Who has the best automatic QOS?

[retroxpsystems]

Hello:

I need some help. I’m looking for a router that has effective automatic QOS and in general is a good one. I am considering the Netgear Nighthawk X4S Smart Wi-Fi Router (R7800) and ASUS RT-AC3100.

 

[Nullity]

By it's nature, a worth-while "automatic" QoS is not really plausible. QoS depends on guarantees (latency and/or bandwidth), and if you are using automatic, dynamic traffic classification, you simply cannot depend on it because it may change the relative traffic priorties at any time. If the automatic QoS is proprietary, that is another level of unknowns.

There is fq_codel/codel, which is a "no knobs" algorithm for network buffers that improves worst-case latency (primarily for upload traffic), but otherwise you need to setup the bandwidth allocation manually and generally understand QoS fundamentals.


Most people need a very simple QoS setup, like prioritizing VOIP, which is very simple to setup with standard/traditional QoS. If you have complex traffic-shaping needs, I would look to tomato/ddwrt, pfSense/IPFire or an EdgeRouter X. AsusWRT seems to be hit-or-miss with it's QoS, partly because of the limited GUI.

 

[L&LD]

Between the two models you mention, the RT-AC3100 is the one I would try/buy to test first (with Adaptive QoS with manually configured up/down limits) along with RMerlin firmware (currently 380.59 stable, or the 380.60 alpha builds).

 

[pete y testing]

I’m looking for a router that has effective automatic QOS

the question is for what ends , QOS is an on demand service that usually wont work fast enough or well enough for high demand needs like gaming and voip

if the above is what you are after you are far better to look at bandwidth management / limiting and only the asus routers have this

do you need such an expensive router though as you cant really use its wifi speeds or throughput , but if budget isnt an issue the ac3100 is def the way to go

 

[sfx2000]

Might want to review this if you want to get deep into the wires.

http://www.snbforums.com/threads/qos-quality-of-service-in-a-nutshell.32515/

 

[System Error Message]

ASUS automatic QoS is actually priority based.

 

[RMerlin]

The RT-AC68U QoS is exactly the same as the RT-AC3100 BTW, so if QoS is the primary factor, there's little point in spending more on the RT-AC3100, unless you do need its faster CPU.

 

[System Error Message]

automatic is a relative term. You could configure QoS and it will work automatically. With asus adaptive QoS you can configure it as well so its unclear what you would call automatic or manual QoS. What one usually does is configure QoS and if happy with settings just leave it. Once configured even adaptive QoS it will stick like that. Just one comes pre configured and the other you have to add the details in first.

 

[Nullity]

automatic is a relative term. You could configure QoS and it will work automatically. With asus adaptive QoS you can configure it as well so its unclear what you would call automatic or manual QoS. What one usually does is configure QoS and if happy with settings just leave it. Once configured even adaptive QoS it will stick like that. Just one comes pre configured and the other you have to add the details in first.

If Adaptive QoS can function similarly to Traditional, like prioritizing traffic with a certain IP/port destination or source, then it should pose no problems.


If Adaptive QoS uses some proprietary App/service classification that the user cannot control or dependably predict (can Adaptive QoS automatically classify VOIP traffic that uses non-standard ports or encryption?) then it is not a worth-while QoS implementation. If a user only needs QoS that kinda works sometimes, then they really do not need QoS at all.

 

[System Error Message]

If Adaptive QoS can function similarly to Traditional, like prioritizing traffic with a certain IP/port destination or source, then it should pose no problems.


If Adaptive QoS uses some proprietary App/service classification that the user cannot control or dependably predict (can Adaptive QoS automatically classify VOIP traffic that uses non-standard ports or encryption?) then it is not a worth-while QoS implementation. If a user only needs QoS that kinda works sometimes, then they really do not need QoS at all.

ASUS adaptive QoS is app prioritisation. You cant do ip/port destination or source. Its ok if theres not too many apps so it depends on how many apps/users to handle.

 

[RMerlin]

ASUS adaptive QoS is app prioritisation. You cant do ip/port destination or source. Its ok if theres not too many apps so it depends on how many apps/users to handle.

You can assign priorities to specific devices however. Just drag and drop the desired priority (the color blocks) on top of a device to change its priority.

That's how I ensure that my ATA gets priorized.

