Help for Newbie with QoS/VOIP

[JDB]

From the Mac terminal something like this;

scp /Users/YOUR_USERNAME/Downloads/FreshJR_QOS_compat_v370.txt [email protected]:/jffs/scripts/FreshJR_QOS



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[shelleyevans]

Okay! I just disabled the VOIP NAT helpers (SIP and H.323). I did a quick read and it looks like SCP is a command that I can use in terminal. I will update in a day or so when I have a chance to apply the script. Again THANK you so much.

 

[shelleyevans]

@JDB sorry, just saw your post, which gave the the syntax. Thanks. It seems like the first line identifies the script I have downloaded, and the second line moves that script onto the router. I presume that after that, I can apply @FreshJR's commands to enable/disable/uninstall the script. Will report back!

 

[JDB]

In terminal my only tip is <tab> is your friend. It auto completes what you’ve started typing. Useful for when entering long directory/filenames etc as just type “/Us<tab>” and it will fill in “/Users/“ for you. At that point double press <tab> and it will list the contents of /Users so you can see what to type as the next couple of letters to then auto complete your username... and so on.

Obviously it won’t work for the second part of the command as it doesn’t know the directory structure of the router, but still, it’s handy!


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[JDB]

@JDB sorry, just saw your post, which gave the the syntax. Thanks. It seems like the first line identifies the script I have downloaded, and the second line moves that script onto the router. I presume that after that, I can apply @FreshJR's commands to enable/disable/uninstall the script. Will report back!

Exactly! Do that command I gave (edited as required) in a fresh terminal so you are in the Mac OS local shell.

Then you have to ssh to the router (as you have already worked out how to) to run the rest of the install commands.


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[shelleyevans]

In terminal my only tip is <tab> is your friend.

Nice! I look forward to trying. Also, here's an interesting development: I installed Merlin today, and enabled Bandwidth priorities as @FreshJR suggested, with QoS (automatic bandwidth). For the first time in YEARS we have had rock-solid VOIP connections (from the ATAs). I'm stunned! Could this be just from the Merlin Firmware? So far I'm delighted and amazed.

 

[Vexira]

Nice! I look forward to trying. Also, here's an interesting development: I installed Merlin today, and enabled Bandwidth priorities as @FreshJR suggested, with QoS (automatic bandwidth). For the first time in YEARS we have had rock-solid VOIP connections (from the ATAs). I'm stunned! Could this be just from the Merlin Firmware? So far I'm delighted and amazed.

Automatic bandwidth is for 10gb connection your best off using manual bandwidth values for qos to work correctly

 

[shelleyevans]

@Vexira, yes, I know. It's a long story, but so far I can't get manual bandwidth values to work, at all-- I have no idea why. When I apply them, my download speeds (using the speed tests at dslreports.org) drop from ~200 to ~20-40, consistently. @FreshJR had a comment in his install notes, that automatic bandwidth is better than nothing, so that's what I ended up using. If you have pointers, I'm extremely interested!

 

[Vexira]

Pm me and when I get home I can try to help

 

[JDB]

Nice! I look forward to trying. Also, here's an interesting development: I installed Merlin today, and enabled Bandwidth priorities as @FreshJR suggested, with QoS (automatic bandwidth). For the first time in YEARS we have had rock-solid VOIP connections (from the ATAs). I'm stunned! Could this be just from the Merlin Firmware? So far I'm delighted and amazed.

It’s entirely possible the previous router/firmware had the SIP NAT helper enabled and it wasn’t helping!

Depends what the symptoms were before though for me to suggest whet actually fixed it.


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[shelleyevans]

My symptoms were extremely choppy voice quality, sometimes on my end, almost always on the other end; sometimes echoes. It wasn't that way when I first started using the OBI202, but after a couple of years (perhaps as we were adding more and more streaming devices and computers and phones) it degraded to the point that I could no longer do business calls on my ATA's. Your comment ("Let the ATA do the sorting") was EXTREMELY clarifying-- I think the NAT helpers were NOT helping. But (based on advice in other threads and forums) I had already experimented with turning them off in the ASUS firmware, with no joy. My current thinking is that the solution was setting the OBI devices as highest priority in Bandwidth Monitor, as @FreshJR suggested above.

For your *dedicated* VOIP devices, go into Adaptive QOS -> bandwidth monitor and drag the red "highest" label and place it over the VOIP devices. Of course, don't forget to click apply.

I had never done that before-- didn't even know it was possible. I am very hopeful that once I install the script tomorrow, things will get even better-- but if they don't, I can live with this!

