Phex host file becoming corrupted with G2 host uptimes

Lord of the Rings · #1 (**permalink**) November 5th, 2017

For about the past two years I've been noticing G2 hosts inundating the Phex host file in a damaging fashion. The effect is a notable slowing of Phex connecting to the network each time Phex starts up. The average uptimes advertised by such clients appears to use a different type of system which surpasses the maximum 86400 used on the Gnutella (G1) network. It only takes several hours before a fresh host file has up to a couple hundred of these G2 hosts added to it.

Here's an example of the last 22 hosts on the list (6 Nov 2017):

Code:

*.*.*.39:54300,-1,1509907982969,86400,GTKG,0,11,true
*.*.*.149:24105,-1,1509908559560,86400,GTKG,1,9,true
*.*.*.94:2530,-1,1509913716325,86400,LIME,5,6,true
*.*.*.52:52000,-1,1509923269418,86400,LIME,5,2,true
*.*.*.181:31032,1509579118225,1509923763838,86400,-,0,0,false
*.*.*.46:60760,-1,1509925342439,86400,-,0,0,false
*.*.*.37:6346,-1,1509928417214,86400,-,0,0,true
*.*.*.209:6346,-1,1509639685917,157320,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.62:35693,-1,1509639683918,169026,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.56:6347,-1,1509920790511,198121,RAZA,2,7,true
*.*.*.101:6346,-1,1509639497526,242351,-,0,0,false
*.*.*.121:24007,-1,1509639669613,337500,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.26:6346,-1,1509639685640,366121,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.16:29364,-1,1509639669790,428070,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.129:6346,-1,1509639497793,447137,-,0,0,false
*.*.*.57:6346,-1,1509639497635,601099,-,0,0,false
*.*.*.52:6346,-1,1509639667782,892423,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.158:6006,-1,1509639667898,1161277,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.109:18675,-1,1509639498792,1263161,-,0,0,false
*.*.*.15:51053,-1,1509639497768,3177393,-,0,0,false
*.*.*.68:6346,-1,1509639665910,4515713,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.158:6100,-1,1509639666608,5848865,RAZA,2,7,false

Here's another example with last 76 hosts listed from 23 August 2017:
Total RAZA count on this file is 651 not counting the other G2 hosts not identified.

Code:

