Re: [TCLUG:14628] RE: Napster

[Timothy Wilson <wilson@visi.com>]

On Mon, 13 Mar 2000, Dave Sherohman wrote:

> If Napster uses a standard set of ports for client-client communication, my
> vote for the best way of dealing with it is to throttle bandwidth on that
> port or bump it down to a very low priority - go ahead and move whatever data
> you want around, but if anyone else wants the bandwidth you're using, they
> get the bandwidth and you get to wait for them. 

Recognizing that this is easier said than done in the case of Napster, it
would seem that this is the overall best solution. Sys admins are not in
the business of deciding whether or not users are breaking copyright law.
However, they are most certainly in the business of maintaining an
functioning network for all users. If it could be done, I think traffic
shaping is the way to go here. (Unfortunately, I'm quite certain our
current routers/firewalls are incapable of it anyway.)

In the grand scheme of things, our computers and network technologies are
intended to promote learning. In an environment where the student/computer
ratio (counting only easily accessible computers) is probably 30:1, it
doesn't take many kids screwing around with something like Napster to
prevent somebody else from getting some work done.

-Tim

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