Digital Prank

Google today sets up Internet Service Providers by deploying Internet measurement tools which helps the end users to find out who is causing their Internet network slowdown. Network neutrality debate in recent times forced Google to co-develop Measurement Lab (M-Lab), an open platform for researchers to deploy Internet measurement tools with New America Foundation’s Open Technology Institute, the PlanetLab Consortium, and academic researchers.

Three tools are ready to operate which includes,

• Network Diagnostic Tool (NDT) – to test your connection speed and diagnose problems which chokes the connection speed.
• Glasnost – to test whether BitTorrent is being blocked or throttled
• Network Path and Application Diagnosis (NPAD) – to diagnose common problems that impact last-mile broadband networks.

I personally tested the service and find it quite interesting and useful. You need the right version of JRE(Java Runtime Environment) for your browser to run Glasnost in your browser and you can find the download link from the testing page.

Glasnost:

Network Path and Application Diagnosis (NPAD):

One can read the Official post on Measurement Lab in Official Google blog. Though there are already lot of tools available in the Internet and widely used, Google takes this huge step to fight against ISPs like Comcast in the net neutrality debate. Vint Cerf, Chief Internet Evangelist also known as the the father of the Internet writes,

Transparency has always been crucial to the success of the Internet, and, by advancing network research in this area, M-Lab aims to help sustain a healthy, innovative Internet.

in Google Official blog. Lets hope Google’s effort will lead to more betterment of its services increasing transparency with ISPs and leading to a faster Internet.