Heads up: NCsoft's pushing Pando Media Booster
By
Aggelakis,
Posted on: 2012-04-11 09:40 in ALL ACCESS Gameplay Technical Issues Bugs
Quote:
Hey, me too! High Five?
|
Originally Posted by Snow Globe
My ISP has a $2/GB overage for internet usage. I don't have an option to go to a competing ISP, as the ISP in question has a monopoly on Cable Internet in the entire province. This ISP is known to use P2P throttling software.
|
Thank you, Champion.
How does one see if Pando is installed? It isn't in my Add/Remove programs. I did install Lineage II when it went free to play. (For the record I logged in for 10 minutes, logged out and deleted the game. It was terrible.)
So does that mean this program is running on my machine? Or?
Is there away to delete it?
My postings to this forum are not to be used as data in any research study without my express written consent.
Quote:
It's in add/remove programs. It's also in control panel (if you're seeing the "categories," change it to classic or small/large icon view.)
|
Originally Posted by Draugadan
How does one see if Pando is installed? It isn't in my Add/Remove programs. I did install Lineage II when it went free to play. (For the record I logged in for 10 minutes, logged out and deleted the game. It was terrible.)
So does that mean this program is running on my machine? Or? Is there away to delete it? |
Quote:
When a new patch is pushed or a major event like going to F2P, there are more than enough people simultaneously trying to download over the next 48 hours that lumping you with a couple dozen other downloaders for the duration. When simultaneous requests drop to low enough levels, Pando switches to a normal FTP download.|
Originally Posted by srmalloy
I venture to doubt the latter; in order to maintain peer levels during the download periods, I would expect that you're part of the peer cloud at any time the game client is active.
|
Turbine uses it.
Cryptic uses it now.
At least two other F2P MMOs (one Asian, one European) I've tried use it.
Pando sells the software to MMO companies to reduce their usage requirements when they push updates and new installs.
Again, I've never seen Pando uploading except when I'm being patched or installing an MMO for the first time.
Father Xmas - Level 50 Ice/Ice Tanker - Victory
$725 and $1350 parts lists --- My guide to computer components
Tempus unum hominem manet
Quote:
Opt-out mechanism:|
Originally Posted by Snow Globe
Actually, seeing that I can set the launcher to exit after launching the game, I'd be happier (not completely happy, an opt-out would make me completely happy about it).
|
Editing the games.xml file in the NCSoft\Launcher\Config\Default folder with a text editor and replace all
Quote:
| <P2P>true</P2P> |
Quote:
| <P2P>false</P2P> |
If you are playing AION, Torrents already available from other players, search the AION forums.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Bramphousian
Hey, me too! High Five?
|
Triumph: White Succubus: 50 Ill/Emp/PF Snow Globe: 50 Ice/FF/Ice Strobe: 50 PB Shi Otomi: 50 Ninja/Ninjistu/GW Stalker My other characters
Told y....
Never mind.
It just goes to show that companies will push costs off to customers as much as they can, despite potential losses. They're probably saving more money than that lost from losing customers, especially losing ones who paid a lot already.
But, some of the posters in this thread proved my point about the "vocal minority who tend to be unhappy, especially about anybody else being unhappy about 'their baby' game".
I'll leave this thread, at that. Others have said what I would have said, such as Snow Globe.
I'll avoid getting worked up until they try to push Pando for CoH when I'll be likely to sign up for the aforementioned action.
How do you get it off your machine? My machine has been running like crap for a day now and COH isn't stable, it crashes, lags, fits and starts, and even running the launcher crashes more often than I can get into the game.
Together we entered a city of strangers, we made it a city of friends, and we leave it a City of Heroes. - Sweet_Sarah
BOYCOTT NCSoft (on Facebook)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/517513781597443/
Governments have fallen to the power of social media. Gaming companies can too.
Quote:
If you have it (which, if you're just running COH, you probably don't,) Control panel - add/remove programs (or programs and features.) |
Originally Posted by Steele_Magnolia
How do you get it off your machine? My machine has been running like crap for a day now and COH isn't stable, it crashes, lags, fits and starts, and even running the launcher crashes more often than I can get into the game.
|
However, this should have nothing to do with that.
Quote:
Thanks, I run Aion (or was, it's not worth it to keep this turkey) as well and it was there. Not anymore!|
Originally Posted by Memphis_Bill
If you have it (which, if you're just running COH, you probably don't,) Control panel - add/remove programs (or programs and features.)
However, this should have nothing to do with that. |
That explains what the PMB.exe that was eating up memory in Task Manager was. And now... smoother sailing already.
Edit: Playing Aion isn't worth my COH crashing and everything else slowing down. I get a stupid error message when I bring up the launcher, but I cancel out of the Aion updater and then launch COH.
Together we entered a city of strangers, we made it a city of friends, and we leave it a City of Heroes. - Sweet_Sarah
BOYCOTT NCSoft (on Facebook)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/517513781597443/
Governments have fallen to the power of social media. Gaming companies can too.
