The Great Firewall of China

Two steps forward, one step back...
At least China's citizens now have access to the Internet, just not the entire Internet. Any website, message, or packet that contain as little as one word from a list of black-listed terms (compiled by the PRC's Ministry of Public Security) will not be fully processed. Instead, the packets are reset and not allowed to continue to the next router. The user is usually left with a "broken link" message. This is cleverly dubbed the Great Firewall of China, but how fool-proof is it? Read Jacqui Cheng's article "Great Firewall of China more like chain-link fence", which discusses the new research from UC Davis and University of New Mexico CS Departments.

You can't help but root for the Chinese citizens. It's the classic Man vs. Establishment conflict but with a digital twist. The Internet is truly a force to be reckoned with. Not even a communist government can cage the global beast that is the Internet.

Nuking Ramen Noodles in the Digital Age

Key features of Microsoft's Kitchen of the Future:

• Family Information console, replacing the cluttered fridge door, synchronizes with personal devices to display schedules, contact lists, memo's, chores list, weather forecasts, e-mail alerts, etc.
• Hands Free telephoning with caller ID and voice-dialing/answering. Sync'ed with contact lists.
• Phone sends directions, recipes, and other information to the caller, all by voice commands.
• Microwave's UPC scanner collects "cooking time" information from each food product (Ramen noodles made easy...easier) and also updates its own database after every use.
• Microwave alerts the user, wherever in the house, that microwaving is done.
• Microwave updates the user's "inventory" (a pantry or cupboard for the layperson) after every consumption.
• Kitchen computer constructs feesible recipes based on ingredient availability.

...Very Jetson's-esque.

List of ISP's

Tier 1 ISP's:
-AT&T
-Global Crossing
-SAVVIS
-AOL Transit Data Network
-Level 3

Tier 2 ISP's:
-Cogent Communications (buys from Verio)
-Tiscali International (buys from Sprint)
-Telecom Italia Sparkle (Buys from Verizon Business and Sprint)

Tier 3 ISP's:
-
-WideWorld.net

Traceroute from the Netherland's UUnet NL

traceroute to mead.csdomain.millersville.edu (166.66.64.41): 1-30 hops, 38 byte packets
1  vlan10.ge-0-2-0.ams9eusoesr1.ams.ops.eu.uu.net (195.129.70.2)  0.817 ms (ttl=254!)  0.389 ms (ttl=254!)  0.366 ms (ttl=254!)
2  ge-1-1-0.GW7.AMS9.ALTER.NET (212.136.185.117)  0.448 ms (ttl=253!)  0.401 ms (ttl=253!)  0.381 ms (ttl=253!)
3  so-2-0-0.CR2.AMS9.ALTER.NET (212.136.185.109)  0.436 ms (ttl=252!)  0.484 ms (ttl=252!)  0.413 ms (ttl=252!)
4  so-4-0-0.XR2.AMS6.ALTER.NET (212.136.176.54)  0.505 ms (ttl=251!)  0.482 ms (ttl=251!)  0.588 ms (ttl=251!)
5  so-3-0-0.TL2.AMS2.ALTER.NET (146.188.8.90)  0.498 ms (ttl=250!)  0.498 ms (ttl=250!)  0.466 ms (ttl=250!)
6  so-4-0-0.IR1.DCA4.ALTER.NET (146.188.5.197)  82.2 ms (ttl=249!)  82.2 ms (ttl=249!)  82.2 ms (ttl=249!)
7  0.so-1-0-0.IL1.DCA6.ALTER.NET (146.188.13.37)  82.2 ms (ttl=248!)  82.2 ms (ttl=248!)  82.2 ms (ttl=248!)
8  0.so-1-2-0.XL1.PHL1.ALTER.NET (152.63.38.214)  84.7 ms (ttl=247!)  84.7 ms (ttl=247!)  84.7 ms (ttl=247!)
9  POS6-0.GW7.PHL1.ALTER.NET (152.63.39.121)  84.7 ms  84.5 ms  84.6 ms
10  internapPHL1-gw.customer.alter.net (157.130.59.246)  84.6 ms (ttl=243!)  84.7 ms (ttl=243!)  84.6 ms (ttl=243!)
11  border6.ge3-0-bbnet2.phi.pnap.net (216.52.64.74)  84.6 ms (ttl=243!)  border6.ge2-0-bbnet1.phi.pnap.net (216.52.64.10)  84.4 ms (ttl=243!)  border6.ge3-0-bbnet2.phi.pnap.net (216.52.64.74)  84.8 ms (ttl=243!)
12  compen-4.border3.phi.pnap.net (216.52.66.234)  85.6 ms (ttl=241!)  compen-3.border6.phi.pnap.net (216.52.66.42)  85.8 ms (ttl=241!)  compen-4.border3.phi.pnap.net (216.52.66.234)  85.7 ms (ttl=241!)
13  *  *  *
14  fgt-external.net.millersville.edu (192.206.29.254)  91.6 ms (ttl=240!)  90.3 ms (ttl=240!)  90.3 ms (ttl=240!)
15  166.66.251.23 (166.66.251.23)  90.9 ms (ttl=239!)  91.3 ms (ttl=239!)  91.7 ms (ttl=239!)
16  mead.csdomain.millersville.edu (166.66.64.41)  94.0 ms (ttl=111!)  92.3 ms (ttl=111!)  90.4 ms (ttl=111!)

