Hey Community,
im working as a IT-Specialist -Systemintegration for a Big Company.
I'm mostly responsible for our "Server >> Client" stuff and im also Admin of our Antivirus Server (rollout, recover aso.)
I actually do a lot of more things at work, but thats too much to explain to you guys.
In my spare time i do a lot of stuff with Router/OpenSource/Linux.
Im working about 8 years with Linux and i found that a few Open Source Linux Firmware Versions for some Routers giving u a great expirience how to manage ur WAN/Inernet/Network Bandwith (and u can do a lot of more!!).
You will also turn a 80$ router into a 800$ Business Class Router. (for free!) Thats no Joke...
All you have to do is get the right Router Model and flash the right Firmware.
When i heared about open source Firmware for some Routers it was more a typing stuff into a "console >> save >> reboot >> test" than configure it over a nice and sorted GUI.
But that actually changed and you can configure the most things these days over a GUI/Webinterface.
I tried almost every Firmware, i even compiled my own one.
But i found that the best Firmware (in terms of QoS) these days is Tomato.
http://www.polarcloud.com/tomato/
There is a great community helping each other and there are a lot of diffrent Versions u can choose to get the best opportunities for ur self.
Problems get fixed very fast and the coders are really know what they are doing.
1000000x faster than Netgear/Linksys/Asus will ever do that with an Homeuser Device.
Just believe me...
Me for example using a Tomato-RAF Version at the moment.
Its coded by Victek and has almost everything out of box allready and combines a lot of Features from other Builds.
Info: http://www.victek.is-a-geek.com/tomatoen.html
My Main Router atm (i have a few) is a Asus RT-N16, which i a very powerfull gigabit Router with an 480MHZ CPU and 128MB RAM + 32MB flash ROM.
You can actually overclock that thing to 532MHZ but theres no need for me at the moment.
This Router never gets to his limit in my case and im running a lot of things together...
So what i like to show you now is how to manage ur Network in Terms of Quality of Service.
(Every Network is diffrent for sure, so i can only tell you the way that i went.)
First of all, a few Informations about QoS: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quality_of_service
So in my Case QoS delivers me a great WAN Performance without cutting to much bandwith on specific Services like www, P2P or http downloads.
Me and my girlfriend are using 2 Laptops, 2 PC's, 1 Xbox360, 1 Mediastation(with internet access), 2 Smartphones and we also let one of our neighbors (a good friend from my dad) use our WLAN AP.
My girlfriend doesnt play much video games, shes just on facebook using www and chatting a lot (msn,ICQ and all the other shit). Shes also downloading some PDF's for her job every day.
Im mostly playing, downloading (P2P, http) and working over VPN on our Server Systems at work.
So what i try to get is a great unlaggy gaming Performance and a Crystal Clear VPN Connection to our main office without slowing down my girlfriends www sessions.
I found that a good (configured) QoS System in my Router can help me a lot to get all my stuff working flawlessly.
<<SETUP>>
First of all we have to Set the Down and -Upload Limits right.
If you set them too high ur QoS will basicly stop working correctly cause there is a thing we called a "Bottleneck".
As i told you im using a RT-N16 which is a Gigabit-Router without ADSL/Cable/Fibre Modem, so u need a Dedicated Modem too.
Im using a SpeedTouch 516iv6 which is an ADSL2+ 1-Port Modem which is operating in simple Bridge Mode.
The great thing with this Modem is, that there is a Programm called DMT that reads out every DSL Information. (Bandwith, Rates, Line Quality aso.) You can even Tune ur Line but thats not the Point here.
DMT:
As you can see i have ~10Mbit ADSL2+ Connection.
Downsteam = 10458kbit/s
Upstream = 1147kbit/s
But thats not the Bandwith i can really use.
In our country/area the Providers mostly using PPPoE (MTU1492) over ADSL2+
That means there are some overheads if i Download/Upload that i cant count to my Bandwith.
To calculate the real bandwith you can use some SpeedTests or a good FTP Server.
But there's also a Formula in my case.
[1452 / 1696] * (ur Downstream/Upstream Value)
So 100% of my Downstream is: 8953kbit/s
100% of my Upstream is: 981 kbit/s
Speedtests showing about the same Values.
