Best router for 2-3 person heavy internet usage with traffic shaping

[DreamBliss]

We have Comcast cable internet, currently whatever package gives 26 Mbps download and 11 Mbps upload. We have the Comcast cable modem, hooked to a Linksys WRT 160N router. I'm using a TRENDnet media bridge upstairs, hooked via Ethernet to my computer so it can get online. My mother, the other main user, has two laptops with internal wireless. She is running Windows 7 64bit (Toshiba), as am I, and her little laptop (Asus eePC) is running Windows XP. Occasionally we have a guest, also on a laptop running Windows 7 64bit. My computer and both my mothers are all Static IPs, our guest is usually automatic.

What I want to do is simple to detail. Prioritize traffic, 13 Mbps download and 5.5 Mbps upload to me, the other half to my mom, to be used between her computers.

Along with that, for me, because Firefox downloads can not be controlled, I want to dictate how much of my half of my bandwidth goes to my various programs. I want to be able to easily do this - limit Cyberfox (the version of Firefox I use) to 3-4 Mbps download and 1-2 Mbps upload (for example.)

I have tried the software solutions Net Balancer, which I think is the highly recommended commercial one, and Net Limiter. Net Limiter was better, but both of them, especially Net Balancer, screwed up my internet access on my computer. I reset the registry entries for TCP but things are still messed up. If you have any recommendations for a program or series of steps outlined in a tutorial to put my internet access through Windows 7 back to default, please let me know, otherwise I have to go back to a basic image and re-install all the programs I have on my computer.

So no software solutions for shaping bandwidth on a computer - period! No exceptions! I am still trying to figure out how to revert things from the two programs I tried.

I need a hardware solution, and that comes in the form of either a new router or modem. I assume I have to use the cable modem Comcast gave us, so that leaves a router. I also need to decide if I should have a wireless card in my computer, and which one would be best, to go with the router you recommend. I can not do a hardware connection. As I said I am upstairs, my mom is outside in an RV.

To summarize:
1. I need a good router for high bandwidth 2-4 person usage that easily allows the traffic to be shaped internally. Imagine 2-4 people heavily browsing the internet and using YouTube at the same time. We all need our equal share of the bandwidth.
2. I need to know if my TRENDnet media bridge will work with this router, or if I need a wireless card, and if I need a wireless card, which one works the best with your recommended router and the high bandwidth of my Windows 7 64bit machine.
3. I need to set all the internet settings in Windows 7 64bit back to defaults. I know I can do this by simply going back to a first install image. But can I do this without having to do that? If so how?

Thank you for your help!

 

[diizzy]

You can't, there's no point in randomly dropping packets just to limit within LAN.
//Danne

 

[klank]

Get a second Comcast connection.

/thread

 

[plupien79]

2-4 people on a 25meg line should be just fine (assuming there is no torrenting)

Heck my 20 person office runs off of a 6x6 EOC connection and everyone has plenty of bandwidth.

What's the issue you're trying to resolve? It seems more like you're trying to micromanage something that doesn't really need it.

 

[tonyyy]

install ddwrt on your router and setup QOS.

thats what I did for my 15/1 Mbps dsl and it helps.

 

[marsboer]

You can use almost anything that can run linux as a router (or directly on your client if it runs linux). Use tc with HTB rate limiting, fq_codel queuing for keeping fairness and low latencies. Use iptables for extremely granular categorizing of traffic. fq_codel combined with HTB rate limiting works so well by it self that you in most cases won't need any more prioritizing or application differentiating.

Now for the download traffic policing I get the best results by using an IFB device and just implement HTB/fq_codel on the virtual interface. Getting flawless ingress policing is very hard however, as you can't really prevent people to send you data in your end.

 

[DreamBliss]

So there are no routers out there that let you set aside a certain amount of bandwidth for a static ip?

 

[Liger88]

So there are no routers out there that let you set aside a certain amount of bandwidth for a static ip?

This has always been kind of a myth. Organizations with vast resources and knowledge can do that kind of shaping, but it isn't something as easy as flicking a switch or clicking a setting. Consumer gear isn't meant to do that kind of work. You can artificially limit Wi-Fi signals and Ethernet port bandwidth rates, which can help.

