Simple QoS advice needed please

[DanielCoffey]

Hello folks - I would appreciate some advice on using QoS on my AC86U running Merlin 382.1_2.

I have never had to use QoS before as I just left all my devices to get on with it as the router saw fit but I now need to prioritize one device over all others.

The situation is that we have a relatively slow internet connection of 6.0Mbps down, 0.7Mbps up, most devices are wired through a Netgear switch to the router and there are only three wireless devices... iPhone, iPod and now, HomePod.

When the HomePod is active, I would like it to have the highest priority over all other devices but I don't know the most effective way to do this. As far as I can tell, its usage is meagre but, given the HomePod streaming and a YouTube user at the same time, I want the HomePod to "win".

At the moment the HomePod is getting its address via DHCP, is called "HomePod" and is on the 5GHz wireless.

Please could I have some step by step help with how to do this.

EDIT : and we really could do with a "Speaker" icon in the devices list...

 

[DanielCoffey]

A quick update to this... I have watched the wireless traffic on the Traffic Monitor and the HomePod requests the next track in a single burst rather than in increments. Here is what I mean...

Current download speed has risen to 9.0Mbps due to a reset last night which was unexpected but not typical. I could reserve, say, 2Mbps for the HomePod and it would still get the next track in plenty of time.

 

[FreshJR]

Turn on Adaptive QOS with properly defined limits (I recommend fq-codel)
In Bandwidth monitor, drag the Red "Highest" dot, over the homepod.
Click apply.

The traffic type that QOS identifies the homepod as also has to be high up the Custom priority list.

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A better method would be to use my script that allows custom rules. With the script, we can classify the homepod as a VOIP device so it would really get the highest priority available.


If the results are not satisfactory and you want to take the plunge. Here are the install instructions.
https://www.snbforums.com/threads/r...-and-inner-workings.36836/page-39#post-380153

 

[DanielCoffey]

Thanks for the advice but I need clearer instructions than that I am afraid. Adaptive QoS does not have any limits to define, it is Traditional QoS that has those settings. Adaptive QoS will keep iTunes and YouTube in the same priority category if I select "Streaming".

If I leave Adaptive QoS on Streaming, I assume it then goes and reads the priorities from the Bandwidth Monitor page? If I set HomePod to Highest and leave everything else on Default, will that achieve what I need?

 

[FreshJR]

Thanks for the advice but I need clearer instructions than that I am afraid. Adaptive QoS does not have any limits to define, it is Traditional QoS that has those settings. Adaptive QoS will keep iTunes and YouTube in the same priority category if I select "Streaming".

If I leave Adaptive QoS on Streaming, I assume it then goes and reads the priorities from the Bandwidth Monitor page? If I set HomePod to Highest and leave everything else on Default, will that achieve what I need?

Adaptive QOS first prioritizes traffic type and THEN it prioritizes devices within that traffic type according to devices labels in bandwidth monitor.

So you have "Streaming" high up in the list AND the homepod as "Highest", it will always get traffic first.
The downside is that with this setup streaming will be prioritized above web browsing.

Using my script, we can force the homepod into VOIP.

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Also be sure to make sure that the homepod is not recognized as file downloads. I can see how an incomming mp3 MIGHT be recognized as a file download.

 

[DanielCoffey]

Thanks - I saw your tool earlier and will have a look if the HomePod struggles. I can easily test it... start playback then go watch a youtube video. I can watch the bandwidth monitor to see which gets priority when tracks are requested.

 

[FreshJR]

Thanks - I saw your tool earlier and will have a look if the HomePod struggles. I can easily test it... start playback then go watch a youtube video. I can watch the bandwidth monitor to see which gets priority when tracks are requested.

You can also see what catagories are going up data-wise in QOS Statistics, to see if the homepod playing by itself is Streaming

 

[DanielCoffey]

Yay! It works, thank you. I can confirm that the HomePod is counted as Streaming.

With Adaptive QoS on, Streaming set to top priority, the HomePod set to Highest and all other clients set to Default, I get the behaviour I expect.

When a new track is requested, the HomePod gets 100% of the available bandwidth for a couple of seconds, downloads the track and adds it to its playback buffer. If I then start YouTube playback, I get as much of the bandwidth that YouTube needs until the next track is due for the HomePod. YouTube then suffers an interruption in its queuing for a couple of seconds as the HomePod shoves it out of the way to grab the next track then YouTube continues its download. Fortunately even on this slow connection, YouTube has enough of a buffer at 1080p that the brief interruption is not noticeable.

So... working as needed.

 

[FreshJR]

Yay! It works, thank you. I can confirm that the HomePod is counted as Streaming.

With Adaptive QoS on, Streaming set to top priority, the HomePod set to Highest and all other clients set to Default, I get the behaviour I expect.

When a new track is requested, the HomePod gets 100% of the available bandwidth for a couple of seconds, downloads the track and adds it to its playback buffer. If I then start YouTube playback, I get as much of the bandwidth that YouTube needs until the next track is due for the HomePod. YouTube then suffers an interruption in its queuing for a couple of seconds as the HomePod shoves it out of the way to grab the next track then YouTube continues its download. Fortunately even on this slow connection, YouTube has enough of a buffer at 1080p that the brief interruption is not noticeable.

So... working as needed.

Nice, enjoy!

With the script, and shoving homepod into VOIP, I bet neither will stutter.