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Phil Wolff
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p2p experts map SkypeNet's Supernodes

December 8, 2005 12:58 PM

Topics: Business | Skype杂志 | Technology

Thumbnail of world map of Skype supernodesCoobol, the new p2p R&D firm, mapped Skype supernodes earlier this week. (Full size image, 1.1MB) A Coobol spokesman explained it like this:

A Skype supernode is a dynamic peer-to-peer server in SkypeNet. A supernode is one of Skype’s users. Powered by these unknown supernodes or users across the world, Skype is able to provide the super world telephony communication system for free. However, this is not something new. As we all know, this is just the basic theory of peer-to-peer technology. Inspired by p2p mechanism, Coobol will provide our partners with software, solutions and Internet platforms for them to build a variety of applications, such as P2P network security, content publication, streaming media, global VOIP network, virtual office, SNS (Social Network Service) etc. We are determined to be a world-class peer-to-peer research and development company.
20051207europe300x184.jpg

Coobol is a peer-to-peer technology specialist. They focus on the research and development of software, network communication platforms and tools based on peer-to-peer technology. They "bring ordinary people together to create miracles." The name Coobol was created initially by team members during a tea party. Their office is in Hong Kong.

There are many things we don't know about Skypenet, that I would hope technical R&D firms like Coobol might be paid to investigate. For instance,

  • What is the frequency distribution of Skype supernode lifespans?
  • Why are Chinese Skype supernodes not shown on the map? Where else are these factors at play?
  • How does the number of supernodes vary by time, for example by time of day and day of week?
  • How many supernodes are being operated by Skype itself instead of its users?
  • How many supernodes would an attacker have to disable to cause the remaining supernodes to overload? 20051207northam300x127.jpg
  • What is the range of Skype users supported by supernodes? Does this vary a great deal?
  • Any way to tell how many supernodes are being run over dial-up connections?
  • Do all the regions have similar ratios of nodes to supernodes? Or do they vary?
  • Are the number of supernodes keeping up with the number of active Skype users? With the the number of minutes served?
  • If you can identify Skype supernode IP addresses, can you measure the amount of cloud traffic a supernode passes along? The amount of chat/voice/video/data relay bandwidth?

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Comments

Posted by: Brian at December 8, 2005 3:25 PM

Does anybody know what is the condition of a computer to become a supernode?

Posted by: ronnie at December 8, 2005 6:48 PM

visit www.coobol.com may be you will get an answer.

Posted by: Vincent at December 9, 2005 3:45 AM

1) Take a map
2) Put many red dots on it
3) ...
4) Profit!

Posted by: Torben at December 9, 2005 4:44 AM

"Why are Chinese Skype supernodes not shown on the map? Where else are these factors at play?"
It would nice/better to see some (serious) documentation!
6-8 Supernodes in Denmark 5 mill. people, 3 in Japan 128 Mill, 12 in Australia 18 mill.(the one Carpentaria Bay must be seaborne :) )
No in Alaska and neighbouring East Sibiria. How do they pinpoint supernodes? Are there enough nodes, concidering all the relays of calls and file transfer?

Posted by: Dan York at December 9, 2005 1:39 PM

Brian,

Skype provides some information about supernodes on page 3 of their Network Administrator's Guide available at www.skype.com/security/. Essentially, the document says that it can be any computer that is directly connected to the Internet and can accept inbound connections. Note that this rules out pretty much every computer behind a NAT box or firewall (which is stated in their doc). PCs behind NAT boxes or firewalls can only accept inbound connections/calls with the help of a supernode that is out on the Internet.

Regards,
Dan

Posted by: Phil Wolff at December 9, 2005 9:38 PM

If there are multiple supernodes in an area, they only put one dot.

Posted by: Torben at December 10, 2005 3:08 AM

"If there are multiple supernodes in an area, they only put one dot."
Is that inside information or a suggestion Phil?
I think they place dots semi'manually' as fit by IP information.
Maybe it is just (black) propaganda against their 'homemarket'?

Posted by: dionyseus at December 10, 2005 4:15 AM

Phil Wolff,did you ask for my question?Dose skype encrypt the data of video?can you ascertained about it?
Dionyseus' Bar:http://blog.blogwhy.com/dionyseus/

Posted by: Aswath at December 10, 2005 4:57 AM

Dan:

Yes, they say that only computers on the public internet are selected. But there is no technical reason for this. As long as the NAT is not a symmetrical one, that computer can act as a supernode and a relay node.

Posted by: shoogro at December 10, 2005 5:59 AM

Coobol announced on its website that it's going to make enterprise and carrier Skype traffic filter solution. They will finish the project in less than 20 days. Crazy!

Posted by: Aswath at December 10, 2005 7:01 AM

Phil:

I think there are no red dots in China could be because the ISPs deploy a symmetric NAT in the network. I can not vouch for it, but that is what I am told.

Posted by: fox at December 10, 2005 8:08 AM

http://www.coobol.com/Download/MapProducing.zip

I found on their site, the map producing movie...

Posted by: Vitaly Repin at January 16, 2006 2:41 AM

MapProducing movie doesn't contain the most important information - how Coobol's SN seeker (super node seeker) works? It is the most interesting information in all the deal. Without this information I can only repeat Vincent's words:

  1. Take a map
  2. Put many red dots on it
  3. ...
  4. Get good PR!

Posted by: Allan at January 29, 2006 3:13 PM

If you are a supernode then can you filter the traffic and listen to skype phonecall conversations? Can you entice your computer to be a supernode with the intention of listening to conversations?

Posted by: Shupa at March 30, 2006 7:43 PM

How does relay nodes work in the network? How does relay node initiate calls to the nodes behind the NAT?

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