What about adding WRT54G to RT31P2 for wireless notebook?

Posts: 4777 · Vonage Forum **MVM** Joined: Aug 30, 2005 Posts: 4777

gridbias wrote:

What is "qos?"

Quality of service, which means what Reebok said.

Posts: 3198 · Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2005 8:41 pm Post subject:

it's on page 52. it's not called packet priority, I was quoting you since you understood it that way. it's called qos.

Posts: 16 · Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2005 10:01 pm Post subject:

reebok wrote:

it's on page 52. it's not called packet priority, I was quoting you since you understood it that way. it's called qos.

OK, John. I found it. Thanks.

Larry

Posts: 277 · Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2005 1:18 pm Post subject:

gridbias wrote:

reebok wrote:

"That will take care of phone packet priority"
qos is the fancy name for that. your manual will describe how to do it. it consists of about 5 steps.

I briefly scanned the manual on the CD and did not see anything about packet priority, but I will go over it more closely while I'm waiting for the notebook.

I'm running the WRT54G also, and its great. First thing to check is, what version of the WRT54G did Newegg send you? Look at the bottom, and hopefully its NOT a "v5." As long as its not a v5, and you don't mind doing a firmware upgrade, you can install firmware that has very sophisticated AND easy to set up QoS. This is what I've done, and my WRT54G is directly attached to the cable modem, with the RT31P2 behind it. I feel this is the preferable configuration for two reasons. First, the WRT is a MUCH better performing router than the RT31P2. Vonage controls the firmware on the RT, and to be honest, router performance just isn't a priority for Vonage. Second, the WRT has a very good SPI firewall, and the RT does not, so your security for the whole network will be much better if the WRT connects directly to the cable modem.

If your new WRT is NOT a v5, let me know and I'll get you the link for the firmware. Setting up QoS is as simple as putting in the MAC address of your RT and selecting "highest" in the priority choices, and you're done.

-Gary-

Posts: 3198 · Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2005 3:49 pm Post subject:

it's as simple as that in the stock firmware too. do you have numbers and test results on why/how 3rd party does qos better?

Posts: 277 · Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2005 12:29 pm Post subject:

reebok wrote:

it's as simple as that in the stock firmware too. do you have numbers and test results on why/how 3rd party does qos better?

Hi reebok. No, no numbers or test results. I confess I've been using 3rd party software for over a year now, and when I started using it, the latest stock Linksys firmware didn't have QoS. I've heard rumors that Linksys has actually picked up some things from the 3rd party releases and incorporated into later releases of their own firmware, which is perfectly acceptable with Linux and the GPL, so maybe this is one of those instances. The firmware I'm running currently allows QoS to be set by MAC address, by router ethernet port # 1-4, or by specific application/port. In addition it has a setting for upstream QoS, a setting to enable/disable WMM wireless QoS, and a box to check to "optimize gaming applications." Does the latest stock release have all of that also now?

Posts: 3198 · Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2005 4:38 pm Post subject:

yes. the only benefit I saw to third party was assigning ip by mac address and possibly boosting the wireless signal if you need that.

(right click, show image if it doesn't work)

Posts: 277 · Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2005 7:14 pm Post subject:

Yep, that QoS setup screen is identical to the one in the latest release of HyperWRT that I'm running. Nice to know, thanks. HyperWRT in particular has always been one of the more "modest" firmware projects, in terms of staying relatively close to the Linksys release and not incorporating all sorts of extraneous things. That's why I chose it, figured reliability would be better. At the other end of the spectrum are projects like DDwrt, which has created an entirely new GUI interface looking nothing like Linksys', and added dozens of new features, including stuff like hotspot, L7 network filters, etc etc. Impressive stuff, but I don't need it, and just more things to end up finding bugs in.

In addition to the settings for wireless transmit power and a few other minor things, HyperWRT has one more relatively significant thing that's not in the stock firmware (I think!)

Under "Basic Wireless Settings" --> "Wireless Mode", I have 5 choices - the normal AP: Access Point and STA:Client options, as well as WET: Wireless Ethernet Bridge, WDS: Wireless Distribution System, and WDS-AP. Its very easy to set up via the GUI to use a second WRT in bridge or repeater mode, to widen your ethernet coverage and/or provide wired ethernet ports in a second remote location without wiring between the two.

A second WRT makes a cheaper AND more functional bridge or repeater than the WET54G that Linksys sells.

-Gary-