[LINK] Telstra “Game Optimiser” Snake Oil?

[David Lochrin]

On 2020-09-24 10:41, Hamish Moffatt wrote:

> The optimisation is applied to your own NBN link only hence the requirement for the Telstra Smart Modem. It's to prevent downloads, video streaming etc from killing gaming, VoIP and other applications that needs low latency.
> 
> So you are taking away from other users or applications on your own home network, but not from other Internet users.

Any good modem should allow QoS, at least, to be configured for different interfaces, IP address ranges, and/or ports, but is there any agreement regarding QoS implementation & management in the wider network?

IMO the NBN and service providers should be required to agree a QoS mechanism such as DDIF, with penalties when it's broken.  Otherwise, we'll probably see the usual corporate fiddling of the system, especially where companies have a foot in each camp.  Think banks...

This would have been far easier if NBN had end-to-end responsibility, as per the original NBN design, instead of the current equipment free-for-all.  No wonder state actors can see the possibilities for sabotage.

David Lochrin