Re: [Micronet] effect of music sharing on shared 10Mb network

Just one correction, it's not a 10Mbps pipe, in practice it's more like
5-6Mbps.

So in deference to Mr. Hunter, who actually is the authority on traffic
flow around here, it's a problem. How great of one?

Well, what else do you want to use the network for?

YMMV.

-J

John D. MacDonald wrote:
> I certainly won't speak of any larger policy issues about mp3 storage
> on campus owned machines, but to the original question...
>
> some simple math...128kbps streams with say 10% packet overhead gives
> about 140kbps, which goes about 73 times into a 10mb pipe. Now, the
> scale and scope of the effect will depend on both the number of users
> streaming, and the network infrastructure itself. If you've got 48
> people on a 10mb hub (single collision domain), yeah, you've got
> problems, but the same 48 users on 48 10mb switch ports...almost no
> problem.
>
> And as for the legality or policy issues (RIAA and such) of this
> sharing, there is no issue. Apple negotiated with the recording
> companies and RIAA to ensure that the "sharing" feature of iTunes was
> 'kosher' with all. If anyone remembers, the first version allowed you
> to share (stream, not distribute files) to your closest 6.49 billion
> friends over the internet. The record companies exerted a little
> pressure, and the iTunes sharing was changed to allow only local
> network sharing. So, you can be pretty sure that the RIAA won't be
> knocking down your door for using iTunes sharing, whether at home, or
> on campus.
>
> That said, the individual user that downloads 10,000 mp3s from kazaa,
> emule, whatever, onto a campus machine and shares them exclusively
> through iTunes isn't immune to RIAA (or UC) smackdown, since the
> files are still illegal.
>
> Hope this helps the original poster...
> John
>
> Jay Bryon wrote:
>> Well, the answer is: it depends.
>>
>> How many folks are generating how many streams, to start with, each
>> stream being, say 128Kbps or so.... Incomputable due to excessive
>> imponderables. Or, I'm too lazy to go do the math.
>> Especially since it's not the real question/answer anyway. Which
>> 10Mbit network? Some are only lightly used and won't notice, others
>> are practically vomiting bits out of every port and are screaming for
>> a upgrade (and you thought it was fan whine).
>> My educated/experienced guess is that it's not crippling, but it's
>> not trivial either. If there are throughput issues, i.e. "slow
>> network" complaints, I'd advise those who are sharing music, and or
>> listening to Internet radio feeds to knock it off until the network
>> can be upgraded.
>> As a policy issue, I think it's still "incidental use" for those
>> sharing music locally, but the Internet radio stuff from off campus
>> is another question, since it's costing the campus money when they do
>> that, another little known fact that folks should be aware of.
>> This will hopefully be less of an issue as time goes on, and a sound
>> file becomes "small" in the larger scheme of things.
>> gleno wrote:
>>> What is the performance impact on a shared 10 Mbit network of people
>>> sharing their itunes music libraries? Are there policy issues?
>>> thanks
>>
>

-- 
-Jay Bryon
Senior Network Engineer, CNS
U.C. Berkeley
jay@berkeley.edu
2-5636
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following was automatically added to this message by the list server:
For information about MAGNet, its meetings and events, and its
mailing list, including information on subscribing and unsubscribing,
see the MAGNet Web site at <http://magnet.berkeley.edu/>.