinking the number eleven, and mentally counting four fingers till she counted four, to see that she was right with the fifteen dollars.

I’m sorry, but if you have to think hard about 11 + 4, then you should not be in a job where you are in charge of taking money, counting money, or simply touching money. I mean convenient stores are hurting to get people in there to work. They know they can’t get rally good people there, because they normally get the people who are either really stupid idiots, alcoholics, druggies, or they get the people with five kids, a five pack a day habit, and the IQ of dirt.

One thing the government could do is eliminate all calculators from grade school classrooms. I mean, when I went to high school, we could not use calculators. Not even on algebra. I mean if you went on to calc, then yes, you could use one. Not saying that i am “too old”, but it’s only been thirteen years since I graduated. I mean why do students in middle/jr high school need calculators? If they can’t figure out the math there in their head, then the government has failed to educate that child. I hear a lot of people making jokes about “How stupid W is..” Sorry, but most of the current generation of children will make him look like Albert Fucking Einstein.

Okay, first of all, in some states like Tennessee, most restaurants use the inferior knowledge of the citizens to make them think that all diners must be carded when ordering beer. However, how does that make people over the age of 50 feel? Unless the waiter or waitress is completely blind as a bat, then you can tell they are over the age of 21. You can tell they are old enough to drink. So, do you think carding them makes them feel younger, no it tends to piss them off.

My dad, when he goes into restaurants, he’ll order a beer. If the waiter/waitress ask to see ID, he will change it to a water. To him, that is a sign of disrespect. On the night of March 24th 2008, I wasn’t in the mood to hear him go at it with the waitress, who for her pour soul had probably never had to put up with a cranky old bastard like him. He started his dead, and the waitress wondered if she had done something wrong. He was about to tell her all sorts of stuff about how it was it was an insult, blah blah blah. However, I stopped him and out assholed the old asshole.

I mean, if her management told her to do that, DO NOT BLAME THE WAITRESS! Tell them that you want to talk to the manager. When the manager gets there, give him or her the crap you were going to give the waitress. The waitress must follow the rules. The manager can make the decision, because you are older, that you don’t have to be carded. This way, you can bitch at who needs it, and the poor waitress can have a decent night, instead of a night of bad thoughts because of some seventy year old jackass. Sorry dad, but you sir are an asshole.

A Witty Joke

Click on the image to see it larger.

Chris Pirillo’s Phone Phun.

Click on the image to see it larger.

The light and sound systems at the local college are pretty state of the art. I mean it they should be with a one hundred thousand dollar grant. So if something goes wrong, technology fails us.

Tonight was one of those nights. James Templin was operating the light board in the second act of Glass Menagarie, in the scene between Amanda and Laura just before Amanda goes to get changed before teh Gentleman Caller and Tom arrive. I look over from my seat at the sound board to see the display monitor for the light board show the load screen. I knew in a flash what it meant.. The light board was rebooting. James had never had that happen, but I had. I quickly asked him what cue (lighting scene number) we were in, he told me (matter of fact, he told me a few cues later, but it still worked). As soon as the board finished the boot it went back to the default of no lights on at all. I quickly hit the correct buttons to load the right cue. Luckily, I had had something similar happen to me just over a hear and a half before.

Back in the summer of 06, one of the local theatre guild’s was presenting a show called “UnrineTown” (say it as ‘You’re In Town’) , and one Sunday afternoon we had bad storms where the power was reset. So here comes the board up, but unluckily for me the lights went out on the boot (for james, since power didn’t go out, the board kept all light up till last moments). I mean good thing is in the scene where it went out for me it was in a dialogue scene where everyone stood pretty still for the scene. Also my baclout (the term used for all lights being out) lasted about 60-70 seconds, whereas James’s only lasted like 10 seconds top.

As far as I know, the computer on the lightboard wither crashed for a moment and rebooted, a power surge, or just got some sort of whacky signal that made it reboot. I saw the sound board do something similar back this past November for Shenandoah. Bill Strader was operating the sound board when i looked over and the entire thing shut off and then came back. While it would have been more timely to have done that rebooting like 45 seconds later, it happened during the reprise of “Papa’s gonna make it all right”, where Jenny is singing to the baby. The actress playing Jenny has a right pretty voice, just not really loud without amplification. However, Lindsey being a trooper went on, and then the sound came back..

