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Facebook Engineering Tool Mimics Dodgy Network Connectivity

Posted by Soulskill on from the open-source-tools-for-pranks dept.

itwbennett writes: Facebook has released an open source application called Augmented Traffic Control that can simulate the connectivity of a cell phone accessing an app over a 2G, Edge, 3G, or LTE network. It can also simulate weak and erratic WiFi connections. The simulations can give engineers an estimate of how long it would take a user to download a file, for instance, given varying network connections. It can help engineers re-create problems that crop up only on very slow networks.

10 of 60 comments (clear)

  1. They should make a tool by easyTree · · Score: 4, Funny

    Which mimics massive and creepy privacy invasion - for profit.

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    Requiem for the American Dream
    1. Re: They should make a tool by thedonger · · Score: 3, Insightful

      But it's not really a choice. Too many people use Facebook that it's such an inconvenience to not use it.

      That may, in fact, be the dumbest thing written on the internet. At least so far today.

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  2. ipfw/dummynet by cdrudge · · Score: 3, Insightful

    So they reinvented what was already available and much more flexible with ipfw/dummynet?

    1. Re:ipfw/dummynet by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 3, Insightful

      So they reinvented what was already available and much more flexible with ipfw [freebsd.org]/dummynet [freebsd.org]?

      So they made a linux version of dummynet and released it as Open Source with deployment and configuration tools?

      Assholes.

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  3. Simulation? by danbert8 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Just try it out using Comcast/Time Warner/AT&T/Verizon internet access! Pick your provider... They all suck.

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    Yes it's an anecdote! Were you expecting original research in a Slashdot comment?
    1. Re: Simulation? by richy+freeway · · Score: 2

      You're not missing out on anything.

  4. Just saying... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Where I come from, we don't need to SIMULATE such connections................

  5. Pages that get stuck by jones_supa · · Score: 2

    Web pages have always been a bit unreliable technology. Who doesn't occasionally meet a page that is almost loaded, but hangs there waiting for one element to be downloaded? At I meet a few times a week a page that gets "stuck". Then you refresh the page and it's fine. Why does this problem still exist? Can't the browser at least quickly try reloading that element?

    Imagine if desktop GUI apps were like that. That some GUI element would just randomly not show up. That would be unacceptable.

  6. Re:How much money are YOU making? by MachineShedFred · · Score: 2

    And that means what, exactly?

    Salary has no direct link with competence or usefulness.

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  7. the tool has multiple bufferbloat-related issues by mtaht · · Score: 2

    I just gave up and filed a bug: https://github.com/facebook/au...