MC> Date: Sat, 29 May 2004 14:26:01 -0400 MC> From: Matthew Crocker MC> The PSTN does guarantee a certain service level, latency, MC> call completion etc. As do many Internet providers. (s/call completion/packet loss/) MC> Latency & Jitter are very important when dealing with sound & MC> video. Or anything realtime for that matter. The Internet MC> isn't just HTTP, NNTP, SMTP any more. Nitpicking: Latency isn't that important with unidirectional communication. However, VoIP users seem reasonably happy with current latency and jitter -- and the Internet still is _largely_ xxTP, anyway... particularly if one ignores peer-to-peer file- swapping programs. MC> I remember quite a bit of packet loss when the last series of MC> worms hit As do I, but I consider that an exception, not part of standard operation. Admittedly, that may well be an error on my part, considering the increasing popularity of worms and viruses. The PSTN doesn't have botnets of "pwned" phones making prank calls. (Further note that MAE FDDI congestion was more frequent than the current malware field days.) However, I see this as a problem of securing machines, not one of best effort delivery. Choke trunks are used to prevent radio call-ins from overloading the PSTN. Perhaps throttling bandwidth using a slow-moving exponential decay, over a long averaging period, is a good idea. One could allow short bursts of line-rate traffic. End-user duty cycles are low. This is what facilitates current levels of statmuxing, and why packet loss skyrockets when many systems try to operate at line rate for extended durations. Eddy -- EverQuick Internet - http://www.everquick.net/ A division of Brotsman & Dreger, Inc. - http://www.brotsman.com/ Bandwidth, consulting, e-commerce, hosting, and network building Phone: +1 785 865 5885 Lawrence and [inter]national Phone: +1 316 794 8922 Wichita _________________________________________________________________ DO NOT send mail to the following addresses : blacklist@brics.com -or- alfra@intc.net -or- curbjmp@intc.net Sending mail to spambait addresses is a great way to get blocked.