The advent of BitTorrent was a cause for celebration for people who wished to share large files very quickly, but Internet Service Providers did not see the technology in quite the same positive light. ISPs soon found that the majority of their bandwidth was taken up with BitTorrent traffic, and some, like Canadian provider Shaw, started throttling the service in response. BitTorrent clients such as Azureus added a feature that encrypted torrent traffic to try and get around these ISP roadblocks.

Now, a company called Allot Communications is claiming that their new hardware product, the NetEnforcer, is the first device that will seek out and throttle encrypted BitTorrent traffic. According to a spokesperson for the company, the NetEnforcer utilizes deep packet inspection technology “to identify and analyze hundreds of applications and protocols, track subscriber behavior, prioritize traffic and shape traffic flows.”

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060831-7638.html

WHAT: Previously, companies have been able to detect and manage applications based on the BitTorrent peer-to-peer (P2P) file transfer protocol. However, detecting encrypted BitTorrent has been nearly impossible.

Today, Allot is announcing that its NetEnforcer is the first broadband traffic management device to identify and help manage applications based on the encrypted BitTorrent P2P file transfer protocol.

WHY: Already, BitTorrent applications are consuming an average of 40 - 50 percent of available ISP bandwidth. An increasing percentage of BitTorrent traffic is now encrypted, preventing ISPs from detecting and managing traffic based on this protocol.

Being able to inspect, identify and analyze the encrypted BitTorrent protocol is a significant capability. It helps service providers and enterprises categorize traffic as encrypted BitTorrent traffic for prioritization and traffic shaping rules. It also allows companies to block traffic based on this protocol or limit the amount of bandwidth allotted to encrypted BitTorrent traffic. This management of the protocol supports a company’s ability to guarantee network performance to its subscribers, based on its ability to effectively manage traffic.

HOW: Using deep packet inspection (DPI), Allot NetEnforcer allows service providers and enterprises to have greater visibility into their networks to inspect identify and analyze hundreds of applications and protocols, track subscriber behavior, prioritize traffic and shape traffic flows. The information provided by DPI is critical for providers looking to optimize network speed, content delivery and performance of subscriber services on the network. Advanced reporting also helps providers categorize “unidentified” traffic for increased security from unidentified P2P traffic.

DPI technology provides a comprehensive view of traffic and applications on the network, allowing providers to maintain greater control of quality of service (QoS) on both the subscriber and the application level, and to differentiate themselves in the industry based on tiered service offerings and guaranteed service delivery.

SPOKESPEOPLE: Allot broadband management device developers are available to discuss Allot’s ability to detect and manage encrypted BitTorrent and the potential impact on service optimization/service providers. Please let us know if you would like to speak with someone today.