Hardware Vendors Integrating Bit Torrent Units from Asus, Planex, and QNAP... Monday Oct 23 2006 09:20 EDT We've seen at least one hybrid router, the Asus WL700gE, incorporate Bit Torrent functionality, allowing you to turn off the PC and manage content downloads via your network device. Bit Torrent this morning announced that they're working with a number of other residential hardware vendors to graft Bit Torrent to their hardware. The press-release notes the following units now ship with Bit Torrent on-board: •ASUS WL-700gE Wireless Storage Router•ASUS WL-500gP Router•ASUS WL-500gW Router•Planex BRC-W14VG-BT Router•Planex BRC-14VG-BT Router•Planex BRC-W14V-BT Router•Planex BLW-HPMM-U Router•Planex BLW-HPMM-G Router•QNAP TS101 NAS Server•QNAP TS-201 NAS Server The interesting discussion here of course is what happens once the industry begins locking copy-protected content to hardware (or hardware owners). Is there a future where your router tattles to the appropriate authorities because you've just downloaded a Bit Torrent episode of Lost? As we've discussed, this is part of a significant effort by Bit Torrent execs to help legitimize the distribution platform and make creator Bram Cohen some money. Another prong of this effort has been their push to encourage ISPs to stop throttling the app with network appliances and start caching popular content. Their caching solution, implemented in the latest Bit Torrent client release, utilizes the "Cache Discovery Protocol” developed in cooperation with Cachelogic. The protocol makes it easy for ISPs to detect the most popular torrents, cache the data, and seed the torrent. However ISPs certainly won't be caching pirated content, which makes up the majority of Bit Torrent traffic. To control this traffic, they'll continue to lean on traffic shaping - which leaves Cohen and (and possibly your WL700gE) in a potential quandary. |
  King PDon't blame me. I voted for Ron Paul
Premium Member
join:2004-11-17
Murfreesboro, TN
1 recommendation |
King P
Premium Member
2006-Oct-23 9:37 am
Cool I guessI really don't know why someone would want to integrate BitTorrent into the hardware of their computer. Apparently some companies feel there is a need for it. However it's still cool that they can do that.
For now I'll just stick with my uTorrent and kTorrent software. | |
|  |  Tomek
Premium Member
join:2002-01-30
Valley Stream, NY |
Tomek
Premium Member
2006-Oct-23 6:59 pm
Re: Cool I guessIt's not computer hardware, it's network hardware.
I think it is pretty useful. You may continue downloading to your external hard drive, while your laptop goes with you to work. | |
| | |  jap
Premium Member
join:2003-08-10
038xx |
jap
Premium Member
2006-Oct-23 7:42 pm
Re: Cool I guesssaid by Tomek:It's not computer hardware, it's network hardware. I think it is pretty useful. You may continue downloading to your external hard drive, while your laptop goes with you to work. Bingo. Also, it'll have efficient, no fuss traffic shaping right there at the gateway. Very nice. | |
| | |  NerdtalkerWorking Hard, Or Hardly Working?
MVM
join:2003-02-18
San Jose, CA |
to Tomek
I already do that on an Xbox that I've modded to run linux. It's actually very useful to use torrenflux (or whatever they're running) so you don't consume resources on your own PC. Even better, you can create simple rules on your home NAT device (if it supports it), to do traffic shaping to just that device. I do it all the time, nothing like DLing tons of stuff and playing CS:S without lag at the same time.  | |
|
1 recommendation |
Wow, the neo-cons will hate thisOur resident right wing nut cases are going to go ballistic when they read this. They all think that bittorrent is the program of the DEVIL! Needless to say, their beliefs irrelevant, as bittorrent is a GREAT technology, and it's here to stay.
They cry when their fat cat corporate profits go down the drain, but they're just not agile enough or smart enough to adapt to a changing world. That's why they are called 'conservatives', because they believe that technology is anti-religious. Of COURSE everyone uses bittorrent to download the latest movies, music, tv-shows, etc. It's simply the best technology for the task.
"the Recording Industry Association of America, by trying to squash Napster, only alienated fans and encouraged the spread of copycats."
The MPAA has seen the light, and realizes that FREE is their competition. Gee, where have we seen that before? Ahh, yes, bottled water. If you market your product correctly, people will pay for it. If they try and stick to their monopolistic archaic distribution model, they will die. And I for one, say good riddance. | |
| |  Noah VailOh God please no.
Premium Member
join:2004-12-10
SouthAmerica |
Noah Vail
Premium Member
2006-Oct-23 11:48 am
So.........is this recreational lunacy for you or are you a convert?
What makes you think RW Nutcases even know *Torrent even exists? As much as I agree with you about content distribution, I'm not sure why you felt compelled to bring a fringe group into the mix.
