I manage the network in a small office (SW dev is my "real job"), and there are a couple of users who beat the hell out of our internet connection by running bittorrent. Between the almost crippling effect on the upload side (20Mbps) and the potential liability, I want to shut this down as much as possible.
Some quick details in anticipation of questions or suggestions:
we have 2 routers (1 Linksys, 1 Buffalo) running the latest DD-WRT, and one D-Link DIR-655 running whatever the latest factory software is
internet is FiOS 20/20 plan
users connect via WiFi & wired, everyone uses DHCP
acquiring new hardware (let's say < $1000) that really does the trick reliably is an option
we have an internet usage policy in place, yes, but I want to enforce it as much as possible via IT because we all know that some people just can't follow the rules. Yes I know that dealing with this is a social issue, but this part is out of my authority/control.
the common strategies (completely block access by MAC / IP, block ports, etc..) won't work. At least 2 of the people routinely re-program the MAC addresses on their Ethernet interfaces.
I understand that BT clients can be configured to use other ports, so just blocking the standard BT port range is weaksauce.
I can't believe I'm the first person to skin this cat. Or maybe only IT depts. with large equipment budgets can skin this cat?
Thanks for your help!