Setting-up a linux-based router for bandwidth Rashioning

Hi everyone,

I recently started subscribing to Packet8 VoIP, and I'd like to find a
way to force-feed the needed bandwidth to the Packet8 device so I have
peak performance -- without effecting the reast of the network that is.

Currently my broadband (2500Kbps down and 384 Kbps up) goes to a
Linksys router where it then spreads throughout the house. It works
great as-is, but my roommate enjoys downloading from Bittorrent plus
streaming audi/video and other stuff that chews-up that bandwidth. I'd
like to find a way to either limit the bandwidth of my roommate or
better yet force the Packet8 device to always have at least 400Kbps
down and 50Kbps available.

I've toyed with iptables in the past, but I've never used it with any
practial application. I assume it will do bandwidth rashioning like
this, and if so what distro would you guys suggest sticking with -- or
does iptables work pretty much the same across all distros? I know
I'll need a PC with two NIC's, possibly three if I want one for
broadband, one for VoIP box, and one for my router.

Suggestions on such a setup? Am I overshooting the abilities of
iptables? Or does anyone have any other solutions? Granted I could
tell my roommate to not use Bittorrent or whatever she does that
eats-up the bandwidth, but I'm often guilty of the same thing. I just
hate telling her to get offline or disconnect her computer from the
network when I need to make a phonecall.

Thanks and take care,

Ringo

Hi Ringo

"Ringo Langly" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) oups.com...

> I'd
> like to find a way to either limit the bandwidth of my roommate or
> better yet force the Packet8 device to always have at least 400Kbps
> down and 50Kbps available.
>
> I've toyed with iptables in the past, but I've never used it with any
> practial application.

> Or does anyone have any other solutions?

Have a look at HTB on the http://www.lartc.org/ website. You can allocate
bandwidth by IP addresses and port numbers so it should be just what you
need. Plus it's flexible enough that, if your Packet8 device isn't using
bandwidth, you can allow other traffic types to use the spare capacity.

Hope this helps

Tim.

Ringo Langly wrote:

> Hi everyone,
>
> I recently started subscribing to Packet8 VoIP, and I'd like to find a
> way to force-feed the needed bandwidth to the Packet8 device so I have
> peak performance -- without effecting the reast of the network that is.
>
> Currently my broadband (2500Kbps down and 384 Kbps up) goes to a
> Linksys router where it then spreads throughout the house. It works
> great as-is, but my roommate enjoys downloading from Bittorrent plus
> streaming audi/video and other stuff that chews-up that bandwidth. I'd
> like to find a way to either limit the bandwidth of my roommate or
> better yet force the Packet8 device to always have at least 400Kbps
> down and 50Kbps available.

Why does VOIP need more down than up.

>
> I've toyed with iptables in the past, but I've never used it with any
> practial application. I assume it will do bandwidth rashioning like
> this, and if so what distro would you guys suggest sticking with -- or
> does iptables work pretty much the same across all distros? I know
> I'll need a PC with two NIC's, possibly three if I want one for
> broadband, one for VoIP box, and one for my router.

There may be a way to do it without changing any hardware - assuming your
router is a switch for LAN aswell and you run linux all the time on your PC
and don't mind it having to be on for others to have net acess.

But then I've never played with routers and VOIP devices and there may be
some detail that will mess it up.

May be worth trying if money for hardware is an issue and you have lots
of time to patch kernels etc ...

>
> Suggestions on such a setup? Am I overshooting the abilities of
> iptables? Or does anyone have any other solutions? Granted I could
> tell my roommate to not use Bittorrent or whatever she does that
> eats-up the bandwidth, but I'm often guilty of the same thing. I just
> hate telling her to get offline or disconnect her computer from the
> network when I need to make a phonecall.

As has been said LARTC for traffic shaping - if you are lucky you may just
get away with shaping on your outbound, as you have high bandwidth.

Andy.

>
> Thanks and take care,
>
> Ringo
>