Unless of course your obsession tampers with your self control.
Do you see pink helocopters?
NV
Abortion: Improves the Gene Pool! | |
| | | | | | | Noah VailOh God please no.
Premium Member
join:2004-12-10
SouthAmerica |
Re: So.....I think that video is one of the signs of the second coming.
NV | |
| | | | | | |
Re: So.....No kidding. Right with you... Noah? oh crap...  | |
|
|
1 recommendation |
to karlmarx
Re: Wow, the neo-cons will hate thisYou have the argumentative capabilities of a 5 year old... Trying to lump in right-wingers, conservatives or otherwise as a cadre of non-torrent users who are against torrenting in general only illuminates your utter ignorance on the subject... Get a clue kid, you can't completely monopolize being moron who couldn't rub two neurons together to form a thought... Please, give others a chance... | |
| | | jap
Premium Member
join:2003-08-10
038xx |
jap
Premium Member
2006-Oct-23 7:45 pm
Re: Wow, the neo-cons will hate thissaid by Methadras:You have the argumentative capabilities of a 5 year old [...] Get a clue kid, you can't completely monopolize being moron who couldn't rub two neurons together to form a thought.. Awe, you took the fun out of it by getting sore and personal. They are making fun of the Morality Card we're all so tired of and disgusted by. Cut slack. | |
|
| Dissman
join:2001-04-26
Alexandria, VA |
to karlmarx
Naw, most of the Neocons are just out there downloading 24 via bittorrent. | |
| |  winkyTurn Left At The Moon
join:2001-02-11
Saint Louis, MO |
to karlmarx
LOL. The resident Left Wing nut jobs beat the resident Right Wing nut jobs to the punch AGAIN! You guys need your own forum where you can cut and paste the same tripe over and over and then determine the winner by the greatest number of identical posts. If you can't be helpful at least be entertaining.  | |
| |  thender2Glamour Profession
Premium Member
join:2004-05-16
Staten Island, NY |
to karlmarx
said by karlmarx:Our resident right wing nut cases are going to go ballistic when they read this. They all think that bittorrent is the program of the DEVIL! Needless to say, their beliefs irrelevant, as bittorrent is a GREAT technology, and it's here to stay. They cry when their fat cat corporate profits go down the drain, but they're just not agile enough or smart enough to adapt to a changing world. That's why they are called 'conservatives', because they believe that technology is anti-religious. Of COURSE everyone uses bittorrent to download the latest movies, music, tv-shows, etc. It's simply the best technology for the task. "the Recording Industry Association of America, by trying to squash Napster, only alienated fans and encouraged the spread of copycats." The MPAA has seen the light, and realizes that FREE is their competition. Gee, where have we seen that before? Ahh, yes, bottled water. If you market your product correctly, people will pay for it. If they try and stick to their monopolistic archaic distribution model, they will die. And I for one, say good riddance. Yeah.. because John Kerry was an advocate of copyright infringement too. Please. Neither party is going to progress at all with this issue. They'll parrot the RIAA/MPAA, or push the issue under the rug, like any good politician. | |
| |  TechieZeroTools Are Using Me
Premium Member
join:2002-01-25
Lithia, FL |
to karlmarx
said by karlmarx:Our resident right wing nut cases are going to go ballistic when they read this. They all think that bittorrent is the program of the DEVIL! Needless to say, their beliefs irrelevant, as bittorrent is a GREAT technology, and it's here to stay. Why? I am a right wing nutcase and I might put this on my Xmas list. Torrents are just another way to manage data from several point As to point B and vice versa at the same time. So what? | |
|
1 recommendation |
Privacy?My guess is these things are going to have some kind of call back feature probably under the guise of some type of error reporting feature. They will probably log everything you download. Then the RIAA only needs to subpoena the device and you done. | |
| |  Jehu
Premium Member
join:2002-09-13
MA |
Jehu
Premium Member
2006-Oct-23 10:00 am
Re: Privacy?said by insomniac84:My guess is these things are going to have some kind of call back feature probably under the guise of some type of error reporting feature. They will probably log everything you download. Then the RIAA only needs to subpoena the device and you done. *ding* | |
| |  moko
join:2002-12-22
Fayetteville, GA |
to insomniac84
i was thinking something like that too | |
| | KearnstdSpace Elf
Premium Member
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ |
to insomniac84
upside to a router is its easy to wipe the logs, just hit factory reset. | |
| | |  Pirate515
Premium Member
join:2001-01-22
Brooklyn, NY |
Pirate515
Premium Member
2006-Oct-23 11:05 am
Re: Privacy?said by Kearnstd:Upside to a router is it's easy to wipe the logs, just hit factory reset. And what if it's designed to store logs in non-volatile memory such as EEPROM or a hard drive. Factory reset will not help you then. Plus tampering with the evidence will always put you in the bad graces of a judge/jury. | |
| | | | | |
Re: Privacy?I wish my router had a hard disk! Haven't had one since I moved from the Injoy Firewall on my Cyrix M2-powered box to an Asante. | |
|
 PaulgDisplaced Yooper
Premium Member
join:2004-03-15
Neenah, WI |
Paulg
Premium Member
2006-Oct-23 10:15 am
Storage?do these routers/APs have some kind of storage attached, or how do they hold the BT files while the computer is off? | |
| | | |
Re: Storage?Well, the WL-700gE comes with a 160GB hard-drive inside, and you can hook-up additional external drives via USB 2.0..... | |
|
| |
does it materDoes it matter if you run bit torrent on your router or your computer when isps like cablevision are blocking it and capping you for using it? | |
| | | |
Re: does it materYeah really. Maybe having more of these hardware devices out there will lead to more people complaining about stuff not working right, and eventually getting ISPs to stop breaking BT. | |
|
1 recommendation |
Bit Torrent HardwareMy question would be..... why?
