Cant Use P2p On Thai Internet

[triangular]

I'm not sure who my apartment building uses for internet, but they are blocking all common ports used for P2P and I can't figure out how to make it work. Until recently, my high speed (blah) DSL was reasonably ok, up to 15Kb/Sec transfer rates using Limewire, although BitTorrent ports had always been blocked. Now even my Limewire transfers creep at 1-2 Kb/sec half the time, while the other half the time it sits at 0K just trying to connect. I also manage some internet sites, which is increasingly difficult since they have also blocked ports 21, 22 and 23, the ports used for FTP and Telnet access. Of course I PAY for this inability to use any real internet service, at 300 baht per month. Actually since they are leasing me 2 IP addresses, I'm paying 600 baht / month for this inability to use the internet. It angers me they charge so much for this DSL while not letting me actually use it. My transfer rates for unblocked ports are reasonaly fast, but what good is fast DSL if all you can do is surf web pages? I mean seriously, we only need a 56K modem to read forums and chat!

Does anyone have a solution for FTP, Telnet or common P2P ports being blocked? Is there a public proxy somewhere that I could use which would bypass this problem? Or an alternate method for grabbing torrents? Or any other solution? I'm beginning to spend money at internet cafes again even though I'm paying for access in my own room!

Thanks,

Christian

[King Dong]

The simplest solution for P2P would be to us Azureus with packet encryption enabled Think about something along those lines for your other problems.

Edited November 14, 2006 by King Dong

[triangular]

The simplest solution for P2P would be to us Azureus with packet encryption enabled Think about something along those lines for your other problems.

I have tried that application, and others. The problem is the ports that torrent apps use, all common P2P ports are being blocked. I've tried using ports in oddball ranges but it either still doesnt connect or it will connect and then creep so slow that its still unuseable. I think the answer would be to find an outside proxy to use, although they are not illegal they are difficult to find. If there is another solution to this problem I do not know it. Thanks for your efforts. If you know of any other solutions please inform me. This sucks to pay for internet and not be able to use it. Arghh!

[weary]

Do you pay the bill straight to the ISP, or to the apartment building?

If you are paying the apartment building, the blocking/throttling is more likely to be local than ISP-wide. It makes good sense for the apartment owners, profitwise, to be able to charge everybody 600 baht per month for reasonably fast surfing, while themselves paying 1000-2000 baht. This would not be possible if one or more people use p2p apps at uncapped speeds.

It is unfortunate but not unexpected that greedy landlords go this route.

A few years ago when ADSL was not readily available except for at rates starting from 3000-4000 baht per month, many apartment blocks would make good money on people using dialup internet through their phone exchange, where they would get a cut for each time you redialled.

You should ask to have your own phone line installed, if possible, so you can get your own ADSL without a middle man. Not that I think they'll agree. Perhaps it is time to find a new place to live?

Edited November 15, 2006 by weary

[triangular]

Do you pay the bill straight to the ISP, or to the apartment building?

If you are paying the apartment building, the blocking/throttling is more likely to be local than ISP-wide. It makes good sense for the apartment owners, profitwise, to be able to charge everybody 600 baht per month for reasonably fast surfing, while themselves paying 1000-2000 baht. This would not be possible if one or more people use p2p apps at uncapped speeds.

It is unfortunate but not unexpected that greedy landlords go this route.

A few years ago when ADSL was not readily available except for at rates starting from 3000-4000 baht per month, many apartment blocks would make good money on people using dialup internet through their phone exchange, where they would get a cut for each time you redialled.

You should ask to have your own phone line installed, if possible, so you can get your own ADSL without a middle man. Not that I think they'll agree. Perhaps it is time to find a new place to live?

Well...I pay my apartment for the internet service, same as a utility like electric and water. I'm sure the ISP itself is not blocking these ports, but being done through the local router. I don't know how I could even find out who provides the service, or that it would even matter.

