Im yeolde ADSL.

Had to help my neighbour update his tomtom over the weekend... hes still on Windows 95 and Dialup!!! 22mb over dialup is scary slow, forgot how bad it is

TalkTalk seem to keep throttling my download speeds, last time I was getting a massive 10ksec

Leave talktalk before they introduce PHORM.
Its supposed to be rolling out this month.  All your surfing habits will be fed to a company in china who will serve you with adverts.

Quote from: soopahflyLeave talktalk before they introduce PHORM.
Its supposed to be rolling out this month.  All your surfing habits will be fed to a company in china who will serve you with adverts.

Not the only one, BT andVirgin are going to use it too. I dont use their site much, perhaps once every couple of months, so I dont have any idea of how they could send me adverts.

Its a few topics down.

All your surfing habits go to this company in china, who claim to ignore any string over 3 digits long.  The company has a history of dodgy spyware.  It isnt based on your computer.  PHORM pay the ISP to put their hardware in their datacentres.  All traffic gets passed through this so they can choice pick words and phrases and send you text based ads to your browser.  Like the intellitxt ones some sites use.  Sure, you can probably block the site on your pc, but because its back end ISP stuff its still getting monitored.  Even when you opt out, your data is still passed but you dont see the ads.

Quote1. All your browsing (URLs, content but not https) is routed via Phorms server. Presumably due to bandwidth requirements its physically there in the ISP datacentre (like a wiretap).

2. Phorms server sends a unique cookie to your browser, analyses your web traffic and "categorises" that browser in real-time based on your surfing habits (actually 3x an hour, maybe). It then associates your browser ID with your assigned "category".

3. The OIX database (ad server?) then watches for that cookie ID and injects "relevant" ads into your http data stream based on your current category - either replacing existing ads or even inserting new ones (not entirely clear on this). It may also pass on your cookie ID and category to third parties to that they can do the advertising directly.

So no, forget any swanky DNS tricks or ad blocking. What the ISPs appear to be doing is allowing a trusted (hah!) third party access to all your surfing content. Phorm claim this "cannot be used to identify you because its anonymous and we ignore phone numbers and email addresses and IP addresses". Bo||ox. Just one snapshot of a non-https gmail session is enough to identify anyone...

example.
The anonomisation of IP addresses refers to the intention (yes, intention, not fact) that the ISPs and Phorm will not deliberately produce a dataset that states Serious has been looking at leather underwear websites (as a hypothetical example).

On the automated injection servers, website requests from the IP address associated with your account will be injected with ads for leather underwear and associated items. They will also produce statistics (for future planning) which say things like only 2% of customers look at leather underwear sites, and then only on Friday evening.

This is all perfectly reasonable from a perspective of running and planning the business. See the final paragraph however.

Even if you are on dial-up and get a dynamic IP address, the ISP associates that IP address with your account. Do a DNS lookup on your IP address and youll find something like customer-xyz-townname-region-node.ISP.com. This record is maintained (with time and date stamps) associated with yoru unique account number, so the ISP can provide it to the authorities if they want to track criminal activities.

A mate has cable broadband and his router (on 24/7) has kept an IP lease active and constant for over a year now on the same IP address. It doesnt matter, the ISP knows who has had which IP address at what time and date.

So, your web surfing activities are associated with your account id and the targeted ads are sent to whatever IP address is assigned to you at the time. Which is why your kids may get ads for adult entertainment or sports cars or whatever. Also if the authorities ever make it illegal to be in possession of leather underwear, they will know who to go looking for.


I ask you.  How can it be anonymous and targeted?
BT are hiding it under webwise, saying it cuts down on fraud.  So does any internet security package worth its salt.

Hmmm thats interesting, doesnt really bother me as all I actually go on webwise these days is Tekforums, Band Forums, Guild Forums, WoW and other game site sites

Off to Oz in a week and will be gone for upto a year, once Im back I might have to look into moving anyway as the slowness is driving me nuts (and they keep threatening to cut me off). Shame I cant get cable

Just tested again, and got a similar result, looks promising.

Shame about the limits on torrents though

Quote from: White GiantJust tested again, and got a similar result, looks promising.

Shame about the limits on torrents though

Limits? what are limits?  

*BePro User with not even an FUP*  

Quote from: White GiantJust tested again, and got a similar result, looks promising.

Shame about the limits on torrents though

Open up your ports

Ports are open, everything is configured as it should be. Eclipse throttle torrents, plenty of info out there about them doing it.

Im just glad I can finally download normal things at a reasonable speed.

be unlimited....



but Ive had much better download speeds than that in the past... 2400k isnt a big deal if Im downloading multiple files.... plus i can hit 2000k in bit torrent

Cant get Be where I live

Encrypt your torrent traffic and disallow legacy connections if your ISP uses some funky ellacoya shizzle. Change your ports, Roberts your mothers brother.

Keep meaning to get round to doing this but always forget by the time I get home

Quote from: MaldonadoEncrypt your torrent traffic and disallow legacy connections if your ISP uses some funky ellacoya shizzle. Change your ports, Roberts your mothers brother.

Doesnt help Im afraid.

http://www.azureuswiki.com/index.php/Bad_ISPs#United_Kingdom