[SOLVED] Wi-Fi on other devices shuts off when I download with Steam? Netgear Nighthawk C7800

NiveusT

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Aug 13, 2013
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I've got a Nighthawk C7800 Netgear router.

No settings were changed from the default except this:

I have my current desktop set to "Default DMZ Server" because for some reason that helped with Red Dead Redemption Online disconnects.
When I download things on Steam. The computer downstairs gets knocked offline. Both are connected through wi-fi.

It doesn't seem like there's disconnects on any other devices.

What could be causing this?
 
Solution
Most likely the downstairs computer does not have as good a wifi signal. Steam does a very good job of using all the bandwidth it can get so it could be that there is so much traffic the other computer is just being drown out.

The method used by wifi to share the radio bandwidth is extremely simplistic and is dependent on the end devices being able to hear the main router as well as each other. It is common for the end devices to not be able to detect each other tranmissions. It generally works because there is so much wifi bandwidth but these issues are much more visable as the load on the network increases.

Not sure what to suggest. You could see if a artificial limit on steam transfer rates would help. It to some...
Most likely the downstairs computer does not have as good a wifi signal. Steam does a very good job of using all the bandwidth it can get so it could be that there is so much traffic the other computer is just being drown out.

The method used by wifi to share the radio bandwidth is extremely simplistic and is dependent on the end devices being able to hear the main router as well as each other. It is common for the end devices to not be able to detect each other tranmissions. It generally works because there is so much wifi bandwidth but these issues are much more visable as the load on the network increases.

Not sure what to suggest. You could see if a artificial limit on steam transfer rates would help. It to some extent should affect every machine in the house, steam will attempt to use 100% of your internet bandwidth if it can.
 
Solution
OMG, DO NOT put your PC on DMZ. It opens it up to all kinds of attacks. You can open up individual ports for RDR.

As Bill said, the no cost solution is to lower steam's max download rate in the settings to something below your house's internet speed.

An expensive solution would be to buy a router that can do actual traffic shaping using FQ_CODEL or CAKE algorithms.