Bit Torrent is always dead slow | |
| |  Combat ChuckToo Many Cannibals
Premium Member
join:2001-11-29
Verona, PA |
Re: Bit Torrent Hardwaresaid by nemo1966:My question would be..... why? Bit Torrent is always dead slow Considering that the majority of people disagree with you, the question you should be asking is what on your end is making it so slow. | |
| | | xbbdc
join:2005-06-30
Hollywood, FL |
xbbdc
Member
2006-Oct-23 1:43 pm
Re: Bit Torrent Hardwarebittorrent has always been slow to me as well when compared to newsgroups and fast irc servers  i hate downloading anything from bittorrent but sometimes its the only place to get things. | |
| | | |  dadkinsCan you do Blu?
MVM
join:2003-09-26
Hercules, CA
1 edit |
Re: Bit Torrent HardwareWith Newsgroups, you still have to factor in the time it takes to convert the binaries to RARs, then the time it takes to un-RAR those files.
PAR files are another item to remember.
Sure, the original download is fast! Time before you can actually use the files downloaded...
Usually, with a BT downloaded file, depending on what format it is, is usable right away.
BT has a wider selection of files available as well.
As for BT via a router... not needed(here at least).
Plus, I like the control of my client... *IF* I wanted, I *CAN* kill upload - completely! Or, throttle to whatever upload speed *I* wish. | |
|
Derfel
join:2004-06-06
Winnipeg, MB |
Derfel
Member
2006-Oct-23 2:43 pm
Too bad...Too bad ISPs like Shaw, etc are throttling their BitTorrent traffic. These ISPs would make these sort of devices useless for any user. | |
|  koitsu
MVM
join:2002-07-16
Mountain View, CA
|
koitsu
MVM
2006-Oct-23 7:32 pm
Not impressed, for an awkward reason.I'm not impressed by this press release. Why? Because numerous consumer router vendors (D-Link, Netgear, Linksys, SMC, and 3Com) have all released products which have unreliable IP stacks and downright absurd firmware bugs in them. If you think I've an axe to grind, spend 15 minutes visiting the forums here -- you'll find major bugs in all of those vendors' consumer products.
The best of the bunch so far is the Linksys WRT54GL, which runs Linux -- sporting an IP stack that is at least guaranteed to be 10x more reliable than something developed off-shores by some Taiwanese company whose name you cannot even pronounce (Tian Shui Hui Zhou, blah blah blah)).
If these vendors cannot even implement IP correctly, nor provide a functional NAT stack, then what makes you think BitTorrent is going to work reliably?
Thus, I'll pass -- consumer routers are too "black-box", and when it comes to BitTorrent, I like to know as many details about the session as I can (which is why I use uTorrent :P). | |
| Grafton
join:2006-08-26
Morgantown, WV |
my thoughtseh the only good i see in this is getting around the nat'd problem which could be done by forwarding ports ( i am too lazy) but the possibility of tracking your downloads not cool. as for the slowness issue, bit-torrent will limit your download if you don't contribute (at the tracker level) simple no upload slow download, i have torrents that max out my connection all the time | |
| | |
twc-sucks
Anon
2006-Oct-24 5:42 pm
Poor? Brahm CohenI wonder if Mr. Cohen is profiting from any of this bittorrent explosion. I have him to thank for hundreds of bootlegs (legal with artists' permission as far as I know). I know he has his own little start-up company, but I wonder if he was smart enough to patent his bittorrent idea. | |
|
| |
|
|
