Netalyzr: Illuminating Edge Network Neutrality, Security, and Performance

TitleNetalyzr: Illuminating Edge Network Neutrality, Security, and Performance
Publication TypeTechnical Report
Year of Publication2010
AuthorsKreibich, C., Weaver N., Nechaev B., & Paxson V.
Other Numbers2876
Abstract

In this paper we present Netalyzr, a network measurement and debugging service that evaluates the functionality provided by people's Internet connectivity. The design aims to prove both comprehensive in terms of the properties we measure and easy to employ and understand for users with little technical background. We structure Netalyzr as a signed Java applet (which users access via their Web browser) that communicates with a suite of measurement?specific servers. Traffic between the two then probes for a diverse set of network properties, including outbound port filtering, hidden in?network HTTP caches, DNS manipulations, NAT behavior, path MTU issues, IPv6 support, and access?modem buffer capacity. In addition to reporting results to the user, Netalyzr also forms the foundation for an extensive measurement of edge?network properties. To this end, along with describing Netalyzr's architecture and system implementation, we present a detailed study of 112,000 measurement sessions that the service has recorded since we made it publicly available in June 2009.

Acknowledgment

This work was partially supported by funding provided to ICSI through National Science Foundation grants CNS: 0722035 (“Architectural Support for Network Trouble?Shooting”), NSF: 0433702 (“CCIED: Center for Internet Epidemiology and Defenses”), and CNS: 0905631 (“Invigorating Empirical Network Research via Mediated Trace Analysis”), and also by funding provided by Amazon.com. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors or originators and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.We are deeply grateful to the Netalyzr users for enabling this study and to our beta testers for the insightful comments and feedback. We would particularly like to thank Mark Allman, Paul Barford, Scott Bradner, John Brzozowski, Randy Bush, Niels Bakker, Richard Clayton, Chris Cowart, Keith Dawson, Adrian Dimcev, Holger Dreger, Brandon Enright, Kevin Fall, Carrie Gates, Andrei Gurtov, Mark Handley, Theodore Hong, Kelly Kane, Matthew Kogan, Keith Medcalf, Thomas Narten, Michael Ross, Wooter Wijngaards, and Richard Woundy.

URLhttp://www.icsi.berkeley.edu/pubs/techreports/TR-10-006.pdf
Bibliographic Notes

ICSI Technical Report TR-10-006

Abbreviated Authors

C. Kreibich, N. Weaver, B. Nechaev, and V. Paxson

ICSI Research Group

Networking and Security

ICSI Publication Type

Technical Report