Router for Gigabit Internet

[abailey]

Interesintg points of view regarding placement of QoS...by all means I appreciate the discussions.



Counter argument:

If the connection between the router and the switch is a serial link, how big a difference does QoS make by placing at the start of the link (i.e QoS at the switch) vs at the end of the link (i.e. QoS at the router)?

Logics only..not a QoS/network guru..

There is no need for QOS if the input speed and output speed are the same (as in using a single gigabit input and a single gigabit output - the WAN, on a router). There is no bottle neck and no need. So QOS becomes useful when you do have a bottle neck. In our example we have multiple devices coming into a switch at a Gigabit each all going out one Gigabit line to the router. So the possible bottle neck is the start of the link between the switch and the router (so on the switch side). There is no bottle neck on the router side so it makes a huge difference where you use the QOS.

 

[kvic]

Edit:
This gets even more important when you have the following topology:
WAN <- 1/1gbps -> Router <- 1gbe -> Layer 3 Switch <- 1gbe-> Layer 2 access switch <- mix of 100 and 1000 mbps clients

In the above scenario, it does make a difference when considering the router and Layer 2 access switch. It's not a "serial link" between them either.

Also, considering the router and the layer 3 switch, even though between them is a serial link but there are clients cascaded through layer 2 access switch onto the layer 3 switch. Hence, it does make a difference of placing QoS at the router vs at the layer 3 switch (may also place additional QoS at the layer 2 switch).

It's an illustrative topology of QoS placement.

There is no need for QOS if the input speed and output speed are the same (as in using a single gigabit input and a single gigabit output - the WAN, on a router). There is no bottle neck and no need. So QOS becomes useful when you do have a bottle neck. In our example we have multiple devices coming into a switch at a Gigabit each all going out one Gigabit line to the router. So the possible bottle neck is the start of the link between the switch and the router (so on the switch side). There is no bottle neck on the router side so it makes a huge difference where you use the QOS.

In a scenario of policing potentially max 4Gbit/s traffic (a typical 4 port switch all-in-one router) through a 1Gbit/s WAN, the original argument (placing QoS at the switch not the router) is right.

Thank you both for the enlightenment.

 

[Vulnox]

Thanks for the replies! I ended up going out and getting a Netgear X4S. It has a 1.7GHz processor, which while not everything important, seemed like it may be part of my issue since I could get full speed out of older routers if I turned off the firewall (not ideal obviously). I put the X4S into place and have been able to get full upstream and downstream speed without issue, all features I need activated, and the wifi range and speed has been fantastic. Even out in my garage I am getting over 300Mbps on my phone on the 5GHz band.

Thanks all for the information and insights! If anyone has been looking at a new router, I really like this X4S.