Quote:
Exactly. When there's a new update out, and everyone's downloading it... that's the only time the servers will be bogged down, and it's the time everyone would be running the software anyways.|
Originally Posted by Father Xmas
When a new patch is pushed or a major event like going to F2P, there are more than enough people simultaneously trying to download over the next 48 hours that lumping you with a couple dozen other downloaders for the duration. When simultaneous requests drop to low enough levels, Pando switches to a normal FTP download.
|
P2P distribution like BitTorrent perform exactly the opposite of traditional distribution. Traditionally (client <- server), the less people downloading, the better each download will perform. When there's lots of people, the download rate will go to hell for everyone.
P2P distribution, on the other hand, performs like crap when there's only a few people downloading something (in the swarm). When there's a lot, though, download rates actually increases! It's the reverse.
Combine the two, and you should pretty much always have good download rates (once the P2P network gets enough chunks out in the wild, which will take a few minutes from the initial release). Pando might reduce costs for the companies, but it'll also have the benefit of speeding up big downloads (like issue updates) for users.
The only fundamental problem with that model is that some ISPs are douches (and, as such, it should be made easy to opt out of the P2P distribution... there's apparently already a way now, but NC needs to add it as a launcher option in the GUI).
(from a bit of looking around, most of the hate for Pando seems to be centered around LOTRO including it, and having it set to always run in the background)
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by ShadowNate
;_; ?!?! What the heck is wrong with you, my god, I have never been so confused in my life!
|
Quote:
Nice. Yeah, it's pretty much "if you have Aion or Lineage," missed if you mentioned running Aion earlier. COH, Guild Wars... no issue. Just don't want people thinking it's installed by default no matter what. |
Originally Posted by Steele_Magnolia
Thanks, I run Aion (or was, it's not worth it to keep this turkey) as well and it was there. Not anymore!
That explains what the PMB.exe that was eating up memory in Task Manager was. And now... smoother sailing already. Edit: Playing Aion isn't worth my COH crashing and everything else slowing down. I get a stupid error message when I bring up the launcher, but I cancel out of the Aion updater and then launch COH. |
(And I keep considering going back to aion every once in a while... doesn't last. Most recently, it was doing the "I refuse to start" bit, and for a game I haven't been in since the first year, other than to take a quick peek, I didn't feel like messing with it. I kind of like the "Fragment of memory" storyline, at least what I've seen of it, though.)
As for WoW's P2P implementation, it is easy to turn it off. And I do, every time I have a patch or expansion to download. Invariably, I get much faster downloads with the direct download option than with the P2P option. Also, WoW's P2P implementation works right through NAT with no special configuration, so I'm betting that Pando can, too.
Serenity is not freedom from the storm, but peace amid the storm ...
I know a lot of people were upset by them putting it in Aion I know a few that deleted it and then played or in taskmanager they just turned the program off. To those that deleted it I'm sure it'll come back for another patch and then it will again have to be deleted. I've played lots of free games some have used pando and I've personally never had a problem with it... I do hope they don't try and put it in Coh too as I'm sure the uproar will be greater then it was in aion...
This is me , pre emptively throwing my rage hat into the fray, in the hopes that this thing never touches COH/V.
Pinnacle & Virtue:
A bunch of Heroes - Alpha Team, Legion of Order.
A bunch of Villains -Black Citadel , Pinnache.
Quote:
I'll point out that I'm one of the few forumites that noticed (or at least spoke out about) a significant DECREASE in patch downloading with the switch from the old City of Heroes Updater to the NCsoft Launcher. I'd expect it to be far worse if PMB gets involved.
|
Originally Posted by Kitsune Knight
P2P distribution like BitTorrent perform exactly the opposite of traditional distribution. Traditionally (client <- server), the less people downloading, the better each download will perform. When there's lots of people, the download rate will go to hell for everyone.
P2P distribution, on the other hand, performs like crap when there's only a few people downloading something (in the swarm). When there's a lot, though, download rates actually increases! It's the reverse. |
Triumph: White Succubus: 50 Ill/Emp/PF Snow Globe: 50 Ice/FF/Ice Strobe: 50 PB Shi Otomi: 50 Ninja/Ninjistu/GW Stalker My other characters
Just a heads up for those interested in Aion: I installed it last night, and after everything was done, I uninstalled PMB. I've had no issues playing Aion.
[ ProTip: The banner is a link to art refs!! | The Khellection | The HBAS Repository | Brute Guides (4/16/10) | How To Post An Image - A Quick Guide ]
Biggest Troll on the forums? I'll give you a hint:
Quote:
You can play the game without it, but once a patch/bug fix/ update comes out, you'll be downloading it again so you'll be able to update the game. It'll have to be deleted every time an update is applied.
|
Originally Posted by Kheldarn
Just a heads up for those interested in Aion: I installed it last night, and after everything was done, I uninstalled PMB. I've had no issues playing Aion.
|
I usually disable PMB in Windows-Services, until it bugs me again.
