need QoS router for gaming, dd-wrt isn't cutting it

J

jcmuse

Limp Gawd
Joined
Feb 10, 2006
Messages
329
i play pc fps games where ping is crucial. I have other people using my connection wirelessly which causes my ping to spikes. I've tried the qos features on dd-wrt, they don't seem to work.

Do the "gaming" routers on the market work? ideally i would just build a pfsense box or something, but i don't really have the spare computer for that. I'd much prefer to buy a router, but i want to be sure it is going to work. anyone have any experience with this? I've tried dd-wrt every which way and it just doesn't work. I suppose i could try tomato, but frankly i don't want to go through the trouble.
 
The DLink gamers series do fairly well...
But nothing you can purchase off the shelf will compare to a PFSense unit.

Hit up eBay or other classifieds for an old IBM Thinkpad T 20 or higher series,..I started running PFSense on an old T21 or something.....Pentium 3 M, 256 megs, they have onboard Intel NICs, just pickup a PCMCIA NIC for the 2nd NIC. Right now I'm running PFSense on a 12" Thinkpad X41, Pentium M 1.2 or 1.4 I think, 512 megs, runs great.

Old laptops are great for using for *nix router distros, small footprint, built in KVM, low AC use, low noise, and a built in battery backup!
 
thanks.
i guess ill take your advice and get an old POS laptop. i wanted to use my netbook but its a pain the ass without a cdrom drive and then my nic isn't even recognized and then theres the issue of altq capability
 
jcmuse said:
thanks.
i guess ill take your advice and get an old POS laptop. i wanted to use my netbook but its a pain the ass without a cdrom drive and then my nic isn't even recognized and then theres the issue of altq capability
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Try it with an ild PC before you go nuts.

I have a handful fo p3 boxes laying around if you're close to 55355.
 
You might want to take a look at this new device from Cisco, the SRP521W. I had a chance to play around with one, it supports priority queueing and other advanced QoS features. It will be cheaper and easier to manage (configured via GUI) than a pfsense box. I'd buy one for myself if I didn't already have a Cisco 871 running my home network.
 
Arch said:
You might want to take a look at this new device from Cisco, the SRP521W. I had a chance to play around with one, it supports priority queueing and other advanced QoS features. It will be cheaper and easier to manage (configured via GUI) than a pfsense box. I'd buy one for myself if I didn't already have a Cisco 871 running my home network.
Click to expand...

If it's similar to the prior models, they're not that strong, I didn't have much luck with them at some clients.

"easier to manage (configured via GUI)....you know the *nix router distros (including PFSense) are all managed via web browser GUI also? You don't need to know linux and console commands to run *nix routers. Price..179 bucks. Vs...I just checked ebay for some used Thinkpads...over 1GHz and 512 meg RAM models available for less than 179 bucks, w/PFSense he could have a box that would run circles around that Stinksys without breaking a sweat. Take current wrt that he has, flip it to access point mode, he'd have a kicking home network.
 
YeOldeStonecat said:
"easier to manage (configured via GUI)....you know the *nix router distros (including PFSense) are all managed via web browser GUI also? You don't need to know linux and console commands to run *nix routers. Price..179 bucks. Vs...I just checked ebay for some used Thinkpads...over 1GHz and 512 meg RAM models available for less than 179 bucks, w/PFSense he could have a box that would run circles around that Stinksys without breaking a sweat. Take current wrt that he has, flip it to access point mode, he'd have a kicking home network.
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This.



If you download a lot of text files/linux isos, or a.have a lot of traffic in general, you will be soo much happier than that linksys w/ dd-wrt!
 
YeOldeStonecat said:
If it's similar to the prior models, they're not that strong, I didn't have much luck with them at some clients.

"easier to manage (configured via GUI)....you know the *nix router distros (including PFSense) are all managed via web browser GUI also? You don't need to know linux and console commands to run *nix routers. Price..179 bucks. Vs...I just checked ebay for some used Thinkpads...over 1GHz and 512 meg RAM models available for less than 179 bucks, w/PFSense he could have a box that would run circles around that Stinksys without breaking a sweat. Take current wrt that he has, flip it to access point mode, he'd have a kicking home network.
Click to expand...

I'm aware that pfsense is managed via the GUI as well. I spent the better part of a week, for several hours a day, testing it, trying to determine if it would be good to use at home. For me, the key to any good router for home is the QOS support. I have a SIP ATA that I use for my home phone service which needs priority.

Unfortunately, the traffic shaping configuration is far from intuitive. pfsense doesn't support DSCP at all, in any way. It can't set the DSCP value, nor can it classify packets via DSCP. Maybe I'm spoiled by using Cisco gear, but I found the other options for classifying packets into different queues to be lacking.

The SRP500 line is brand new hardware as far as I know. It also has 2 FXS and 1 FXO port built in, which is handy to not have a separate ATA for voice purposes. If I didn't already have a Cisco 871 + SPA2102 here at the house I would have one of those.
 
Id go with the pfsense also. If you want something even cheaper try to find an old dell server/workstation, usually very cheap like $40 for about a 2.0ghz with 512 ram.
 
Arch said:
I'm aware that pfsense is managed via the GUI as well. I spent the better part of a week, for several hours a day, testing it, trying to determine if it would be good to use at home. For me, the key to any good router for home is the QOS support. I have a SIP ATA that I use for my home phone service which needs priority.

Unfortunately, the traffic shaping configuration is far from intuitive. pfsense doesn't support DSCP at all, in any way. It can't set the DSCP value, nor can it classify packets via DSCP. Maybe I'm spoiled by using Cisco gear, but I found the other options for classifying packets into different queues to be lacking.

The SRP500 line is brand new hardware as far as I know. It also has 2 FXS and 1 FXO port built in, which is handy to not have a separate ATA for voice purposes. If I didn't already have a Cisco 871 + SPA2102 here at the house I would have one of those.
Click to expand...

There are several add-on packages specifically for SIP and telephony platforms.
I've yet to find other "home grade" routers that have such an easy hand holding "traffic shaping wizard" as the one in PFSense...for home users, it's incredibly easy...even checkboxes for specific games..they've created settings for you. Just select which games you run..doesn't get much easier than that.

I've played with a looootttt of different routers at home, of the home grade ones..even many SMB grade ones, I've never had one give me such a good online gaming experience has PFSense has, because I have a pretty busy home network with other users. They can do what they want and it doesn't affect my gaming like it would with other common routers.
 
Arch said:
Unfortunately, the traffic shaping configuration is far from intuitive. pfsense doesn't support DSCP at all, in any way. It can't set the DSCP value, nor can it classify packets via DSCP. Maybe I'm spoiled by using Cisco gear, but I found the other options for classifying packets into different queues to be lacking.
Click to expand...

Well, yes...... DSCP support is critical on my Cisco gear at work because we have a large private network and I need to tag the packets as I see fit, but unless you know something I don't, that means diddly when it hits the Internet. Queuing is more important at the CE router when you hit the Internet. Using CoS/DSCP would be nice, but there are other ways just as effective in pfSense for the home user.

Or you could just buy something from Cisco.
 
Yeah, looks good to me. Probably some x86-based proprietary firewall repurposed. If you head over to the pfSense forums folks have had success with a whole bunch of different stuff (Nokia, Symantec and some others are common candidates).

But yes, looks like a good price for good hardware. If you wanted to buy 'new' you'd probably go for ALIX, and a complete setup will cost about $175.
 
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