Ah yes thats the term, I believe (not for downloading) but another MS app Skype uses the same thing when youre talking to someone on a lower bandwith/ADSL connection. I believe it uses the same TCP mechanism of some sort which I havent looked in to.
Re:New phenomenon breaks inbound TCP policing
by jodrellblank on Tuesday June 07, 2016 @12:16AM
(#11852352)
SuperNodes, which Skype used up until Microsoft bought them out (in May 2011) and stopped doing that (in April 2012)?
http://arstechnica.com/business/2012/05/skype-replaces-p2p-s...
Oh I see. I figured they still used them. Skypes Ui sure has suffered sadly.
Re:New phenomenon breaks inbound TCP policing
by riskable on Tuesday June 07, 2016 @10:26AM
(#11854712)
It's not just the UI that suffered. The latency and performance of Skype calls dropped significantly after they switched from P2P to Microsoft Notification Protocol 24 (aka MSN Messenger Protocol)...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Notification_Protoco...
They also introduced serious security problems when they made that change... So instead of Skype messages going from one client directly to another they go through Microsoft's servers (where they are stored and intercepted by TLAs) unencrypted.
They also introduced a new "feature" whereby their systems read everything you write:
http://www.h-online.com/security/news/item/Skype-with-care-M...
I have seen my wife's Windows 10 computer upload crap from time to time and I suspected but could not confirm that it is this. How is this even possible, given that we're behind a NAT? TCP simultaneous open, I suppose?
I've not yet been able to figure out how to block these shenanigans. I really don't appreciate MS/Akamai profiting off of my (rather limited) upload bandwidth.