This may not sound amusing, but shouldn't every torrent downloader block RST packets? Maybe they can't, because M$ doesn't have that option!

If everybody could block RST packets from comcast's network, than, combined with the downloaders themselves blocking RST packets, we could defeat Comcast! But wait.. what about windows not giving that option? <-- THIS IS THE PROBLEM!

All Linux users who use Azureus or KTorrent have to do is run an iptables command and the remote side run the same IPTables command, and their connections go unforged. However, if one was running Windows, then the Windows machine would be stuck receiving those RST packets without any way to firewall them.

> iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --tcp-flags RST RST -j DROP

Another thing, OS Developers can combat these corporations! There should be a way to authenticate RST packets so that Comcast, Charter, etc. cant forge them.

To defeat Comcast:
1. Use Linux (for iptables)
2. Trackers and Seeds+Downloaders alike, run
$ iptables -A INPUT -s <whatever network is being attacked> -p tcp --tcp-flags RST RST -j DROP
3. Comfigure the rest as usual
4. Use ports other than 6969 (as comcast could block that outgoing port, or worse, transparently proxy it)
5. Thats it for now!

TORRENT OPERATORS: PLEASE BLOCK THESE HACK PACKETS, THEY ARE DOS ATTACKS, INITIATED BY ISPs!!

Also, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE use encryption.

Can tracker connections be encrypted? I am also talking ISPs that block trackers with RST.

so, using encryption is an option, and it helps, but trackers can:

1. Encrypt with SSL
2. Block RST packets
3. Use ports uncommon to trackers/HTTP(S)

I don't think so, but after the initial contact with the tracker, pretty much all the traffic is between the peers. That's the main thing that needs to be encrypted. Another way to deal with it and send a message to Comcast is to just block their entire IP range. You may suffer a bit of a performance hit, but you may get that anyway from Comcast peers.

blocking comcast IP range is not going to help those who are using comcast as their ISP.

the encryption, and using the newest vs of bittorent and or utorrent will help as the makers of bittorent has created an encryption that can bypass Comcast and other ISPs (ATT for one) that is blocking torrent traffic with RTS

Well, I believe that RST packets from comcast should be considered a DoS attack on their customers and (because of the RST outbound) other ISP networks. This must be illegal, if ISPs can use DoS, then we can too. What I am saying is Comcast is coing illegal stuff. However, the sandvine can be blocked using firewalls on both sides of the vine.

By the way, if you are downloading torrents, using linux, please run the iptables tcp flags match command above. I am having a performance hit from the RST packets, and want (C)om(c)ast to be defeated. The only way is to firewall RST packets until OS developers incorporate a non-standard RST auth system. Hopefully an RFC will make it standard, and if not, it will have to be a Linux, BSD, and ReactOS extension.

Another ISP that I have had was Qwest, which blocked Linux totally via UA strings, so at least Comcast will let Linux users use their service. (Qwest == MSN)