 

[JDB]

Sounds like probably QOS is what’s helping here.
Even without Fresh’s tweaks the latest Asus QOS is reasonable.


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[shelleyevans]

Yes, think it might be. To be honest, there is SO much (mis)information floating around the internet about VOIP set ups. Enable/Disable SIP ALG; Enable/Disable QoS; dozens of possible tweaks for the ATA. You can read for DAYS and never find a solution-- or even a clear explanation of what the problem might be. I wish I had found this forum sooner-- for the first time I feel like I am beginning to understand what's going on, and how to troubleshoot it.

 

[Jack Yaz]

@Vexira, yes, I know. It's a long story, but so far I can't get manual bandwidth values to work, at all-- I have no idea why. When I apply them, my download speeds (using the speed tests at dslreports.org) drop from ~200 to ~20-40, consistently. @FreshJR had a comment in his install notes, that automatic bandwidth is better than nothing, so that's what I ended up using. If you have pointers, I'm extremely interested!

Just to make sure you're getting the values in the right boxes? I think Asus have them in an unhelpful order, I've been guilty of nerfing my speeds by putting upload into the download box...oops!

 

[shelleyevans]

Well, I'm supposed to be working, but I couldn't resist-- my family is out of the house, so I re-entered the numbers. Using dslreports.org/speedtest, I was getting pretty good numbers (180-260/10-13) when using automatic bandwidth, but very erratic bufferbloat scores. I set my download cap at 175 (about 10% less than the lowest download numbers I got) and my upload cap at 10 (10% less than the lowest upload numbers I got). Nothing changed. Then I rebooted the router. Now, suddenly, my speed tests cap at ~175/10, and my bufferbloat scores (last four tests) are A+. (That's good, right? Especially for VOIP?) It appears that something was borked in my old firmware-- perhaps I had never done a factory restore/reset, as I did when I installed Merlin. But also, it appears that in order to get the bandwidth numbers to stick, I had to both "apply" the settings, and then reboot the router. Is this correct?

 

[FreshJR]

But also, it appears that in order to get the bandwidth numbers to stick, I had to both "apply" the settings, and then reboot the router. Is this correct?

A reboot shouldn't of been necessary but I'm glad that cleared it up .

My script includes has a debug mode command print the current values of related qos settings stored in nvram. Wish we could of taken a look at that before the reboot .

 

[shelleyevans]

GUYS!! I did it!!!! The short version, for other newbies who are struggling with VOIP: by installing the Merlin firmware, and enabling QoS as recommended (setting the ATA devices to the highest priority, manual bandwidth control at 85% of my lowest rated download speeds), I got the best VOIP quality I have ever had. In search of even better outcomes, I installed @FreshJR's script, using the OSX Terminal program-- no other bells or whistles required. Ever since doing both, I have had A/A/A scores on dslreports speedtest. Yay! But even better, I can actually talk on my phones. I have attached a word document with the step by step of what I did, for anybody else who is struggling with VOIP issues, and using OSX (@Fresh JR has instructions for Windows, which are actually a little more complicated than Mac, and wouldn't work, as written, on OSX anyway...) Thanks so much to everyone who helped me with this!!!!

A couple of final questions: I don't want to mess with the script at all. The less I do, the less I have to remember. I presume this is okay, right? I can just set and forget? And also, when I update the Merlin firmware, do I need to disable the script before updating?

 

[eastavin]

Nice! I look forward to trying. Also, here's an interesting development: I installed Merlin today, and enabled Bandwidth priorities as @FreshJR suggested, with QoS (automatic bandwidth). For the first time in YEARS we have had rock-solid VOIP connections (from the ATAs). I'm stunned! Could this be just from the Merlin Firmware? So far I'm delighted and amazed.

Over the years I have found that prioritizing voip traffic or enabling qos makes VOIP very useable on most routers where the priority or QOS features work. Just make sure to never raise the priority of any other devices other than the ones using VOIP or the benefits start vanishing as everything cant be a priority.

 

[NoSync]

At 900/100 you would not need QOS.
So your numbers should be either 90/10, or 9/1.

How so? Bufferbloat is vastly better on my 1000/200 connection if I enable QoS.

 

[FreshJR]

A couple of final questions: I don't want to mess with the script at all. The less I do, the less I have to remember. I presume this is okay, right? I can just set and forget? And also, when I update the Merlin firmware, do I need to disable the script before updating?

The script persists/lives through Merlin updates.

Unless ASUS introduces some major changes in upcoming firmware updates where the script needs modifications to keep working, you are correct, you can just set it and forget it.

Only time you need to go back is if your ISP bumps your speeds or something. (Then you have to bump the speeds correspondingly in the WebUI