Traceroute from San Diego Super Computer Center

traceroute: Warning: Multiple interfaces found; using 132.249.21.59 @ bge0:1
traceroute to 166.66.64.41 (166.66.64.41), 30 hops max, 40 byte packets
1  lightning.sdsc.edu (132.249.20.6)  0.470 ms  0.361 ms  0.355 ms
2  dolphin.sdsc.edu (132.249.30.17)  0.344 ms  0.839 ms  0.361 ms
3  hpr-lax-hpr--sdsc-10ge.cenic.net (137.164.27.168)  6.598 ms  6.859 ms  6.609 ms
4  abilene-LA--hpr-lax-gsr1-10ge.cenic.net (137.164.25.3)  6.604 ms  6.559 ms  6.574 ms
5  hstnng-losang.abilene.ucaid.edu (198.32.8.22)  38.078 ms  38.275 ms  38.129 ms
6  atlang-hstnng.abilene.ucaid.edu (198.32.8.34)  59.666 ms  59.629 ms  59.751 ms
7  ge-0-1-0.10.nycmng.abilene.ucaid.edu (64.57.28.7)  73.037 ms  83.046 ms  72.993 ms
8  204.238.76.5 (204.238.76.5)  77.970 ms  78.731 ms  78.617 ms
9  204.238.76.14 (204.238.76.14)  80.349 ms  80.693 ms  80.606 ms
10  172.27.52.1 (172.27.52.1)  85.587 ms  86.955 ms  91.200 ms
11  fgt-external.net.millersville.edu (192.206.29.254)  87.217 ms  87.840 ms  93.772 ms
12  166.66.251.23 (166.66.251.23)  87.457 ms  88.575 ms  86.958 ms
13  mead.csdomain.millersville.edu (166.66.64.41)  85.145 ms  106.335 ms  84.910 ms

Traceroute from Croatian Academic and Research Network

1 gw1.infra.CARNet.hr (161.53.160.253) 0.497 ms 0.422 ms 0.364 ms
2 gw.CARNet-SRCE-1.CARNet.hr (161.53.10.237) 0.454 ms 0.427 ms 0.411 ms
3 CN-Srce-01-RO.zg.core.CARNet.hr (193.198.228.5) 0.396 ms 0.365 ms 0.424 ms
4 carnet.rt1.vie.at.geant2.net (62.40.124.9) 9.169 ms 9.186 ms 9.252 ms
5 so-7-0-0.rt1.pra.cz.geant2.net (62.40.112.6) 15.893 ms 15.911 ms 15.854 ms
6 so-6-3-0.rt1.fra.de.geant2.net (62.40.112.38) 23.665 ms 23.651 ms 23.683 ms
7 abilene-wash-gw.rt1.fra.de.geant2.net (62.40.125.18) 116.300 ms 125.758 ms 116.500 ms
8 204.238.76.5 (204.238.76.5) 122.055 ms 122.546 ms 122.047 ms
9 204.238.76.14 (204.238.76.14) 130.812 ms 126.908 ms 127.076 ms
10 * * *
11 fgt-external.net.millersville.edu (192.206.29.254) 129.587 ms 128.737 ms 129.273 ms
12 166.66.251.23 (166.66.251.23) 129.989 ms 131.744 ms 132.464 ms
13 mead.csdomain.millersville.edu (166.66.64.41) 131.130 ms 133.512 ms 128.718 ms