So yeah, no matter how advanced your stage tech systems are, they can fail you. Luckily for us, it was just a minor hiccup and no hardware was damaged.

Birthdays are supposed to be days that you feel good… you have your friends and family wish you a happy birthday, and you get something. It makes you feel special for one day. At least, it was supposed to.

My birthday was yesterday. So far only my mom, my dad, Daniel who is one of my theatre friends, and Tracey who is a Facebook friend from England wished me a happy birthday. Presents. Hell, I got a pillow and $50 dollars. Yeah, makes one feel all warm there.

So, what about my so called friends in the theatre? They can’t say they didn’t know. I made a remark at the cast part this past Friday.. Well, one thing is clear. I know Daniel is the only true theatre friend I actually have. To the rest of them, sussical will most likely be my last show with the “volunteer company” of Encore. There is a group of us, who we call the clunks.. why the clunks, because Michele jokingly said we weren’t too cool to be a “clique”. Bullshit! I wonder if Adam will tell me last on today when I see him while he plays Tom in Glass Menagarie.

Most of the people I know online never knew.. tho the ones I am friends with on Facebook would have known. It just sucks ass and really makes you feel bad when only two friends even tell you. It’s even worse when your own sister forgets. I better stop with this post before I depress myself even further.

Why am I linking to a video from G4, the most hated TV station known to geeks? It’s ultra simple.

Kim Davis, one of my old theatre friends from here in Morristown, Tennessee, was recently on G4’s Attack of the Show. She is the one singing Danny boy.

From Morristown, Tennessee, to G4 TV. Kinda hard to fathom.

Tomorrow the local college, Walter’s State Community College, will be opening the Tennessee Williams classic, The Glass Menagerie. This production stars Kathy Garver, who is best known as “Cissy” from the TV classic “Family Affair.”

The director of the show has done something that I really don’t like with plays. He has two separate casts. In both cast Amanda (Mrs. Garver) and the Gentleman Caller a.k.a. Jim D. O’Conner are the same. Tom and Laura change out each show. I know why he did it, as he really respects both people cast as Tom. I am really glad that I am working sound for this show as I don’t have to choose between which cast I want to see do the show.

In the first cast we have actor Jonathan Stephens as Tom and Rebecca Perinaz as Laura. The second cast has Adam Malonem as Tom with Kendra Haynes as Laura.

Both cast are amazing. However, there are some differences between the way the actors portray the character they are playing. For instance Jonathan Stephens as Tom is loud and at times a bit sarcastic, which work with perfectly well with the feel of the show and character. On the other hand, Adam Malone plays the part very reserved, without giving the feeling that his character might leave until he does. Along with Malone’s more reserved character also comes a more reserved projection of his voice. I heard it harder to hear Adam more than it has been to hear Jonathan. That is not a bad thing, as Adam has good projection on that stage.

On the flip side we have the two Lauras. Kendra’s Laura is still meek, but not as painfully as Rebecca’s. Rebecca is normally a very timid and shy person, and it has been hard for her to project on that stage until last night. I heard her say most of her lines without straining to hear. Rebecca also doesn’t play up the “physical defect” that Laura has as much as Kendra. Kendra’s Laura has a small limp when she walks around the stage, whereas Rebecca doesn’t carry it on with the limp. Also in the dance with Jim in the final scenes of the play, Rebecca seems to be more “rigid” than Kendra. However, it’s not a bad thing. Rebecca’s version of the character has all the shy qualities that Laura is supposed to have. Kendra does a good job, but it seems she has to work harder to get the shyness of the character as well as Rebecca does.

All in all, both casts are amazing. I am glad I don’t have to pick which actors I will see, as being the sound tech for the show, I am there for all performances. So, if you are in the Lakeway area of Tennessee, please call the humanities division of Walter’s State and make reservations. Performances are Febuary 21-March 2, with Thursday Friday and Saturday nights starting at 8 pm, and Sunday matinees at 2 pm.