App To Keep ISPs Honest About Bandwidth Caps 172
alphadogg writes "A browser-based app developed by Georgia Tech researchers is designed to help Internet users make better use of their bandwidth – and to make sure ISPs are holding up their end of the bandwidth bargain. The Kermit app, which is being shown off Wednesday (PDF) at the CHI 2011 Conference on Human Factors in Computing in Vancouver, emerges at a time when service providers are starting to place bandwidth caps not just on wireless services, but on wireline services, too. AT&T, for example, is putting such caps in place this month for its DSL and U-verse customers. At least initially, such caps aren't expected to affect all but the very heaviest bandwidth users."
Re:Browser based? (Score:5, Informative)
http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~marshini/files/kermit.pdf
That's the actual paper on it. You have to read it to get the info as to how they really did it - via DD-WRT with RFLOW. Your suspicions are correct though - they can't do it with just a browser.
Re:At least initially... (Score:5, Informative)
Last month, I used 350gb of traffic; all of which was legitimate, split between services like NetFlix for television and movies, Steam for gaming, iTunes for music and podcasts, and the rest of normal day-to-day traffic.
1 HD movie a day for a month from Netflix will top out at about 135 GB.
Buying one new AAA game a week on Steam for a month is 40-45 GB.
A 384kbps stream 24/7 for an entire month would only be 125 GB
I think the Internet turns everybody into hoarders, they download/stream things they have very little intention of ever watching just because it's there.