So these are the real Rates i can get with my Line.
But to get QoS working as it whould we can only use a maximum of 85% of our avalible bandwith. Otherwise... Bottleneck...
Downstream(85%): 7610kbit/s ~7500
Upstream(85%): 834kbit/s ~ 800
Now lets type in these Values in our Router. (QoS Section> Basic Settings)
Check Enable QoS.
Default Class: P2P/Bulk
Rate Settings Screen:
Leave the QOS Class Names (Priority Classes) on Default for now.
The next thing is to configure the Classification (QoS >> Classification).
On the newest Build of Victeks RAF Firmware you have a lot of stuff preconfigured.
And that is actually not bad, cause that will be the most usefull settings for common Users.
So in most cases you just have to add Steam Gaming Ports and put them to the VOIP/Gaming Class.
Steam Content Download Ports to the P2P/Bulk Class.
I'm running a TF2 IDLE Server(sv_lan 0) sometimes so i also show u how to prioritize this one.
Steam_gaming:
Steam_content_downloads:
TF2-Server (running on standart Port 27015):
In my case i have to classify a bit more (VPN Ports, Remote Progs aso). But thats not ur Problem...
Dont Forgett do Save (each QoS Section) >> wait 2-3 min and then Reboot, so the Firmware can actually set iptables and values right.
The next usefull thing i wanne show you is the BW-Limiter (QoS Section >> BW Limiter).
Thats actually a feature i really love.
In another firmware, called DD-WRT you have to pay for that Feature (buy DD-WRT Special) and that Feature is only avalible for some old Routers.. For us using Tomato-FW its free !
So with this Feture you can actually set the maximum Down and -Upload for every single IP(also range)/MAC Adress + Priority Level.
I use this Feature for our neighbor which have acess to our WLAN-AP as i allready told you.
So i limit him to 2500kbit/s download and 200kbit/s upload with Priority Low.
Thats enough for him, cause hes only checking emails and surfing a bit.
He can do what ever he want but he will never fill up my line with some shit.
Screenshot:
As u can see on the Screenshot you can also set Limits for unlisted IP's, which can be a friend logging in with his Laptop or if someone in your Network whos loading porn 24/7, u can basicly limit these users so they dont fill up your line.
You dont have to use that Option for Basic QoS but i found it quite usefull.
With my Setup we can surf with 3 devices, chat, download(http +P2P) and my Ping in TF2/L4d2 only gets about ~ 5-15ms higher. You can also set ur QoS for about 0 diffrence in gaming while using other services but than you will loose up to 34% of ur bandwith and thats no option for me....
What i also have to say is that the more bandwith you have the easier it is to get QoS working flawlessly.
Well, that was basicly how to configure a simple QoS in Tomato 1.28 fw.
But you can really do more usefull things with that firmware.
Some things for Example:
-Attach a External HD to ur Router(must have USB-Ports for sure) and set up a Internal ftp with Access Restriction and pw for every user + bandwith limiting (i would only use that with a hudge Upload Bandwith)
-Torrent Server (download directly to your attached HD without a PC running)
-VPN Sever/Client, set up a VPN Server for safe mobile access to ur Home PC/Server/whatever
-Up to 3 Virtual Wireless SSID per Band (Guest or not)
-Captive Portal to redirect users after a Welcome-Advertising Message (For Bar-Hotel-Gym-Library...)
-DLNA Media Sever
-Tons of Optware (u have to get Linux basics for that)
-aso, aso... the list is really long guys...
Hope you guys like and enjoy my little travel to the world of QoS.
If you have any further questions post here and i try to response as soon as possible.
I can also show/teach you how i test my things and how to setup some other stuff in Tomato, for example how to set up a VLAN to access your Modem GUI in a diffrent Subnet.
And sorry for my english... im german and i didnt like to use google translator, so these are my own words.
Best Regards, Max
©
Edit: forget the how to flash tomato: :P
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Tomato_..._Configuration
http://patricksheedy.net/blog/simple...rt-n16-router/
Common Tomato Topics ------- (Help & Information):
http://www.linksysinfo.org/index.php...rmation.31234/
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Originally Posted by peteyM3
