QoS, QoS, QoS!!! Comcast -> WRT54GS ->v0n@g3

Posts: 10 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Mar 07, 2006 Posts: 10

OK, 1st this is key to understand how to have the master setup:

http://vonage.nmhoy.net/index.html

I suggest you read it all. If you have set your QoS upstream bandwidth higher than what you're getting, because you read this:

http://www.vonage-forum.com/ftopic4187.html+upstream+rate+rt31p2

then the QoS you're seeing is not worth piss. It can help only a little; its marginal at best. Check this pic:

(this pic will last only 30 days from this post)

My bandwidth is 8000 down/768 up Kbps from Comcast. Before I would turn off/limit my bitorrent client because it would lag everything. Also, even w/ bitorrent OFF, I had complaints of my Vonage calls being choppy or "cutting out". Vonage support didn't really help, they only raised bandwidth to 90 Kbps and increased rate of packetization to every 10 or 15 ms (depending upon who you ask, and in what country they're based). Helped a little, but it sucked to have to be so careful w/ my bandwidth, when its so much, then found these forums, read the 1st link (very smart chips ahoy), then realized- the Vonage router (linksys RT31P2) sucked for QoS. My wireless router (linksys WRT54GS) has WAY better QoS.

So before I had my Vonage router serving Voip as well as acting as DHCP and some port forwarding, etc. My wireless router was behind it. After I switched them, and set the QoS as seen, it is unbelievable. Simultaneously I can run:

90 Kpbs Voip calls (no chop, or minimal at best)
128 Kpbs internet radio stream (winamp)
256 Kpbs satellite tv stream (realplayer)
UNK Kpbs VPN connection (don't know how to measure)
insane bitorrent bandwidths (see pic)
clunky but robust web browsing (no timeouts, speed feels a bit slower, like a laptop instead of an overclocked high-end desktop, but smooth and functional).

And after all this, a java-speedtest says I am only wasting 5-10% (50 Kbps) of my upstream. So awesome! The moral: drape some good QoS onto your connection. You'll thank me later.

N.B. Vonage support says put your Vonage router closest to your connection. WRONG (unless the Vonage router comes w/ some high-end QoS).

UPDATE: when I remove my desktop machine as a priority device, the QoS is much more reactive. If I do a speedtest via the web, my bitorrent bandwidth will drop down in a spike, whereas before it would gently curve down. Also the web browsing is way less clunky- just like no other bandwidth consumption was going on. AWESOME