Traceroute from Indonesia's Institut Teknologi Bandung

traceroute to 166.66.64.41 (166.66.64.41), 30 hops max, 40 byte packets
1  catalyst-backbone-piksi.itb.ac.id (167.205.30.225)  0.736 ms  0.542 ms  0.520 ms
2  PAU-Cat6-GEC-2.ITB.ac.id (167.205.62.5)  0.595 ms  0.362 ms  0.400 ms
3  PAU-Cat6-FE4-1.ITB.ac.id (167.205.23.2)  0.855 ms  0.617 ms  0.649 ms
4  itb-tein2.id.pr-v4.noc.tein2.net (202.179.251.65)  0.737 ms  0.811 ms  0.889 ms
5  sg-t3-02.bb-v4.noc.tein2.net (202.179.249.37)  22.466 ms  21.269 ms  20.985 ms
6  sg.pr-v4.noc.tein2.net (202.179.249.22)  112.047 ms  114.552 ms  111.480 ms
7  tpr4-10gi0-0-0-280.jp.apan.net (203.181.248.138)  129.797 ms  131.991 ms  131.366 ms
8  tpr5-ge0-0-0-6.jp.apan.net (203.181.249.100)  114.015 ms  112.829 ms  111.627 ms
9  losa-tokyo-tp2.transpac2.net (192.203.116.145)  225.306 ms  226.801 ms  228.803 ms
10  abilene-1-lo-jmb-702.lsanca.pacificwave.net (207.231.240.131)  229.862 ms  229.203 ms  229.379 ms
11  hstnng-losang.abilene.ucaid.edu (198.32.8.22)  259.206 ms  256.589 ms  272.521 ms
12  atlang-hstnng.abilene.ucaid.edu (198.32.8.34)  279.033 ms  278.365 ms  282.255 ms
13  ge-0-1-0.10.nycmng.abilene.ucaid.edu (64.57.28.7)  296.171 ms  292.872 ms  293.874 ms
14  204.238.76.5 (204.238.76.5)  299.938 ms  298.096 ms  301.503 ms
15  204.238.76.14 (204.238.76.14)  309.439 ms  311.737 ms  308.744 ms
16  172.27.52.1 (172.27.52.1)  318.405 ms  307.600 ms  307.264 ms
17  fgt-external.net.millersville.edu (192.206.29.254)  315.639 ms  323.191 ms  320.775 ms
18  166.66.251.23 (166.66.251.23)  321.273 ms  328.725 ms  334.602 ms
19  mead.csdomain.millersville.edu (166.66.64.41)  329.638 ms  320.640 ms  309.132 ms

