How to balance Internet usage between multiple devices in home?

[kstiglich]

Like most people I have multiple devices connecting to internet, both wireless and wired.

I have an ARRIS WTM652G router receiving the Internet through cable. I received 4Mbps, and this router provides me wireless for my room where I use my laptop, 2 smartphones and an SmartTv, all in wireless mode.
Additionally, I have cabled this router through Ethernet to a switch in other area of my house (30feet long) and it connects to a Netgear ProSafe 8 port Gigabit Switch. This Netgear switch connect a PC Computer through Ethernet and a Wireless repeater.

My problem is that when my son use his computer to watch Youtube videos on his computer, I almost lose all my Internet bandwidth in my room (Next to the Arris Router using wireless).

I would like to prioritize any connect through Arris by wireless instead of any connection in the Netgear switch. Can I balance the Internet in all my devices?
Do I need to change the Netgear switch? Because I feel that the Netgear switch has the Priority Number 1 for any Internet request!!

I would really appreciate any help.

Regards,
Kenneth

 

[Urumiko]

It doesn't really work in this way. you have to remember the traffic that is causing the issue is coming from the internet to your router over your internet connection. The choke point is the internet connection itself. By the time the traffic arrives at your house where you can apply any filtering its already caused the congestion. Some home routers have QOS features you may wish to check out, these typically give priority to different types of outbound traffic which might help a bit but the issue is still likely to be inbound.

Youtube is probably UDP traffic which is just fired at you with no auto throttling and if the line can take it, it will keep sending.
If he's watching HD content it will probably be using the full 4mb and still borderline.
The best thing you can probably do is ask your son to keep it below 720.

also check your router for signs of erroring or packetloss on your internet connection which may exacerbate your issue.

If all else fails.. get faster internet 😉 lol

 

[bill001g]

I looked up that router to see if you have any options, that is a old router for sure since it does not even support 802.11n. It only has very basic firewall function no QoS.

You have no device that can do what you want you are going to have to buy something. Since this is one of those special cable modem/routers that also support telephone is hard to say how easy it will be to replace this. You may have to place another router in front of it and disable the wireless on arris device.

The cheapest way to get QoS is to load dd-wrt or open-wrt on a router. Some of the higher end routers from asus and tp-link also have advanced QoS.

Be careful a lot of routers claim to have QoS but most only can restrict outbound traffic. As urumiko points out this does not work real well to limit inbound traffic. You really want a router that has the ability to place a hard traffic limit on inbound traffic to certain users.

youtube is one that the application will detect traffic loss and slow down by itself to a point you can override it though. Other application placing a limit on them has no effect you are dependent on the person running the application to get tired of it not working and changing the settings.

Unfortunately the only real solution would be to have ISP prioritize certain traffic for you which is more of a commercial internet connection.