 

[bobsilver]

The Netgear R7800 QOS is also app and data type priority. Meaning it will know the difference between Netfix versus web browsing for QOS actions. In my experience when I had a slow internet connection it worked quite well.

Bob Silver
Netgear Networking Advisor

 

[System Error Message]

You can assign priorities to specific devices however. Just drag and drop the desired priority (the color blocks) on top of a device to change its priority.

That's how I ensure that my ATA gets priorized.

So what you're saying is app prioritisation with source but not port or destination?

The problem with any app based detection QoS is that it can easily get outdated when something totally different or new is used. The usage of protocols to some extent works but it can confuse things such as torrents with p2p VOIP or a p2p based game like GTA 5 as they all use p2p in the way they work (though in protocol they all use their own). Akamai also uses p2p for content distribution. So trying to get something accurate from this may not work well but for many home users it is sufficient as they may not be very big. For example. a family of 4 could use adaptive QoS easily because only 1 or 2 would be gaming, another could be watching, and another could just be web browsing or downloading. When a network has many users you shouldnt use adaptive QoS or autoconfiguration methods.

So regardless of any auto configuration you first need to check if using it will work for your setup. If all your users just use common things, things that are well known and used and you dont have many than adaptive QoS works fine as long as you have enough bandwidth for those things to work well. Otherwise you will have to tinker things manually. When it comes to wifi regardless of your needs when in a city or housing area you will have to configure the advance part as even with 5Ghz things can be a mess of many networks and i've seen auto doing terrible things like one AP from somewhere else always using the same 5Ghz channel i use. When i change the channel manually it changes too despite all the 5Ghz spectrum being available. I know its not any of my devices because the mac address belongs to linksys and i dont have linksys so you can imagine what happens when a every flat/apartment has routers with 5Ghz and everyone using auto as that is the default config.

 

[RMerlin]

So what you're saying is app prioritisation with source but not port or destination?

Manual prioritization is per device, not per app.

 

[sfx2000]

Manual prioritization is per device, not per app.

A priority is still a priority - even if it's low and limited - and a QoS guarantee is just that - so GamePlayer X2000 downloadable content can be guaranteed a bandwidth not to exceed 100Kbit/Sec and a Queue level below everything else.

But QoS should never been seen as limiting a app/port/device - but rather, committing resources to that device at a certain level.

 

[retroxpsystems]

I just tried the Asus emulator for the 5300 and I don’t believe that it will work out for me. I’m using a screen reader and some of the parts of the GUI are inaccessible. Therefor I’m going to have to go with something simple to use. I did use DDWRT and I found it very accessible. So, the r7800 with DDWRT would not be a good combination?

 

[pete y testing]

. I’m using a screen reader and some of the parts of the GUI are inaccessible

I’m looking for a router that has effective automatic QOS and in general is a good one.

um didnt you want a router with the best qos and a good one ?

you never specified it had to be accessible for a screen reader

to me it sounds like you just want to buy the r7800 and want us to justify your decision where we cant as the netgear just doesnt have the same ability to bandwidth control and or qos even with dd wrt which i for one wouldnt recommend on a netgear with wireless AC now or with the new fcc rules

 

[retroxpsystems]

The problem is that someone told me that Asus was accessible to use with a screen reader. I just recently found that emulator list. While the setup wizard is accessible the other parts like the QOS and antivirus are not. By default are all of those settings enabled?

So it seems that the r7800 is not that good. I might then just try the 68u. What about the 68P? It seems that it has a faster processor but then the wireless is not that good.

I apologize for not being so clear in the beginning. I just figured that automatic QOS would be great.

 

[L&LD]

The problem is that someone told me that Asus was accessible to use with a screen reader. I just recently found that emulator list. While the setup wizard is accessible the other parts like the QOS and antivirus are not. By default are all of those settings enabled?

So it seems that the r7800 is not that good. I might then just try the 68u. What about the 68P? It seems that it has a faster processor but then the wireless is not that good.

I apologize for not being so clear in the beginning. I just figured that automatic QOS would be great.

It may also be true that the emulator doesn't mimic the behavior of the actual gui too (at least with regards to a screen reader). Also, are there other screen readers you can try?

 

[retroxpsystems]

I have tried two other screen readers however, still no go. The only other thing that might work is using an app on an iPhone to configure the router.