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Application Layer Packet Shaping on Linux

Posted by michael on from the bofh-made-easy dept.

sommere writes "We have added application layer (layer-7) filtering to Linux. That means that you can set up your linux-router/linux-switch to prioritize mail over the web over kazaa or gnutella regardless of what port each program is using. Colleges have been paying thousands of dollars for packet shapers to prioritize their networks, now you can do it for free. Get your kernel patch at l7-filter.sourceforge.net."

5 of 353 comments (clear)

  1. Re:This will be nice by mrjive · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Well to be fair, you probably wouldn't consider doing something like this for high-volume deployment (ie corporate/enterprise level). Chances are, they already have some kind of Cisco or other big box in place anyways.

    However, for SOHO applications, this could save people thousands of dollars (especially small-to-medium businesses).

    --
    If you can't beat them, arrange to have them beaten. -George Carlin
  2. New type of linux distro? (again) by Lord+Kholdan · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Why isn't anyone trying to make a home-server linux distro? "just put the cd in and wait, in half a hour you will have a printer-sharing, file-sharing server that will greatly enhance your internet experience! Now you and your family can download, surf and game without any problems in the bandwidth!" If Linux is going to break into home of joe average that might very well be the way. As a black box that does wonders for you. No learning, no configuring, just advantages.

  3. Shape Spoofer, read on by appleLaserWriter · · Score: 5, Interesting

    This packet shaping software must be watching for embedded packet headers within the stream.

    Suppose you have a Kazaa packet that is tunneling through HTTP. The shaper notes the HTTP header and passes the data according to HTTP rules until the embedded Kazaa packet is found. Now the shaper switches to Kazaa mode and shaping changes accordingly.

    Now, if you want to defeat the shaper, tar and compress your kazaa files, then uuencode them and embed them inside html files. To the packet shaper, it looks like you are transfering some very large web pages. Alternately, drop your uuencoded text into mail messages, instant messages, etc.

  4. Wondershaper by Otik2 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Does anyone else use Wondershaper? It works very well for my cable modem and is extremely easy to set up and use. Any comments on how it compares to this one?

  5. I feel safe using this patch! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    +/* XXX Is it ok to do nothing here? This gets called each time a filter
    +is added (not sure why). */

    This ain't touching my kernel...