My service is 512K ADSL, shared per floor. It shouldn't be that slow, as I doubt there is a computer in ever room per floor, and speed tests report that its reasonably fast most of the time. But I do think its wrong to limit a paid service to what part of the internet I can use and what parts I cant. It seems they only want me to look at web pages. So I guess just FORGET the fact that I NEED ftp and telnet access for my business! And if I want to use P2P, hel_l its not illegal. Honestly, who needs broadband to look at web pages only?

I already do have phone service in my room, but I never use the phone because they will charge me unreasonable rates for useage, same as you would expect in a hotel. I had not thought about subscribing to an ISP directly, and I guess I probably could, but my phone bill would be so high, and I certainly wouldn't have a permanent connection that way.

Proving my theory about the proxy, I have located a temporary proxy solution which improves the situation occassionally, but public proxys are more prone to up and down traffic useage than the shared DSL itself, so it only works sometimes, and at best its only half as fast as my DSL connection itself. Public proxys also go up and down all the time, so its always temporary at best.

Ironically, when I try to connect to IRC, most IRC networks do not even allow me to connect, as they report that my own "legitimate" proxy (that the apartment unit router is using) is "known to be a source of spam" and my IP is immediately K-lined and banned from most IRC networks I connect to. Can you believe that? So my unit blocks P2P, shell and telnet access, while allowing someone to use the network for spamming methods. Unbelievable! For this they charge me 600 baht per month for 2 IP addresses on a lease. Unless I move, I'm stuck with this. I've never heard of such a baba-bobo situation.

[lordsux]

A long shot, but have you ever checked to see if there are any wireless connections available where you live? If you are lucky there might even be an unsecured connection available. (connect at your own risk)

It sounds like your landlord is shafting you, shared 512k @ 300 a month is extortion especially as you can only use the connection the in way that you say.

[triangular]

A long shot, but have you ever checked to see if there are any wireless connections available where you live? If you are lucky there might even be an unsecured connection available. (connect at your own risk)

It sounds like your landlord is shafting you, shared 512k @ 300 a month is extortion especially as you can only use the connection the in way that you say.

Thanks for the suggestion. There is occassionally an unsecured hot-spot that appears, although the connection signal is very weak and doesn't appear to offer any real connectivity. I search for free wireless all over the place, but unfortunately none exist (or at least not reliably) anywhere near my apartment unit. Yep, being shafted alright!

[lingyai]

A long shot, but have you ever checked to see if there are any wireless connections available where you live? If you are lucky there might even be an unsecured connection available. (connect at your own risk)

It sounds like your landlord is shafting you, shared 512k @ 300 a month is extortion especially as you can only use the connection the in way that you say.

Actually it is not. 300 is baht is a good price if you are not on a year contract.

There OP is paying 600 a month, then I sugget he look in to getting a direct line installed and pay monthly to a provider like True. Of course they will require a year contract (or you have to pay 2,000 baht fee to cancel before a year). The cost would be around 700 baht for 256k but you are not sharing it. Around 900 for 512k. Buddy broad band is cheaper but I am not sure about the p2p situation. True works for these services.

[triangular]

Actually it is not. 300 is baht is a good price if you are not on a year contract.

There OP is paying 600 a month, then I sugget he look in to getting a direct line installed and pay monthly to a provider like True. Of course they will require a year contract (or you have to pay 2,000 baht fee to cancel before a year). The cost would be around 700 baht for 256k but you are not sharing it. Around 900 for 512k. Buddy broad band is cheaper but I am not sure about the p2p situation. True works for these services.

Thanks for that info. I will keep it in mind. Still my situation is that if I use the phone in my room, I will get unreasonable surcharges for the land-line use. I don't know a way around this, as it seems to be the case in ever apartment available, only slightly better charges than you'd expect from a hotel. In fact most apartment and hotel phones will disconnect automatically after 10 or 15 minutes. I have no idea why they do this, but its a common program in most units.

I have looked for an apartment building which would allow me to subscribe to my own service in some way, but have never found that option. I don't know how I could do that but it would be the definitive answer. Thus, if I were to move, I'd have to rent a house in order to find a real solution.