VOIP users beware: Time Warner's RoadRunner adds packet shaping technology

[mandy]

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...

full announcement: http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18468495

[sneakymagenta]

It's a prelude to tiered rates for bandwidth abusers and the banning of competing VOIP services.

[BellisimaJ.]

[quote author=sneakymagenta link=topic=11895.msg56655#msg56655 date=1181583712]
It's a prelude to tiered rates for bandwidth abusers and the banning of competing VOIP services.
[/quote]

It sure sounds like it. >

[bargainbloodhound]

It's a prelude to tiered rates for bandwidth abusers

Maybe, but most ISPs don't have the capacity to deliver the unlimited usage they advertise.  Tiered rates wouldn't do much to solve the capacity problem.

the banning of competing VOIP services.

Definitely.