*.*.*.*:6235,-1,1503460979511,86400,GTKG,1,5,true
*.*.*.*:56091,-1,1503461117936,86400,GTKG,0,11,true
*.*.*.52:6346,-1,1503045602678,88473,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.148:6346,-1,1503042000120,90528,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.158:6346,-1,1503041999725,93806,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.129:6346,-1,1503041999524,96537,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.192:37090,-1,1503041999519,98678,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.135:14377,-1,1503045601292,98687,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.56:45883,-1,1503041999407,98715,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.24:6346,-1,1503045747466,99017,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.215:41037,-1,1503041997301,115685,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.166:6345,-1,1503041993309,128412,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.210:6346,-1,1503041998875,128907,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.138:15970,-1,1503045634706,134187,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.162:53541,-1,1503041997597,140843,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.153:43308,-1,1503045680333,141466,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.6:6346,-1,1503461144405,150795,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.196:26075,-1,1503461142411,151546,RAZA,2,7,true
*.*.*.131:6345,-1,1503461140241,156148,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.45:6346,-1,1503461138220,157413,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.25:6346,-1,1503041997018,158018,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.211:63460,-1,1503461136270,161934,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.126:6346,-1,1503041998418,164131,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.254:55426,-1,1503461135186,164360,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.56:6346,-1,1503461134349,166390,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.173:6346,-1,1503461132250,174160,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.214:6346,-1,1503041997694,176422,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.132:6346,-1,1503461132474,180254,-,0,0,false
*.*.*.211:4109,-1,1503045677132,188155,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.183:20864,-1,1503041995508,192882,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.180:25069,-1,1503045747440,203513,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.96:50659,-1,1503461126597,207713,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.73:35747,-1,1503041997288,238114,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.4:6346,-1,1503045596364,242665,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.79:6900,-1,1503041993231,243620,-,0,0,false
*.*.*.54:6346,-1,1503041996667,264847,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.114:6347,-1,1503461121927,266947,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.189:6346,-1,1503461122374,274471,-,0,0,false
*.*.*.16:6346,-1,1503461121267,274500,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.5:15493,-1,1503045723177,282627,-,0,0,false
*.*.*.119:6346,-1,1503461100147,304758,-,0,0,false
*.*.*.4:6346,-1,1503461100082,309409,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.79:6346,-1,1503461100365,348635,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.70:6346,-1,1503461098074,357450,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.151:6346,-1,1503461099378,357532,-,0,0,false
*.*.*.161:35584,-1,1503461098431,380859,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.154:6346,-1,1503461098809,388853,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.118:6346,-1,1503461096045,417849,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.94:6346,-1,1503461095921,429476,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.101:6346,-1,1503461096373,439459,-,0,0,false
*.*.*.167:6346,-1,1503461096302,476342,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.131:4043,-1,1503461094199,493332,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*:51138,-1,1503461094837,496993,-,0,0,false
*.*.*.85:6346,-1,1503461094008,503513,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.64:6346,-1,1503461093279,552522,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.109:21345,-1,1503461092299,564279,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.226:9175,-1,1503461092306,592824,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.184:6346,-1,1503461092094,618560,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.46:6346,-1,1503461093020,643570,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.41:6346,-1,1503461090192,676256,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.42:6346,-1,1503461090044,715475,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.26:16089,-1,1503461090396,849736,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.192:6139,-1,1503461090173,887440,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.175:6346,-1,1503461090496,905622,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.58:6346,-1,1503461089259,991835,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.213:28518,-1,1503461089038,1016045,-,0,0,false
*.*.*.167:6350,-1,1503461088313,1372110,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.195:6346,-1,1503461088388,1570955,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.70:49000,-1,1503461088373,1628912,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.110:44654,-1,1503461087674,1849852,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.213:37883,-1,1503461088326,2098366,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.228:3701,-1,1503461088352,2494128,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.158:6006,-1,1503461089496,3210004,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.96:6333,-1,1503461088504,4503773,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.27:6345,-1,1503461088392,4616907,RAZA,2,6,false
*.*.*.228:1309,-1,1503461088289,86400,PHEX,3,4,true

Example of last 231 hosts on file from 25 September 2017:

Code:

