SomethingSuitablySharp alliteration, neuroscience and sea otters.

29Jan/09Off

Google and friends release net neutrality tools

A group called Measurement Lab, supported by Google and others, have released recently tools to monitor just how neutral your Internet connection is.

There about page says "The goal of M-Lab is to advance network research and empower the public with useful information about their broadband connections. By enhancing Internet transparency, M-Lab helps sustain a healthy, innovative Internet."

If you haven't been keeping up with all the heat and legal issues in the US recently involving Comcast et al, Net Neutrality refers to how free a network is of restrictions on content, sites and the kinds of equipment that can be connected. Basically the idea that all traffic on the network should be treated as equal - not singling out p2p traffic for example and slowing it down.

So a neutral Internet would be an Internet connection without restrictions and limitations based on content downloaded/uploaded or sites accessed.

Proponents of net neutrality state that this will ensure the Internet remains a "free and open technology, fostering, amongst others, democratic communication." I side with the proponents.

So let's use these tools on NZ ISP networks and see what happens! I tried, but they're all too busy with 30 minutes waits or slashdotted. Fail.