The EFF has released a new tool for checking net neutrality

EFF releases ISP-checking tool

'Switzerland' lets users probe for net neutrality

Shaun Nichols in San Francisco

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has released a new software tool to let users keep an eye on their ISPs.

The Switzerland tool probes the user's network connection and checks to see whether or not the service provider has put restrictions on peer-to-peer traffic. Release of the tool marks a rare foray into software development by the EFF, which normally provides legal services.

Advertisement

"Until now there hasn't been a reliable way to tell if somebody – a hacker, an ISP, corporate firewall or the Great Firewall of China – is modifying your internet traffic en route," explained Peter Eckersley, the EFF staff technologist who designed Switzerland.

"Switzerland is designed to make general-purpose ISP testing faster and easier," he said.

The release of the tool comes on the heels of the FCC's ruling that ISPs in the US cannot purposely restrict certain types of traffic. The decision came as the result of a case brought against Comcast for its limits on the amount of bandwidth afforded to traffic for peer-to-peer services.

According to the EFF, however, the task of keeping an eye on the ISPs may still fall to the individual user.

"The sad truth is that the FCC is ill-equipped to detect ISPs interfering with your internet connection," said Fred von Lohmann, the group's senior intellectual property attorney.

"It's up to concerned internet users to investigate possible network neutrality violations and EFF's Switzerland software is designed to help with that effort. Comcast isn't the first, and certainly won't be the last, ISP to meddle surreptitiously with its subscribers' internet communications for its own benefit."

Users can download the Switzerland tool from the EFF's website.

  • Have your say
  • Send to a friend
  • Print
  • Digg
  • Reddit
  • Share

Do you agree?

Related whitepapers

Related jobs

Most watched

Xperia X1

Video Review: Sony Ericsson Xperia X1

First Looks Editor Ian Williams gets hands on with the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1

HTC Hero

Video: HTC Hero launch

Handset maker unveils its latest Android-based smartphone

IT white papers

Search white papers

Top categories

Poll

Poll: Summer smartphones

Poll: Summer smartphones

Which smartphone will you be taking to the beach this summer?

View poll results

Advertisement

Advertisement

Newsletter signup

Sign up for our range of FREE newsletters:

Existing User

Newsletter user login:

Enter email address to edit your newsletter preferences

Job of the week

Search thousands of IT jobs :

Search thousands of IT jobs:

Advanced search

Hiring now on ComputingCareers:

Related IT jobs

Search thousands of IT jobs :

Search thousands of IT jobs:

Advanced search

Spotlight

Twitter

Twitter charges are bad idea, say V3.co.uk readers

Over a third insist the service should remain free for...

great wall of china

Podcast Special: Views from the Valley

The hottest stories from the US, including news of China's...

Mobile phone charger

Top 10 articles, 3 July 09

Free upgrades for Windows 7, and standard mobile phone chargers...

Red Hat

Red Hat beta builds on virtualisation plans

Kernel-based Virtual Machine virtualisation added to latest Enterprise Linux beta

Primary Navigation