*.*.*.*:27245,-1,1506267524941,86400,-,0,0,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506224441650,87034,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506224406190,105519,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:19868,-1,1506224407036,105832,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506224406096,105877,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506224404204,108173,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:21,-1,1506224402069,109253,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506224396128,109384,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506224396201,109540,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506224272443,114104,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506224252123,115805,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506224249748,116032,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506224236067,116879,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:56878,-1,1506224233922,117185,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506224233120,121164,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:37293,-1,1506224227883,126387,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:40473,-1,1506224660586,126921,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506224203875,128126,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506224201802,128823,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506224200998,132931,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:11255,-1,1506224197290,134161,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506224196037,135583,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506224195946,137592,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506219709463,137816,-,0,0,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506224182106,139353,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506230443109,142841,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506224113990,143337,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506224113907,146708,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6399,-1,1506219708450,152763,-,0,0,false
*.*.*.*:6436,-1,1506224111746,155480,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506224059891,160986,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506219709412,161244,-,0,0,false
*.*.*.*:6789,-1,1506224083035,164438,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:44546,-1,1506224053887,166674,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:15287,-1,1506224671600,170392,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:56893,-1,1506224051969,173410,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506225104551,181817,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506224015731,182151,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6383,-1,1506224012732,190845,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506224012304,192330,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506223980061,202161,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:9175,-1,1506223977940,208733,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:22097,-1,1506223978122,209411,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506223978190,210441,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:7294,-1,1506223978187,211102,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:14325,-1,1506223978854,211154,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6366,-1,1506223977129,212137,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506223975484,215807,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506223975694,216993,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:17047,-1,1506223976968,218641,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506223975947,219596,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506223973809,221502,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506223971979,222792,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506223971600,223511,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:16520,-1,1506223970236,225325,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506223907954,228584,RAZA,2,6,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506223906382,229498,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:22002,-1,1506223981154,247547,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:39961,-1,1506223903454,249060,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506221060900,251393,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506221057065,252387,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506221057028,252492,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506221054943,254121,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:58946,-1,1506221055542,261448,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:47822,-1,1506221042602,267616,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506221025127,268230,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506221018809,284447,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506221017248,296915,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6348,-1,1506220751903,325632,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:50123,-1,1506220724815,328540,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506220720736,328916,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506220722110,337545,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506220717656,340541,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506220714824,347278,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506220704984,376481,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506220698786,388441,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:35317,-1,1506220691020,392524,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506219708281,394942,-,0,0,false
*.*.*.*:17138,-1,1506220682937,405087,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506220683846,406915,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506220670966,418895,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506220668827,428149,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6348,-1,1506220663771,439252,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:39418,-1,1506220660719,444634,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506220658939,455651,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506224587678,456863,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506220657787,463647,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:55037,-1,1506220656812,468251,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:33572,-1,1506220654833,476648,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506220652912,500415,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:48787,-1,1506220700841,501252,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506220601613,501734,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:23432,-1,1506221006845,567040,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:56074,-1,1506220588975,568998,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:36804,-1,1506220589055,571017,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:4109,-1,1506220584874,574115,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506219709414,582362,-,0,0,false
*.*.*.*:29666,-1,1506220582665,595330,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506220580892,600929,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:26417,-1,1506220657197,626503,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506220581015,631637,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506220578842,646347,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:49986,-1,1506220576710,647180,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506220574635,682061,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:30151,-1,1506220572735,687833,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506220572521,712090,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:30109,-1,1506220570704,747581,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:11015,-1,1506220569908,758455,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6011,-1,1506220566907,779543,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506220566922,803874,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6345,-1,1506220652965,833054,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:41957,-1,1506220564834,846579,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:26432,-1,1506220562780,860272,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506220560561,896507,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506220563673,926499,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:59328,-1,1506246641487,958057,RAZA,2,7,true
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506220560916,1018684,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:59077,-1,1506220560684,1025951,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:25000,-1,1506219708291,1069942,-,0,0,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506220560738,1096319,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506219709597,1386679,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:49605,-1,1506220558295,1388885,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:8028,-1,1506219708783,1603259,-,0,0,false
*.*.*.*:8128,-1,1506220558866,1767916,RAZA,2,9,false
*.*.*.*:7100,-1,1506220559670,1821690,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506220556804,1871258,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506220556756,2229282,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506220556977,3678901,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506220556698,4494822,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:37883,-1,1506220556957,4678486,RAZA,2,7,false
*.*.*.*:6333,-1,1506219708623,7194376,-,0,0,false
*.*.*.*:6346,-1,1506220555374,7848885,RAZA,2,7,false

With this example you can see why it slows Phex down from connecting to the network, needing to get through 230 irrelevant listings before finding a proper Gnutella host.
Excluding this bug, I'd have considered Phex to have the most reliable host management system & longest-lasting host file out of any Gnutella client.

I'm in the habit of removing the RAZA hosts and any others with up-times higher than 86400 between sessions.

I have retained copies of some older Phex host files. Here's an example from 6 July 2015:
195.191.2*.*:6345,-1,1435937984800,195680,RAZA,2,6,false
I have a host file from 30 Jan 2015 but it was edited in the following March which suggests I might have already removed the G2 hosts.

I should have reported this bug earlier. I did note this bug to h4x5h17 earlier last year.

How best to fix this bug?

Personally I'd prefer not to see any RAZA (or clones) being added to the host file. AFAIK their G1 ultrapeer technology is extremely old and primitive. (Does it even reach Gnutella 0.4 standards? Let alone 0.6) ShareAza's G1 technology must be at least 14 or more years old. ?

Personally I'd set Phex to discard both RAZA hosts & hosts with up-times greater than 86400 (re: adding hosts to host file.) Not a difficult concept. But there's probably a better way to program this than setting the conditions of 'NOT' ?