Rogers uses deep packet inspection? Rogers charging extra for data for built-in email app? Data plans "incredibly limiting"

Submitted by Roland on Sat, 2008-05-10 11:23

Rogers charges extra per kilobyte for the bult-in email app? This is really bad. I hope Howard got that wrong. Otherwise a lot of email junkies (if they can figure out how to configure their S60 email client, it's not easy) will be unpleasantly surprised by VERY VERY large data bills!

Is the "deep packet inspection" guy a Rogers employee? I can think of other techniques to detect third party apps, like hacking the S60 3G and EDGE communications software stack to check if the app is built in and if so to send some sort of "validation packet" which the Rogers gateway detects and removes (thanks to JeffG's friend for that idea!), many ways to skin this cat, all futile, innovation sapping and time consuming in the end, better to spend the energy on innovation than bogus packet inspection and billing software IMHO!

Anyways, compared to the rest of the world, as I said in my previous post, these plans are a r*poff and the N95 Browser while awesome compared to the pathetic browser in the rest of Rogers' phones (cf. any Motorola phone browser) is really inferior to the iPhone browser.

Again, my recommendation: Just say no to "browser only" data plans and "3rd party application bandwidth" taxes! Buy a 3rd party unlocked phone and get the $65 PC Card plan and enjoy your freedom!

From HowardChui.com: Batteries included » Rogers launches Nokia n95 8GB:

QUOTE

One of the data plans available for it is 20 bucks a month, unlimited on device browsing (using Nokia’s terrific s60 browser), 2500SMS, “100’s” of MMS (the Rogers guy’s words) and unlimited web email. If you sign up on a 3 year then you also get unlimited Vision. The $7 unlimited on device browsing plan is also available.

If you add your own apps or use the Nokia email client (for POP or iMAP) then data is billed per kb (so don’t use your Slingbox unless you have WiFi). I asked how they can differentiate between the different types of data. One guy said they use deep packet inspection (the same thing Rogers uses to throttle bittorrent).

There are the typical Rogers customizations; separate Vision app, Music store that doesn’t work with the built-in music player, that sort of thing. It also appears to come with Telenav (which you have to pay to use) - Nokia’s mapping program is also available.

While I’m not thrilled with the customizations, I’m lukewarm about the plans. The data plans are incredibly limiting but the n95 has a pretty good browser so that makes things a little easier to bear.

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Comments

Vincent Janelle (not verified)

Sat, 2008-05-10 21:48

Detecting what port things go over is hardly deep packet inspection. Buffering the contents so you can verify that it is in fact an HTTP request instead of skype would be an example of deep packet inspection. Examining ports would just be part of the handshake and is easily monitorable with cisco flow management.

Roland

Sat, 2008-05-10 23:12

Apologies, but Ii was unclear: Roger is apparently doing what you suggest: "verify that it is in fact an HTTP request instead of skype" (not simply checking if it's an HTTP versus SMTP or POP port) but of course until i get my protocol analyzer out, i won't know for sure (not that i have a protocol analyzer handy :-) !) But I have used protocol analyzers before and would love to hear about it if somebody checks it out with a locked N95-8GB NAM!

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