Blocking access to certain content is something that an operator can do. In fact, in many countries, including Spain, it is possible to block access to web pages. However, locking entire devices is quite difficult; Especially if the traffic of these devices is encrypted and it is not possible to know what they visit and who does it. However, one operator claims to have created a system to block piate IPTV devices from accessing the Internet .
The specific operator is Charter , one of the largest in the United States with tens of millions of customers. Many of those users consume pirted content, but the operator itself recognized in the past that it could not monitor or control how users used its Internet connection. However, a new patent registered by the operator himself could change all this.
Dangerous patent blocking devices
With this technology, the operator wants to prohibit devices such as cloned routers or other non-legitimate ones from accessing the Internet without paying , since they can also be used to carry out criminal activities anonymously. However, not only are those uses mentioned in the patent, but the technology can also be used to block devices related to pircy.
This type of device is very difficult to track, since its use is done through secure connections, unlike what happens for example with the torrent. To detect them, the patent details that a real-time or near-real-time monitoring would be carried out to detect the type of traffic and block it through DHCP .
As soon as a device is detected, the operator can mark it as problematic and add its MAC address to a blacklist. Subsequently, the router will ignore all devices with a blacklisted MAC .
Charter has registered the patent, but has not yet been granted it. It is also not known whether, once granted, they will use the system to block hacking-related devices from the get-go.
The locking mechanism has gaps
This mechanism, although ingenious, has multiple loopholes, since it is really easy to change a MAC address, or to fool the router into thinking that a device has one or the other address. However, the system can prevent many less advanced users from using devices to consume pirted content . The problem is that it is not the same to block a multimedia player of 30 or 40 euros than a computer or a television. In addition, in the event that the user does not have the technical knowledge to deceive the router, they would have to resort to more drastic techniques such as changing the operator to bypass the blockade.
Another even simpler option to bypass the blockade is to use a different router than the one offered by the operator, as well as a firewall.