Manipulating Powerboost

[inpheaux]

However, RFC 977 (Section 2.1) for NNTP specifically specifies TCP port 119 as the "assigned" destination port. Please reference: http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc977.txt

Lots of protocols have "assigned" ports. However, eluding ISP filtering is not the only reason a server might run on something other than 119. A news host doesn't even need a reason to run things on an alternative port, but some might use it for a legitimate use like route control, like Newshosting does.

All I'm requesting is that we stop the inference of considering this feature to be for the purposes of abuse or intentionally bypassing acceptable usage policies. Additionally, I hope we can accomplish a solution that will make us all happy. 

Except shouldn't we take into consideration whether or not a feature could get us or our users in trouble?

I talked it over with the other devs in IRC earlier, and we're pretty sure we'd be able to build it as a feature as I described it at the top of this page. Legitimate use would be bandwidth rationing for people with ISP-imposed quotas (ex: Pause after downloading 30Gb over the course of this month, automatically unpause at the end of the month) and you guys would be able to abuse it (ex: Pause after downloading 10Mb or 3 seconds have elapsed, unpause immediately).

Shypike said he's going to look into how hard this would be to build.

In the meantime, if you want this feature you should be able to build it with the API right now, since we disconnect on pause. Due to the polling speeds you'd need, you might be better off just pausing and unpausing SABnzbd every 3 seconds, rather than trying to stat the queue and calculating to see if you've downloaded 10 megs or not. If you don't download 10Mb over those 3 seconds, who cares? When you unpause you're going to be right back at 28Mbit.

You'll need to check my math, though. The 3-second calculation is based on instantaneously being able to hit 28Mbit. It might be slightly longer than that in practice. But once you figure out a best-case time limit, just use that.

[Karyudo]

Maybe I'm a huge cynic, but when Shaw (think "Canadian Comcast?") announced their SpeedBoost thing, I figured they were mostly trying to make their numbers look good on places like Speedtest.net. On Speedtest, my 10Mbit connection looks like a 20 Mbit connection.

If Shaw games the system like that, and they're also willing to boost the speed of every web page you open, then I don't feel too guilty about wanting to see if Usenet will run more quickly with periodic forced restarts.

[PiNPOiNT]

I think you are on the right track with the scheduled intermittent disconnects.  The way i understand powerboosting, is that for the first 10 megs you get the boost, then it backs down.  You can see this occur in any speedometer news program such as newsleecher.  However, if you queue up a ton of files which are all under 10 megs, you will see the same thing.  It will not stay at the boosted speed as expected.  Its not on a per file basis, its on a open connection basis.  So dropping the connection and re establishing it, theoretically would work better.  However, my news provider doesnt usually flush out their end of the sytem very quickly and i constantly have times where all my connections get used up if im disconnecting and reconnecting frequently .  It thinks im still logged in.

[hulloha]

I'd like to see this feature added too. I have Cox internet and they've implemented powerboost.

[eagle00789]

a) a majority of sabnzbd features are of little use to a majority of its users, I would imagine
b) not if it's an option
c) I have Comcast and would be willing to test

in the netherlands it is indeed of very limited use, as none of the providers here (and there are quite a few) provide such a feature.
Also just to say it, here in the netherlands, the cable/adsl price ratio is in favor of adsl, thus adsl is much cheaper here in the netherlands

[stereoa]

I also would LOVE this feature. I currently use NZB-o-Matic, but only because I can set up 10 individual connections to giganews and use a macro to cycle through the connections one by one. Connect the disconnected connection and then disconnect the oldest connection. It works, but renders my pc useless, as the mouse is under control of the macro. I am looking through the python source to see if I can hack something. I am kind of  new to sabnzbd (used it temporarily a year ago) First post! 

[manolodf]

I also want to point out that Time Warner Cable (AKA RoadRunner) has this SpeedBoost Feature, so wherever comcast is not available, normally Time Warner Cable is the Internet Provider and that right there covers most of the USA unless people have the option to go with FIOS.  I would love to see SAB use this speedboost to keep the connection at peak speeds.  I have a 10mbps connection, but when I do a speed test since its the boost part, I show 28mbps sometimes.

I would also be willing to test for the developers anything they want to test in regards to the powerboost manipulation. Basically need to do what post above says, but have sabnzbd automatically manage it, maybe an option in prefs with a checkbox and a variable box (Variable box has the MB that your powerboost goes to) so you can check box and then put 10, or 15 or whatever your powerboost lasts.

[stereoa]

I am thinking if it is something like every part you download, start a new connection. I am just chiming in again to say I still would love this feature.

[manolodf]

It would be an incredible feature, as long as every part is sub 10mb or 15mb whatever the boost size is.  It would be easily disabled and would work for every user that has Cable Internet.

[chocobill]

This would be a great feature to have; but I do see how it is somewhat "abusing" the system. I am by no means against it, just that I don't think ISP's intend on powerboost to be used in this way? That being said, I'd love to see this feature implemented

[willpower101]

Bump. i'd like to hear from the dev's what kind of progress is being made on this.

[shypike]

I hate to disappoint you, but it isn't high on our todo list.
We already have a large backlog of other requests that have a larger potential audience.

We do welcome working patches 

[willpower101]

Roger that. Did you guys ever at least write an api hook for force disconnect? Or would I need to use pause?

Also is this project fully open source or just the api?

[shypike]

Roger that. Did you guys ever at least write an api hook for force disconnect? Or would I need to use pause?

Also is this project fully open source or just the api?

1. Pause will disconnect all servers.
I'm not sure you will get proper timing this way.

2. Full open source: GPL2 or GPL3

[stereoa]

Pause would work for me then. It doesn't have to be measured by megabytes tho. Just cut it off after about 20 seconds and create a new connection. I'll look into the API and see the effects.