White Paper

Deep Packet Inspection – Technology, Applications & Net Neutrality

Deep packet inspection has been subject to controversial debates about network neutrality and online privacy for the last few years. In this white paper we will argue that DPI as such is a neutral, neither good nor bad technology, and that it depends on the application that utilizes DPI how it will affect the Internet and our society. This paper will focus on Internet bandwidth management based on DPI. Interestingly, the technology has been around in other applications such as firewalls and virus scanners for much longer without sparking similar controversy. After a simple technical explanation of what DPI is – and what it is not –, we will straighten some myths and untruths. Future discussions, particularly in the area of bandwidth management, should not focus on DPI as a technology, but on its specific applications. To facilitate these discussions, we will propose a simple system of categories that classify different Internet traffic management schemes according to their impact on net neutrality, market competition and online privacy.

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Copyright Protection in the Internet

During the last years, file sharing of copyright-protected material, particularly in peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, has been a serious threat to the established business models of the content industry. There have been numerous discussions about possible countermeasures, some of which have already been implemented. This white paper aims to provide an as objective as possible assessment of the countermeasures for P2P from the perspective of a network device vendor with particular experience with Internet traffic management solutions.

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Bandwidth Management Solutions for Network Operators

Bandwidth management using deep packet inspection (DPI) is a relatively new field for network operators. This white paper uses a challenge-solution approach to explain how this technology can help to solve many of the issues that arise from growing user numbers generating ever more traffic with a large variety of new applications. The challenges are illustrated with real-world numbers taken from ipoque's Internet Study 2007. A selection of possible solutions helps network operators to pick the most appropriate ones based on their specific requirements.

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