Re[2]: Two-way Internet service from Continental Cable?
Dave Nordlund
> Subject: Re: Re[2]: Two-way Internet service from Continental Cable?
> To: NORD...@ccstaff.cc.ukans.edu (Dave Nordlund)
> Date sent: Mon, 4 Apr 1994 10:00:28 -0500 (CDT)
> Copies to: ka...@mcs.com, st...@nsf.gov, com-...@psi.com, 00038...@mcimail.com
> > > >
> > > > >If it's a shared medium, how difficult is it for a moderately capable one
> > > > >of PSI's customers on the cable to listen in on what some other customers
> > > > >are saying? Presumably it's slightly more difficult than hanging a
> > > > >Sniffer on a vampire tap, but I wonder what safety mechanisms PSI has to
> > > > >prevent their customers from wiretapping each other?
> > > >
> > > > Steve, it is soooo simple to turn a PC into an network analyser. I do it
> > > > all the time at work. A number of commercial packages for ~$1K or PD
> > > > packages do it...
> > > >
> > > > Bob
> > > >
> > >
> > > The level of granularity in this case is the segment between backbone links
> > > in the Cable TV plant.
> > >
> > > Knowing how these things are built (I used to work for a company that made
> > > satcom earth station gear and had close contact with these folks) I'd say
> > > that you could tap roughly 100-200 houses in most areas easily - and in
> > > especially high density areas probably more.
> > >
> > Here is a different idea. Every home must have an RF modem to the cable.
> > If the home workstation has an Enet card the Cable box could contain the
> > RF Modem, DCE Enet chips and a simple processor doing normal MAC level
> > briding. That means that you at your work station would ONLY see the
> > packets addressed to you! No snooping! I think this box could be built
> > for under $300 in quantity. The cable company would probably rent it for
> > $15 per month or so.
>
> Now the cable company needs to have different RF channels for each
> subscriber, and different modems, and different distribution amps.
>
> What you gain is more or less guaranteed bandwidth. What you lose is any
> semblance of reasonable cost for the service.
>
NO, NO, NO! A bridge on an Ethernet assumes shared cable in the Enet
side. Same way, the bridge function in the cable box assumes shared
bandwidth on the cable. Each house has to have an "address". The
bridge function will only accept packets to this house address. It's
easy!
> These "500kbps to the house!" schemes are all relatively affordable because
> you're sharing major parts of the infrastructure. If that disappears so
> does any idea of cost sharing, and thus a reasonable pricing structure.
>
> --
> --
> Karl Denninger (ka...@MCS.Net)| MCSNet - Full Internet Connectivity (shell,
> Modem: [+1 312 248-0900] | PPP, SLIP, leased) in Chicago and 'burbs.
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>
Dave Nordlund nord...@ccstaff.cc.ukans.edu
University of Kansas 913/864-0450
Computing Services FAX 913/864-0485
Lawrence, KS 66045
Harry J. Saal
technology) is that each connection is pair-wise encrypted. I recall hearing that
it was DES (or at least "industrial strength").
So "sniffing" would be fruitless.
Take that from the father of the "Sniffer" (R) network analyzer. (And Steve: please
use the correct usage in the future. Network General doesn't wish to lose its
trademark rights to its product brand-name.)
>> From: ka...@mcs.com (Karl Denninger)
>> Subject: Re: Re[2]: Two-way Internet service from Continental Cable?
>> To: 00038...@mcimail.com (Robert G. Moskowitz)
>> Date sent: Fri, 1 Apr 1994 22:06:53 -0600 (CST)
>> Copies to: st...@nsf.gov, com-...@psi.com
>
>> >
>> > S said:
>> >
>> > >If it's a shared medium, how difficult is it for a moderately capable one
>> > >of PSI's customers on the cable to listen in on what some other customers
>> > >are saying? Presumably it's slightly more difficult than hanging a
>> > >Sniffer on a vampire tap, but I wonder what safety mechanisms PSI has to
>> > >prevent their customers from wiretapping each other?
>> >
>> > Steve, it is soooo simple to turn a PC into an network analyser. I do it
>> > all the time at work. A number of commercial packages for ~$1K or PD
>> > packages do it...
>> >
>> > Bob
>> >
>>
>> The level of granularity in this case is the segment between backbone links
>> in the Cable TV plant.
>>
>> Knowing how these things are built (I used to work for a company that made
>> satcom earth station gear and had close contact with these folks) I'd say
>> that you could tap roughly 100-200 houses in most areas easily - and in
>> especially high density areas probably more.
>>
>> --
>> --
>> Karl Denninger (ka...@MCS.COM) | MCSNet - Full Internet Connectivity (shell,