Traceroute from Faroese Telecom

traceroute to 166.66.64.41 (166.66.64.41), 30 hops max, 38 byte packets
1  212.55.32.7 (212.55.32.7)  0.663 ms  0.424 ms  0.409 ms
2  212.55.63.105 (212.55.63.105)  0.602 ms  0.339 ms  0.328 ms
3  212.55.63.85 (212.55.63.85)  104.085 ms  1.082 ms  197.300 ms
4  212.55.63.73 (212.55.63.73)  0.439 ms  0.352 ms  0.362 ms
5  212.55.63.65 (212.55.63.65)  0.614 ms  0.588 ms  0.557 ms
6  pos2-0.155M.ldn2nxi2.ip.tele.dk (195.215.170.85)  29.886 ms  29.779 ms  29.723 ms
7  pos5-0.2488M.ldn2nxg2.ip.tele.dk (83.88.24.74)  30.124 ms  30.131 ms  29.909 ms
8  pos4-0.2488M.ffm2nxg1.ip.tele.dk (83.88.21.109)  47.004 ms  46.693 ms  46.675 ms
9  so-1-3-0.2488M.kd4nxu1.ip.tele.dk (83.88.27.241)  55.831 ms  70.411 ms  54.681 ms
10  pos5-0.2488M.nyk2nxg1.ip.tele.dk (83.88.25.102)  151.922 ms  151.734 ms  151.791 ms
11  pos3-0.2488M.nyk2nxg2.ip.tele.dk (83.88.12.142)  151.767 ms  151.763 ms  151.594 ms
12  sl-gw37-nyc-14-0.sprintlink.net (160.81.182.197)  152.262 ms  151.624 ms  151.905 ms
13  sl-bb21-nyc-4-0.sprintlink.net (144.232.13.65)  152.332 ms  152.667 ms  152.064 ms
14  sl-bb26-pen-4-0-0.sprintlink.net (144.232.20.142)  156.002 ms  156.054 ms  155.853 ms
15  sl-st1-phi-1-1.sprintlink.net (144.232.16.107)  163.685 ms  156.185 ms  156.336 ms
16  208.35.161.30 (208.35.161.30)  135.359 ms  134.997 ms  134.827 ms
17  border6.ge3-0-bbnet2.phi.pnap.net (216.52.64.74)  134.959 ms  134.838 ms  134.823 ms
18  compen-3.border6.phi.pnap.net (216.52.66.42)  138.087 ms  136.267 ms  136.360 ms
19  * * *
20  fgt-external.net.millersville.edu (192.206.29.254)  140.862 ms  143.369 ms  141.893 ms
21  166.66.251.23 (166.66.251.23)  141.651 ms  143.220 ms  141.822 ms
22  mead.csdomain.millersville.edu (166.66.64.41)  141.351 ms  141.660 ms  142.869 ms

Traceroute from National Technical University of Athens (www.ntua.gr)

 1  warp-srv (147.102.222.200)  0.390 ms  0.314 ms  0.216 ms
2  backboneRouter.ntua.ilissos.athensMAN.grnet.gr (195.251.24.70)  0.682 ms  1.020 ms  1.190 ms
3  athens3-to-ilissos1.backbone.grnet.gr (195.251.27.117)  1.455 ms  1.454 ms  1.575 ms
4  grnet.rt1.ath.gr.geant2.net (62.40.124.89)  2.184 ms  1.962 ms  1.716 ms
5  62.40.112.174 (62.40.112.174)  32.334 ms  32.712 ms  86.384 ms
6  so-6-3-0.rt1.gen.ch.geant2.net (62.40.112.33)  39.531 ms  39.438 ms  39.181 ms
7  so-7-2-0.rt1.fra.de.geant2.net (62.40.112.22)  47.818 ms  52.184 ms  48.817 ms
8  abilene-wash-gw.rt1.fra.de.geant2.net (62.40.125.18)  140.506 ms  140.974 ms  150.586 ms
9  204.238.76.5 (204.238.76.5)  145.740 ms  145.432 ms  146.424 ms
10  204.238.76.14 (204.238.76.14)  147.540 ms  146.657 ms  146.853 ms
11  * * *
12  fgt-external.net.millersville.edu (192.206.29.254)  181.373 ms  153.133 ms  154.228 ms
13  166.66.251.23 (166.66.251.23)  157.677 ms  164.643 ms  166.030 ms
14  mead.csdomain.millersville.edu (166.66.64.41)  159.026 ms  152.320 ms  153.067 ms

An Anecdote on Pirating Music

I was a student at the University of Delaware, and like any student, I wanted to boast the most extensive media library of MP3s and movies. I downloaded Kazaa and let it run all day, with a queue of hundreds of media files. After a couple weeks, I couldn't connect to Kazaa, let alone the Internet, from my dorm. My network connection was disabled...

I was outraged. After all, for every second that passed, I could have been downloading another few megabits of the Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. I called the IT department only to find out that they disabled my account as per a certain motion picture group...Not because I downloaded copyrighted files but because I was uploading copyrighted files to thousands of other users. Kazaa apparently, by default, allows unlimited users to download off of a node computer. UDel also stuck me with a fine -- err -- a mandatory "computer cleaning fee" of $90.

To this day, I can honestly say that I no longer upload copyrighted files to other users.

Lesson learned!

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