PeerGuardian - what does it do for you?

[Ummon]

Recently, after telling someone I was downloading torrents, PeerGuardian was strongly recommended. I've been using it, though I don't know what it's doing for me. I Wiki'd it, but I couldn't tell what it was supposed to do by blocking IPs.  ??

[SirDaShadow]

Open up the log in Peerguardian. Do you see all of those addresses/institutions/etc? They have been blacklisted by the program as potentially dangerous for your privacy. RIAA, MPAA, AOL (why?), etc....

[pmc]

The question is, is it really effective?

-pmc

[NOP]

it's a cat and mouse game really.

organizations like the RIAA will routinely hire outside agencies/companies to help locate people illegally sharing their files (the legality of this has/is being challenged), so the IP blocking will always be a moving target.  You'll never really know who is looking at your files.

peerguardian doesn't hurt, but don't get any sense of confidence that you can share things w/o being tracked, that's just common sense.

The nice thing about it is, yeah, it can weed out known groups who I think have no business connecting to my machine, so I'd absolutely use it. (if I shared stuff)

[ahofle]

My understanding is that all it does is block them from becoming a peer.  It still doesn't prevent them from seeing that you are seeding something, which could still get you in trouble.

[pmc]

In the end, I don't get how "they " know who's entitled to what by simply by monitoring network traffic.

-pmc

[ahofle]

You may be entitled to it, but you're not entitled to distribute it to anyone and everyone.

[Ummon]

Hmmm. Recently I've had some intermittent trouble with streaming Netflix. Maybe this has gotten in the way?

[clok]

As a heavy Torrent user I have done some reading on this. There is a pretty even split on if it is effective or not. Basically its just a list of "known" IP's that monitor you for illegal activity/files. The problem with this type of system is (as somebody stated) these numbers change, new numbers come in etc. Its (if it actually works like it says) always going to be out of date some. I'm of the mind some protection is better then none. Here is mini breakdown on the ins and outs and the reasons for actually using such a program.

I have been flagged for downloading TV shows that are... Um .. freely downloadedable from legit sites, but I guess you cant from Torrents. My net provoid er is 3 strikes our out, I was flagged 2x in about a year and since using peerguardian ha vent been flagged in about 2 years. Does that mean it works? No idea.

I know many who use Torrent for actual no-no's and we have discussed it at length. It seems to be the "hot" items (mp3's of new HOT bands, TV shows that are currently hot, and EA games(particularly MAXIS games (the sims stuff))).. it almost seems to somehow be related to money (ya big suprise).. try download the newest SIM game, try download the newest #1 selling music MP3, try download the current top 10 TV show your chance of getting tagged is higher (IMHO). Download "StarLost" (little know Sci-Fi show from Canada in the late 70-early80's) and NOBODY will care, there is no money to be made atm. he show is still under the same rules as any current movie/tv show, but right now, nobody cares because there is no DVD coming out (actually there is now).. but you get the point.

Also your provider can play a big part, my old provider (QWEST) wont matter what you do, download every movie in the theaters, they don't care, or don't ever say they do. But some have zero tolerance.

OK- I do not care what you do, I'm not for or against piracy, (well actually I have an opinion, but that wasn't the question). I am not telling anybody to do it, or how to do it. I am just pointing out what I have seen.  I do not condone it.