[ale] need help allocating / limiting broadband bandwidth between users

[Ron Frazier (ALE)]

Hi all,

Thanks for the input.  I've seen the name ASUS come up in this thread and also in one previously and people seem to like them.  I think Scott Castaline got one if memory serves.  These can also run a version of WRT so I can get some advanced features.  I'm thinking that I'm going to replace the master / central router with an ASUS of one type or another, flash it with WRT, and tinker with the QOS settings to give priority to my wife's traffic.  Also, I'm going to leave her attached wirelessly to the NetGear that used to be mine.  Hopefully, if the one she originally had did have overheating issues, the one I was on, which is newer, will not.  I'm going to be wirelessly attached to her old one, and if it turns out to be too flaky to use, I'll replace it too.

I appreciate all the suggestions.

Sincerely,

Ron


Jim Kinney <jim.kinney at gmail.com> wrote:

>make sure both wi-fi's are on seperate channels. setup QoS on the wired
>to
>give priority to her MAC address. Set both wifi's in different areas of
>the
>house for best coverage and make them slaves of the wired router in
>infrastructure mode so she can move anyywhere and get good signal.
>
>Or setup a wire at her desk.
>
>On Thu, Jan 24, 2013 at 2:13 PM, Ron Frazier (ALE) <
>atllinuxenthinfo at techstarship.com> wrote:
>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I've got an interesting and frustrating problem here at home that I
>need
>> help with.  My wife works at home using a Citrix connection. 
>Everything
>> she does comes from a remote system.  I have several computers that I
>use
>> here as well, some of which are periodically doing automated data
>transfers
>> and backups, etc.  Periodically, she complains that her system is
>running
>> so slow that it's unusable.  This is an intermittent problem. 
>Immediately
>> after she mentioned it today, I connected to her wifi router and did
>a
>> speed test.  I got .6 Mbps.  Typically, I get around 28 Mbps for
>downloads.
>>  I switched her to my router and the problem went away.  Now, her
>system is
>> blazing fast again.
>>
>> The routers are configured as follows.  This may or may not work as a
>text
>> diagram.
>>
>> Old Setup
>>
>> Ron's wifi router (a) --->\
>>                            Master wired router (c) ---> cable modem
>> Wife's wifi router (b) -->/
>>
>> New Setup
>>
>> Wife's wifi router (a) -->\
>>                            Master wired router (c) ---> cable modem
>> Ron's wifi router (b) --->/
>>
>> Hopefully, if that diagram survives the email, you can see that she
>has a
>> wifi router and I have one.  Both of those are connected to a master
>wired
>> router that is connected to the cable modem which is connected to the
>> internet.  Normally this works very well.  I like to keep her stuff
>and my
>> stuff on separate networks.  You might think, from this description,
>that
>> router (b) is failing.  And that is a possibility.  I'm prepared to
>replace
>> router (b) if I have to.  However, I'm not convinced.  I rebooted
>router
>> (b) and did a speed test and it's back up in the 28 Mbps range again.
>>
>> I'm wondering if router (c) is getting confused during times when
>both (a)
>> and (b) are putting heavy demands on the link and trying to send /
>receive
>> more data in aggregate than the link is capable of.  If it's a
>problem of
>> bandwidth hogging by my stuff, I'd rather just curtail that and make
>sure
>> that her stuff has at least, for example, 3 Mbps up / 6 Mbps down at
>all
>> times.  All the routers are NetGear equipment.  The wifi routers have
>QOS
>> settings that I've tried to tweak in the past to address this type of
>> problem.  I haven't had much success with that.  The wired master
>router
>> does not have QOS settings.  I have set up a 3 Mbps upstream
>bandwidth
>> limit on my router, but I don't have any option to limit downstream
>> bandwidth.  My total upstream capacity is about 6 Mbps.
>>
>> I need to stick with off the shelf equipment here.  I could replace
>the
>> master router (c) if needed, or stick something in between my router
>and
>> the master router to limit my maximum bandwidth if necessary.  I
>would be
>> willing to reflash a router's firmware if necessary, but I have to
>have
>> something that resets automatically in case of a power failure.  I
>don't
>> really want to be running another pc just for this purpose.
>>
>> Any thoughts or suggestions are appreciated.
>>
>> Sincerely,
>>
>> Ron
>>
>>
>> --
>>
>> (To whom it may concern.  My email address has changed.  Replying to
>former
>> messages prior to 03/31/12 with my personal address will go to the
>wrong
>> address.  Please send all personal correspondence to the new
>address.)
>>
>> (PS - If you email me and don't get a quick response, you might want
>to
>> call on the phone.  I get about 300 emails per day from alternate
>energy
>> mailing lists and such.  I don't always see new email messages very
>> quickly.)
>>
>> Ron Frazier
>> 770-205-9422 (O)   Leave a message.
>> linuxdude AT techstarship.com
>>
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--

Sent from my Android Acer A500 tablet with bluetooth keyboard and K-9 Mail.
Please excuse my potential brevity.

(To whom it may concern.  My email address has changed.  Replying to former
messages prior to 03/31/12 with my personal address will go to the wrong
address.  Please send all personal correspondence to the new address.)

(PS - If you email me and don't get a quick response, you might want to
call on the phone.  I get about 300 emails per day from alternate energy
mailing lists and such.  I don't always see new email messages very quickly.)

Ron Frazier
770-205-9422 (O)   Leave a message.
linuxdude AT techstarship.com