Neighbor's internet/router won't allow torrent downloads?

[roderick]

So me and my mates moved to a new place and we pick up our neighbors wireless signal and have a full connection. However, when I try to download a torrent no data is ever downloaded, it just sits there at zero. I understand that you can block the p2p ports in your router but why would you do that and leave the router without a password? Since then we've gotten our own connection and torrents are downloading fine but I was just curious as to how the torrents might be blocked on the other router? Anyone know?

[mjmacky]

Well since they left it wide open, there's probably a very easy way to check. However, I won't share it (though it's rather obvious). Not only is your neighbor a careless idiot, you probably match their level in terms of respect due.

If you want to hijack your neighbor's bandwidth to download torrents, keep it to yourself. Being a dick is one thing, but a dick uninformed is a dick I don't want to hear from.

[TONiC]

yeh brap respesct your neighbour?

[Mektub]

How about talking to your neighbors

[roderick]

It's just a question. I am curious about how an internet connection can block the download of torrents.
Also, the router login page is password protected (not the default "admin") but the actual router ssid
broadcast has no password. I mentioned that we have our own connection now so get over it.

[shipwreck]

It's called traffic shaping / blocking. Bittorrent traffic or any other kind of bulk traffic can be shaped or even completely blocked with the right router / firewall. Some ISPs use traffic shaping to slow down P2P traffic, too.

There are some very knowledgeable 'idealists' out there who open their WLAN on purpose for outsiders. It's not far fetched to assume that while doing this, they also implement some restrictions to prevent abuse (and being held accountable for it).

[anon]

It's called traffic shaping / blocking. Bittorrent traffic or any other kind of bulk traffic can be shaped or even completely blocked with the right router / firewall. Some ISPs use traffic shaping to slow down P2P traffic, too.

This. Since handshake connections in the BitTorrent protocol follow a particular pattern (they begin with byte 0x19 plus, logically enough, "BitTorrent protocol"), it is pretty easy to detect and shape or block.

If they're opening the hotspot in purpose, it does make sense to block traffic that would slow things down for everyone and possibly get them into trouble if "you" get caught pirating.

[megabyteme]

Using large amounts of neighbors' bandwidth is a taboo for this community. I was actually surprised (and later relented) when I started a similar thread regarding a proposed plan I had been pondering regarding some antennas, amplifiers, and a load balancing switch (I was looking to use several open connections as my house has the vantage point over the city).

The end result was that people (including several of my respected friends) spoke out against my plan, and some were actually quite disgusted with the moral line I considered crossing.

My point (and lesson learned), is that such high-bandwidth, dubious use with other peoples' connection is a quick way to lose respect around here. The technologies are not so difficult to learn, but there are areas that the vast majority of this community find unacceptable. You found one here.

[roderick]

So it's ok to steal software and movies just not someone else's internet connection. Got it, thanks.

[anon]

I don't see anything wrong with using someone else's Wi-Fi as long as you don't do anything stupid. Personally, I'd gladly share my connection if there weren't any abusers (and I had a wireless router).