Limiting applications and users isn't nearly as simple as people would think. This is why QoS is becoming the norm for just about anything. As someone already mentioned, just dropping packets isn't really doing any good especially if the bandwidth exists. You provision the connection from the router to the device, not based off the Internet (outside) connection rate. This is why QoS does work if you take the time to set it up properly, and the gear you're using doesn't have it as a broken feature (a lot).

 

[/usr/sbin]

Edge router lite QoS is outstanding. I can surf without any noticible lag time while simultaneously maxing out my connection downloading. I found the QoS to be adequate on my network of 18+ devices. With a properly configured ERL you really shouldn't need to assign bandwidth by IP... but it you really wanted to do so read below. The below config would be the download side of things. You'd just have to adjust the interface / traffic direction to get it working on the upload side.

If you went with an ERL here is the config file assuming:
eth1 = WAN (internet)
eth0 = Your LAN

configure

***TRAFFIC THAT DOES NOT FALL UNDER ANY SPECIAL POLICIES***
set traffic-policy shaper shaper1 bandwidth 24mbit
set traffic-policy shaper shaper1 default bandwidth 5%
set traffic-policy shaper shaper1 default ceiling 25%
set traffic-policy shaper shaper1 default priority 7


************Your Policies**************
**browser traffic
set traffic-policy shaper shaper1 class 2 match PORT80 ip destination address 192.168.1.10/29
set traffic-policy shaper shaper1 class 2 match PORT80 ip source port 80
set traffic-policy shaper shaper1 class 2 bandwidth 10%
set traffic-policy shaper shaper1 class 2 ceiling 20%
set traffic-policy shaper shaper1 class 2 priority 4

**non-browser traffic
set traffic-policy shaper shaper1 class 3 match PC1 ip destination address 192.168.1.10/29
set traffic-policy shaper shaper1 class 3 bandwidth 40%
set traffic-policy shaper shaper1 class 3 ceiling 70%
set traffic-policy shaper shaper1 class 3 priority 4



************Moms PCs**************
set traffic-policy shaper shaper1 class 4 match PC2 ip destination address 192.168.1.20/29
set traffic-policy shaper shaper1 class 4 bandwidth 40%
set traffic-policy shaper shaper1 class 4 ceiling 70%
set traffic-policy shaper shaper1 class 4 priority 4



***DNS TRAFFIC***
set traffic-policy shaper shaper1 class 6 match PORT53 ip source port 53
set traffic-policy shaper shaper1 class 6 bandwidth 5%
set traffic-policy shaper shaper1 class 6 ceiling 15%
set traffic-policy shaper shaper1 class 6 priority 0


set interfaces ethernet eth0 traffic-policy out shaper1
commit
save

Static IPs 192.168.1.10 - 192.168.1.14 would be PCs assigned to your pool. Static IPs 192.168.1.20 - 192.168.1.24 would be PCs assigned to your mother's pool. You'd want your DHCP server to give out IPs starting at 192.168.1.30 that way guests wouldn't be assigned to your pool. The above config file limits your bandwidth to your browser as well on port 80 (most web traffic). Keep in mind with an ERL you need to configure these options in a command line environment, but you could literally cut/paste it in via PuTTY and be fine.

 

[DreamBliss]

I solved this issue myself.

I found and had my mom purchase two items. Both TP-Link N600 devices, Dual Band. I got a TL-WDN3800 Wireless Adapter for my PC. Previous I was using a TRENDnet gateway - I think that is the word. Then we replaced our Linksys router, one of the WRT models as I recall, with TL-WDR3600 router. Took a bit of setting up, but under Bandwidth Control I was able to limit what each IP received for bandwidth. Not only that I was also able to set up a range of IPs for one of them.

Replacing the equipment has doubled our available speed for some reason, so I am guessing the Linksys and the TRENDnet working together were causing the problem. As this is not only Dual Band equipment, but Gigabit, there are no bottlenecks. It probably also helps that I am using the 5GHz band, everything else is on the 2.4GHz.

I have done this without changing the firmware or even updating the driver for the wireless card. Working pretty much out of the box. If anyone else is looking for this sort of solution, this is the setup you want.

Thank you for your previous posts and advice.