Buffer Bloat scores, +

[randomName]

So I was just reading a little on how the routers are tested and was wondering how Buffer Bloat is scored. The lower the score the better, or the higher the score the better? And what does it indicate? A lower latency buffer?

Thanks

 

[akb]

Bufferbloat is the undesirable latency that comes from a router or other network equipment buffering too much data. It is a huge drag on Internet performance created, ironically, by previous attempts to make it work better. The one-sentence summary is “Bloated buffers lead to network-crippling latency spikes.”

 

[ColinTaylor]

https://www.smallnetbuilder.com/lanwan/lanwan-howto/33107-how-we-test-hardware-routers-revision-10

The benchmark values published are Bufferbloat Score = (1 / Measured delay from betterspeedtest.sh script output in ms) x 1000, with higher values being better. This makes smaller measured delays into larger numbers so that they can be properly ranked. To convert back milliseconds, calculate 1 / (score / 1000).

 

[randomName]

So basically when comparing, the AC86U is the better of the two, right?

Asus GT-AC5300 - Down Avg. 450 / Up Avg. 227
Asus RT-AC86U - Down Avg. 575 / Up Avg.529

Taken from SNB's reviews on both.

 

[nightanole]

So basically when comparing, the AC86U is the better of the two, right?

Asus GT-AC5300 - Down Avg. 450 / Up Avg. 227
Asus RT-AC86U - Down Avg. 575 / Up Avg.529

Taken from SNB's reviews on both.

Yup. To make it even simpler, the ac86 will react twice as fast as the ac5300 on uplink.

For home work you could figure out what QOS/buffer bloat each unit is using. The older the unit, the simpler the QOS algorithm. The simpler the algorithm, the more bandwidth you lose in order to keep buffer bloat (so 2013 model using codel might be limited to 85% of bandwith before buffer bloat happens, while a 2018 model using CAKE might be able to go as high as 98%

 

[System Error Message]

typically bufferbloat tests are done with ICMP, so asus with its priority for gaming gets a poor bufferbloat QoS score when it infact is doing its job, putting priority to games, bandwidth to videos, low priority to ICMP and other things.

However prioritising ICMP over games does lead to better bufferbloat score and some games do tune your connection using your ping (ICMP). With my setup, i've noticed that my game servers have less lag everywhere which is very helpful but im not using asus as my router.

even using wifi, i get A+ bufferbloat on the toughest test with high resolution bufferbloat on dslreports.

 

[WiFiNemesis]

Bufferbloat is the undesirable latency that comes from a router or other network equipment buffering too much data. It is a huge drag on Internet performance created, ironically, by previous attempts to make it work better. The one-sentence summary is “Bloated buffers lead to network-crippling latency spikes.”

Right.

Coincidentally, Robert X. Cringely (of Accidental Empires fame) wrote recently:

"Prediction #2 was the beginning of the end for buffer bloat, a term many of you read for the first time here many years ago. I wish this prediction was true. In a sense it is true, because buffer bloat, which makes the Internet difficult to use for streaming media while simultaneously messing it up for nearly everything else, is at least firmly in the modern technical vocabulary and there are technical solutions available, most of them free. But buffer bloat remains as much of a problem as before, I think, because we won’t upgrade our home routers. If everyone would just get a new router, buffer bloat would go away."​

His post here.
Who he is here.

 

[System Error Message]

Right.

Coincidentally, Robert X. Cringely (of Accidental Empires fame) wrote recently:

"Prediction #2 was the beginning of the end for buffer bloat, a term many of you read for the first time here many years ago. I wish this prediction was true. In a sense it is true, because buffer bloat, which makes the Internet difficult to use for streaming media while simultaneously messing it up for nearly everything else, is at least firmly in the modern technical vocabulary and there are technical solutions available, most of them free. But buffer bloat remains as much of a problem as before, I think, because we won’t upgrade our home routers. If everyone would just get a new router, buffer bloat would go away."​

His post here.
Who he is here.

Just a new router does not get rid of the problem, it does reduce the problem a bit. I get A+ bufferbloat in testing with QoS so its QoS that actually makes a difference. Without QoS it'd depend on the ISP and router both of which will only get you B at best without any configs.

 

[avtella]

I don’t think Cake is implemented outside of OpenWRT/LEDE firmware at the moment but it’s definitely wonderful in my testing of it in my R7800, granted Streamboost in stock gives me an A this is far more consistent with lower latency.

 

[avtella]

Well that’s good too see, hope it comes into more consumer oriented units soon though.