Not sure if that's the same as install/uninstall but my taskmanager doesn't show PMB when it's disabled.
Quote:
Oh, and that means a lot. If you go to Google and start typing "is Obama" the first search that comes up is "is Obama a Muslim".|
Originally Posted by je_saist
and note that both Google and Bing have immediate related searches of Pando Media Booster Spyware and Pando Media Booster Malware.
|
So.. um... people are stupid.
Paragon City Search And Rescue
The Mentor Project
Quote:
Search for pando media booster spyware in Google... and this thread is on the first page (I don't have personalized search/history enabled, so it won't be biased towards things like CoH). None of the links I checked gave any sort of evidence that Pando was spyware (I saw some assertions that it was, but it was never in an instance where the person making that claim seemed to have any idea what they were talking about).|
Originally Posted by Ironblade
Oh, and that means a lot. If you go to Google and start typing "is Obama" the first search that comes up is "is Obama a Muslim".
So.. um... people are stupid. |
Those suggestions are based primarily on how often people search for things... so a lot of people might be seeing it on their control panel, and wonder "wtf is this?", and searching for "<this> spyware" or "<this> malware".
It's looking like to me that there is absolutely zero evidence that Pando does anything malicious. Even crappy evidence. NCSoft should just the first time ask you if you'd like to enable it, probably saying some crap about "speeding up downloads" while mentioning that it will upload data at the same time.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by ShadowNate
;_; ?!?! What the heck is wrong with you, my god, I have never been so confused in my life!
|
Quote:
As far as I can tell, Pando is neither spyware nor malware in the security sense. The main complaint I've discovered researching the app is that some people have complained about the bandwidth it uses, because the companies that use it do not always explicitly inform its customers how to configure a reduced bandwidth usage limit for it or otherwise shut it down when not in use updating files.
|
Originally Posted by Kitsune Knight
Search for pando media booster spyware in Google... and this thread is on the first page (I don't have personalized search/history enabled, so it won't be biased towards things like CoH). None of the links I checked gave any sort of evidence that Pando was spyware (I saw some assertions that it was, but it was never in an instance where the person making that claim seemed to have any idea what they were talking about).
Those suggestions are based primarily on how often people search for things... so a lot of people might be seeing it on their control panel, and wonder "wtf is this?", and searching for "<this> spyware" or "<this> malware". It's looking like to me that there is absolutely zero evidence that Pando does anything malicious. Even crappy evidence. NCSoft should just the first time ask you if you'd like to enable it, probably saying some crap about "speeding up downloads" while mentioning that it will upload data at the same time. |
[Guide to Defense] [Scrapper Secondaries Comparison] [Archetype Popularity Analysis]
In one little corner of the universe, there's nothing more irritating than a misfile...
(Please support the best webcomic about a cosmic universal realignment by impaired angelic interference resulting in identity crisis angst. Or I release the pigmy water thieves.)
Hi Guys,
advise please.
Does this PMB.exe stuff have anything to do with the PMBdeviceInfoProvider.exe file I have on all my machines?
I do have a software programme called PMB from Sony that plays my HD video taken on my Sony HD camcorder.
Just a bit concerned that's all.
Thanks
So many cats - So few recipes!
Age is of no importance,
unless you are a cheese!
Quote:
"PMBdeviceInfoProvider.exe" looks like a proprietary Sony program to interface with your video camera.
|
Originally Posted by jacktar
Hi Guys,
advise please. Does this PMB.exe stuff have anything to do with the PMBdeviceInfoProvider.exe file I have on all my machines? |
Triumph: White Succubus: 50 Ill/Emp/PF Snow Globe: 50 Ice/FF/Ice Strobe: 50 PB Shi Otomi: 50 Ninja/Ninjistu/GW Stalker My other characters
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Kitsune Knight
It's looking like to me that there is absolutely zero evidence that Pando does anything malicious. Even crappy evidence. NCSoft should just the first time ask you if you'd like to enable it, probably saying some crap about "speeding up downloads" while mentioning that it will upload data at the same time.
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Arcanaville
As far as I can tell, Pando is neither spyware nor malware in the security sense. The main complaint I've discovered researching the app is that some people have complained about the bandwidth it uses, because the companies that use it do not always explicitly inform its customers how to configure a reduced bandwidth usage limit for it or otherwise shut it down when not in use updating files.
|
However, guess how much liability Pando or NCSoft have if they release a buggy update of PMB that uploads all your banking information to the wild?
"But in our enthusiasm, we could not resist a radical overhaul of the system, in which all of its major weaknesses have been exposed, analyzed, and replaced with new weaknesses."
-- Bruce Leverett, Register Allocation in Optimizing Compilers