Linksys WRT1900AC Media Prioritization

[chadster766]

I was noticing in my settings with my WRT1900AC. Running latest firmware version btw. I also use the local login in settings and not smart wifi. Any ways. I noticed this even in the manual. It shows that you can set downstream and upstream? Yet mine only shows downstream? I am on 100mb/5mb cable internet connection. Those numbers I did not put in myself. I guess the router did. Picture attached. My main concern is giving my Ooma Telo phone highest priority. Maybe I don't even need it though as my connection is pretty fast? Also please note. Just for giggles. I decided to turn in on and throw Ooma at highest priority. I then done a speed test. It capped my download to about 96mb down. When I usually test between 100mb-102mb. Not a huge difference. But, is this to be expected? Like I said earlier. I did not touch the numbers that was already filled in by the router. I also turned it back off for now. Pending more information on this. And I hit my 100mb+ that is slightly over just fine again.

AFAIK the MP Upstream Bandwidth feature was removed in recent firmware updates.

Whatever the Maximum Downstream Bandwidth is set to will be the cap for all devices. That is why you see 98mb instead of 100mb in your speed tests with MP enabled.

Linksys MP is a basic QOS and only prioritized downstream bandwidth if the Upstream Bandwidth setting isn't available.

 

[thiggins]

Anyone might know the answer to this?

Try PMing Chadster 766

 

[htismaqe]

AFAIK the MP Upstream Bandwidth feature was removed in recent firmware updates.

Whatever the Maximum Downstream Bandwidth is set to will be the cap for all devices. That is why you see 98mb instead of 100mb in your speed tests with MP enabled.

Linksys MP is a basic QOS and only prioritized downstream bandwidth if the Upstream Bandwidth setting isn't available.

That seems completely counterintuitive.

If you go out and study CCNA, Network+, or any of the industry certifications, they're going to tell you that the best place to apply QoS is at the closest egress point.

Basically, you're saying there's NO egress QoS at all and the only QoS is on ingress, which is completely useless.

 

[chadster766]

That seems completely counterintuitive.

If you go out and study CCNA, Network+, or any of the industry certifications, they're going to tell you that the best place to apply QoS is at the closest egress point.

Basically, you're saying there's NO egress QoS at all and the only QoS is on ingress, which is completely useless.

Not if your target market is residential users whose primary concerns are Netflix and gaming.

 

[htismaqe]

Not if your target market is residential users whose primary concerns are Netflix and gaming.

Ingress queueing doesn't do anything for Netflix or gaming. The data streams have already traversed their internet connection prior to QoS being applied.

In order to correctly prioritize applications coming in on the user's internet connection, CoS markings would have to be applied on the ISP's side of the link.

 

[FattysGoneWild]

Thanks. Well it sounds completely useless more then ever now. Especially if it only controls downstream now and no upstream.

 

[htismaqe]

The only way it could be remotely useful is if it's prioritizing stuff as it passes THROUGH the router. In other words, it is QoS for the LAN.

Of course, that would also render the "Downstream Bandwidth" setting completely moot as WAN bandwidth has no bearing on media prioritization on the LAN.

 

[chadster766]

It works only on the lan\wlan and it does work.

If you set the Downstream Bandwidth to 10mbps than that will be the maximum any devices can download at whether normal or high priority. I you set it at 100kbps that's all any device can download at.

If you set the Downstream Bandwidth to 10mbps and have a device or application marked as high priority. That device\app will take what it needs from the Downstream Bandwidth and whatever bandwidth is left will be give to the normal priority devices\apps.

It's important that the Downstream Bandwidth be the actual maximum bandwidth your ISP will provide you.

 

[htismaqe]

It works only on the lan\wlan and it does work.

If you set the Downstream Bandwidth to 10mbps than that will be the maximum any devices can download at whether normal or high priority. I you set it at 100kbps that's all any device can download at.

If you set the Downstream Bandwidth to 10mbps and have a device or application marked as high priority. That device\app will take what it needs from the Downstream Bandwidth and whatever bandwidth is left will be give to the normal priority devices\apps.

It's important that the Downstream Bandwidth be the actual maximum bandwidth your ISP will provide you.

Sorry but that's all but useless. Unless people are using a bunch of old G devices, the most likely bottleneck is almost always on the WAN link, not the LAN.

Also, I'm wondering why it's important that you set the downstream bandwidth equal to your ISP bandwidth? If the WRT1900AC is not applying any outbound (upstream) priority, the only possible use for this would be to set the downstream bandwidth LOWER than your ISP speed, theoretically to prevent any one host from consuming all of your bandwidth (even though it won't completely work that way because the ISP isn't providing any QoS on the PE egress).

 

[chadster766]

Sorry but that's all but useless. Unless people are using a bunch of old G devices, the most likely bottleneck is almost always on the WAN link, not the LAN.

Also, I'm wondering why it's important that you set the downstream bandwidth equal to your ISP bandwidth? If the WRT1900AC is not applying any outbound (upstream) priority, the only possible use for this would be to set the downstream bandwidth LOWER than your ISP speed, theoretically to prevent any one host from consuming all of your bandwidth (even though it won't completely work that way because the ISP isn't providing any QoS on the PE egress).

You're sort of missing the point of why I think Linksys went down this path. Keep in mind that they are experts and masters in that market. They know what the vast majority of there customers want. If you take into account the huge volumes of routers they sell against the relatively low number bad reviews its kind of amazing and an enigma.

Incoming multimedia streaming in the home has come to a point where its starting to replace standard entertainment connections like phone, cable and satellite.

Outgoing isn't relevant to home users. They want there Netflix enabled entertainment systems, TV's and Blu-ray's to work regardless of what the kids are downloading on their computers.

 

[htismaqe]

You're sort of missing the point of why I think Linksys went down this path. Keep in mind that they are experts and masters in that market. They know what the vast majority of there customers want. If you take into account the huge volumes of routers they sell against the relatively low number bad reviews its kind of amazing and an enigma.

Incoming multimedia streaming in the home has come to a point where its starting to replace standard entertainment connections like phone, cable and satellite.

Outgoing isn't relevant to home users. They want there Netflix enabled entertainment systems, TV's and Blu-ray's to work regardless of what the kids are downloading on their computers.

I'm not missing the point. I get the fact that Linksys is very good at marketing. And that's precisely what this is - marketing.

Because technically, the way they've implemented QoS doesn't do anything at all. No matter what Linksys says, they cannot control inbound bandwidth consumption on the ISP link from the CE router when the ISP PE router is not participating in QoS. That's not the way QoS works. This idea that users can make "Netflix work regardless of what the kids are downloading" by simply enabling Media Prioritization is smoke and mirrors.

About the only real, practical application for QoS in the consumer environment is to limit upstream bandwidth for VoIP and properly interleave packets. Linksys has completely removed that functionality from their firmware now. There's absolutely no reason to use it.

It may give the average user a warm fuzzy to prioritize Netflix but that's about it. Incoming multimedia streaming works just fine without Media Prioritization enabled. I only have a 30Mbit connection and we have at least 1, and sometimes as many as 3, TVs streaming Netflix and/or Amazon every night, in HD, without Media Prioritization enabled. The kids play Flash games on tablets and the MiL plays Flash games on Facebook at the same time and the video never skips a beat.

Don't get me wrong, I love my router. The WRT1900AC is by far the best AC1900 router I've used, IMO.

But as a former engineer and professional networking consultant, this isn't really something I'm just going to ignore because I like Linksys' products.