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Is the SQM QoS real or marketing?

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cloudbuster

Occasional Visitor
I think I been reading to much,
I was setup on something then I found out about Smart Queue Management QoS.

It seem that the standard is the
Nighthawk X4S R7800 for SQM QoS Streamboost

Do the ASUS version offer the same?
Any specific models?

There a lot of streaming in the house up to 6 devices at times

Thanks.
 
It depends on which entity is coining the phrase, but in general, "Smart Queue QoS" is most widely known as the "knobless" method for controlling against bufferbloat, via a combination of a packet queuing discipline (arguably the best of which is CAKE, as has been adopted by OpenWRT, or second best but more widely implemented being fq_codel) plus a hierarchical rate limiter (HTB, for example).

One of the best examples of a decent implementation of this (which was far ahead of Asus or Netgear when it was first done) is Ubiquiti's "Smart Queue" QoS on their EdgeRouters; it's basically just a combo of fq_codel and HTB. You only need to turn Smart Queue "on", specify upload and download bandwidth (you can/should tweak a lot more, like quantum #, etc.), and assuming your CPU has enough power to push packets at that aggregate speed (SQM is typically non-offloadable in most CPU architectures), you're good to go.

As far as Netgear and Asus go, I believe their latest stock firmwares off at least fq_codel as a choice for your queuing discipline (qdisc), probably listed under some consumer friendly name like "QoS Method" or the like. I believe certain Asus models (and usually Merlin) offer at least fq_codel, if not more options. So it's a "mostly yes" to answer your question there.

SQM, when implemented properly, tends to improve average latency and jitter by a factor of how different the speed is across interfaces, multiplied by how often you're saturating the WAN link; for example, it tends to help the most when going from a 1Gb/s LAN pushing 50Mb/s of would-be up+down WAN traffic onto a 25Mb/s DSL line. I would still help, albeit a little less, when ingressing/egressing 100Mb/s of Gb LAN traffic back and forth to a 200/20 cable WAN, and is least likely to help when going from that Gb LAN to a cable or fiber link of almost the same (or same) speed, presuming the link isn't being saturated that often, if at all.

As it is with anything else, it can definitely be a benefit when used properly, but it's your responsibility to know when and how to use it best.
 
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Stock Asus only has sfq.

Sent from my ELE-L04 using Tapatalk
 
Thanks all,

Just to make sure so the SQM QoS is not exactly router specific more of a firmware/software thing? To get OpenWRT with CAKE on the WiFi router and call it good?

So it would be like this:
1- OpenWRT CAKE
2- Merlin on ASUS router
3- Ubiquiti

I just found this other router claiming to have Streamboost Zyxel Armor Z2 AC2600. The price dont seem to bad.
 
asus is still in the stone age by not putting in Smart Queue Managment Ubiquiti is way a head of asus in the firmware department Asus need to get with it and get out of the stone age
 
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do they have some type of cap when using the SQM QoS.

Considering the Zyxel Armor Z2 and maybe the Ubiquiti Edgerouter 12.

Do they both have what you call decent firewall with the basic setup to complicated to get it going.
 
Thanks all,

Just to make sure so the SQM QoS is not exactly router specific more of a firmware/software thing? To get OpenWRT with CAKE on the WiFi router and call it good?

So it would be like this:
1- OpenWRT CAKE
2- Merlin on ASUS router
3- Ubiquiti

I just found this other router claiming to have Streamboost Zyxel Armor Z2 AC2600. The price dont seem to bad.

It's software-specific, however some advanced features have hardware requirements. Also, the hardware generally dictates the kernel version used by the device, as part of the SDK provided by the SoC manufacturer. Which queue discipline is available is specific to the kernel version used. Cake is only available on very recent Linux releases, for instance.
 

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