Anyone smarth with routers/wireless/switches/bandwidth??? - A nice scenario for people to solve

[TheNinja]

Ok here is my setup:

Downstairs: My neighbor downstairs has DSL. I bought a 4 port router/switch. The DSL line goes into the router. He has one CAT5 cable running from the router/switch to his computer. I have a Wireless Access Point (WAP) connected to another port of the router/switch.

Upstairs: I have another WAP in my room (the WAPs are setup to talk only to each other). Then I have a CAT5 running from the WAP to a 4port switch and I run my two computers off of the switch using CAT5

PROBLEM: Everything works great, until he turns on his computer and starts downloading stuff. My bandwidth goes to complete crap and even browsing the Internet seems like I'm using a dialup (only slightly better). And you can forget about playing BF1942 online b/c the pings are around 500-1000 on average.

Solution: I have access to all settings on the network/router b/c I set it all up. Can I cap the bandwidth for each IP address or do anything to resolve this?

 

[Hoober]

It would depend on the router. I don't know of any SOHO gear that lets you do port throttling.

 

[WTT0001]

Well, If I am not mistaken the dual WAPs are killing your bandwidth (by 1/2 or so). If possible I would run a hardwire up to your router from his or just work off "his" Wap and skip yours.

Anyway, good luck to ya,

WTT

 

[TheNinja]

Originally posted by: WTT0001
Well, If I am not mistaken the dual WAPs are killing your bandwidth (by 1/2 or so). If possible I would run a hardwire up to your router from his or just work off "his" Wap and skip yours.

Anyway, good luck to ya,

WTT

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "dual WAPs are killing your bandwidth". Maybe it is what my initial thought is. I have no idea why this would be the case, but it seems logical that the data will take the path of least resistance (so to speak) and since he is running direct from a cable to the router, the router gives him first dibs on the bandwidth leaving the WAP path (more resistance/time) with the leftovers.

 

[TheNinja]

 

[slag]

You said he has dsl.. probably has a 128 or possibly a 256k upload.

When you upload anything at all with a small upload cap like that, your download goes to hell since it cannot send the acks back to say that it received the last bit of info and to send more.

Been there, done that. HE probably is sharing a file or something and with even one user downloading it from him (him uploading it to someone else), your download crawl like a 56k dialup.

The problem is exacerbated by the fact you are sharing the service with him. If he were to get a 384 or greater upload speed, I bet your problem would go away.

And your pings will probably suck anyway since you are going through a wireless connection.

 

[notfred]

I'm pretty smarth. I think. What's "smarth"?

 

[dartworth]

Do you have WEP on?

 

[Hoober]

You guys are missing the point. It's not the WAPs or WEP. Staley said his downloads slow to a crawl only when his neighbor turns on his computer. If the downloads are fine when his neighbor isn't there, then the network connection isn't the problem. It's his neighbor's computer and their shared bandwidth.

 

[Kelemvor]

OK, Easy solution. Run a simple test.

RUn a cable from the router downstairs up to your PC and plug it in directly. Then see how it goes for a bit with both of you using it.

If it's OK, then run the cable from downstairs to your switch upstairs (you really only need a hub though), and see if that still works OK.

If both of those work fine, and it only gets bad when the Wireless is in place, then there's your answer. At least you will know for a fact where the problem is. Then you can start figuring out how to solve it.

And I'd try the networking forum...

 

[fs5]

Originally posted by: Hoober
You guys are missing the point. It's not the WAPs or WEP. Staley said his downloads slow to a crawl only when his neighbor turns on his computer. If the downloads are fine when his neighbor isn't there, then the network connection isn't the problem. It's his neighbor's computer and their shared bandwidth.

this is the problem.. Why don't you try it yourself. Try downloading/uploading from YOUR computer. I bet it'll do the samething. You need a port throttling router but like Hoober said, SOHO routers with port throttling are rare.

 

[TheNinja]

Thanks for the suggestions so far guys. I wanted to avoid running CAT5 all over the place since I already owned the wireless stuff from a previous networking setup I had (apartment complex), that's why I did wireless. And sorry I dont' know what SOHO means (I have a linksys router if that helps and I'm sure it doesn't have any port throttling)

 

[fs5]

Originally posted by: Staley8
Thanks for the suggestions so far guys. I wanted to avoid running CAT5 all over the place since I already owned the wireless stuff from a previous networking setup I had (apartment complex), that's why I did wireless. And sorry I dont' know what SOHO means (I have a linksys router if that helps and I'm sure it doesn't have any port throttling)

linksys router does not have it. it's not your networking stuff that's causing you the problem, it's the fact that you're sharing a connection with someone else. You could, not sure if it'll work, is to use the QoS in WinXP. Turn his on and set it to reserve 25% of the bandwidth on the line.

 

[Hoober]

Originally posted by: fivespeed5

Originally posted by: Staley8
Thanks for the suggestions so far guys. I wanted to avoid running CAT5 all over the place since I already owned the wireless stuff from a previous networking setup I had (apartment complex), that's why I did wireless. And sorry I dont' know what SOHO means (I have a linksys router if that helps and I'm sure it doesn't have any port throttling)

linksys router does not have it. it's not your networking stuff that's causing you the problem, it's the fact that you're sharing a connection with someone else. You could, not sure if it'll work, is to use the QoS in WinXP. Turn his on and set it to reserve 25% of the bandwidth on the line.

You'd have to do it on both computers, though, not just yours, Staley. I don't know how keen your neighbor is on that. And I've never played with QOS, so I don't know how hard that would be to configure. I would transfer a few files between you and your neighbor just to double check the latency on the networking gear, but if you aren't having problems with the internet when your neighbor's computer is off, then I would bet his computer is the problem.

SOHO = Small Office Home Office... gear like Linksys, Netgear, SMC, things like that. Routers not designed for enterprise-level environments.