Time Warner Cable Implements Packet Shaping

[BJ_M]

[TWC] TW Officially Announces Packet Shaping for All RR Users

From Time Warner's Help Desk

TIME WARNER ANNOUNCES INTRODUCTION OF PACKET SHAPING TECHNOLOGY NATIONWIDE

June 6, 2007 -- Time Warner today implemented a network management tool to improve the operation of the network for all subscribers. As a result, a small minority of users may experience slower speeds during peak hours when using certain applications that consume lots of bandwidth. You can address this situation by reducing your use of bandwidth-intensive applications during peak hours. "Peak hours" are generally in the evenings.

"Packet shaping" technology has been implemented for newsgroup applications, regardless of the provider, and all peer-to-peer networks and certain other high bandwidth applications not necessarily limited to audio, video, and voice over IP telephony. Road Runner reserves the right to implement network management tools for other applications in the future.

Customers are reminded of the terms of our Acceptable Use Policy at »help.rr.com/aup:

* The Road Runner service may not be used to engage in any conduct that
interferes with Road Runner's ability to provide service to others,
including the use of excessive bandwidth.

* The Road Runner service may not be used to breach or attempt to breach
the security, the computer, the software or the data of any person or
entity, including Road Runner, to circumvent the user authentication
features or security of any host, network or account, to use or
distribute tools designed to compromise security, or to interfere with
another's use of the Road Runner service through the posting or
transmitting of a virus or other harmful item or to deliberately
overload or flood that entity's system.

Customers are further advised that efforts designed to circumvent our network management
tools may be in violation of our Acceptable Use Policy and may result in account suspension
without warning.

1) This will eventually cover ALL subscribers in ALL areas of the country.

2) The same packet shaping technology will be applied to all levels of RR service, rendering Premium RR basically useless for higher speed transfers of large amounts of data. What good is having 15 megs of downloads when the packet shaping will reduce that to download speeds below that of their former standard tier? There is now little point to having a premium level of service.

3) The company is warning customers who are smart enough to circumvent these by encrypting or moving their packets off the "usual ports/traffic neighborhood" that it is a violation of the AUP to do so and potentially puts your account in peril.

[Faustus]

First the ruined the perfectly good comcast we had in DFW now this. GOOD JOB GUYS!

[budz]

WTF! I'm already experiencing slow upload speeds. I'm only uploading pictures to a website which is now taking over 25 minutes. It never took that long to upload pictures. Geez, maybe I'll have to end up going with wireless connection "CLEARWIRE" or DSL with the local phone company. This is so freaking disgusting.

[Conquest10]

As much as people hate Comcast, you don't see them pulling anything like this crap.

[SquirrelDip]

* The Road Runner service may not be used to engage in any conduct that interferes with Road Runner's ability to provide service to others, including the use of excessive bandwidth.

One one hand, cable operators tell you that you have speeds that are up to 100 times faster than dial up. By the nature of cable (shared) any usage whatsoever by yourself adversely affects others - even more-so if you take advantage of that 100 times...

So - how can they advertise "High Speed" when if I use it it goes against the agreement?

[MrMoody]

I'm only uploading pictures to a website which is now taking over 25 minutes. It never took that long to upload pictures. Geez, maybe I'll have to end up going with wireless connection "CLEARWIRE" or DSL with the local phone company.

I already dumped RR 6 months ago because of the slow upload, and that was BEFORE they started choking it even more. The DSL I got instead uploads 3 times faster.

[budz]

I'm only uploading pictures to a website which is now taking over 25 minutes. It never took that long to upload pictures. Geez, maybe I'll have to end up going with wireless connection "CLEARWIRE" or DSL with the local phone company.

I already dumped RR 6 months ago because of the slow upload, and that was BEFORE they started choking it even more. The DSL I got instead uploads 3 times faster.

I'll see what happens down the road before I subject myself to DSL.