PCFormat Forum Archive

I can't take the incessant whining of my lazy, good-for-nothing 'I-will-sit-and-play-games-all-day' low life I call a brother.

I need desperate help setting up a server (I can install Win Server 2003, or 2008. Doesn't matter. I have a license key for both) that will act as a server that will actively shape all bandwidth going through it.

I want it set up like this:

ADSL -> Server -> 8-Port Switch -> Every other PC on the network.

I need this server to be able to shape the bandwidth so that his silly little game of LoL gets utmost priority on MY (I'm paying for it) 1MB ADSL line.

I'm at the point of tears. Talking to him doesn't work. I can't kick him out, because it's not my house. I work from 8AM to 5PM, and when I get home I can't even use MY OWN internet. I have to side-step my usage so that he can play his stupid games.

So, please. I can't find any actual useful and easy to read info on Google to get this running.

Personally, I would get hold of a MikroTik and use that.

MikroTik's RouterOS is Linux based, I believe that there is a build for x86 hardware.

freeloader knows these types of systems very well. I'll try to get him to log on (for once!) and give you some advice.

QoS is a quite a big area on its own. I don't think there is a way on Windows though. Mikrotik's QoS works fine, though there is a few Cisco features I miss.

One thing to remember, you can't shape traffic on an incoming interface, only outgoing. If traffic arrived on an interface, its there, nothing you can do about it. It had to be prioritized on the sending end, something that will never happen on ADSL.

You can police your incoming traffic, but that only works for TCP traffic(not going to get into TCP window sizes now, WRED, and why/how you can police it). UDP it will have no effect on.

On a link as small that that (1MBps) you will actually need interleaving, something Mikrotik cant do. Its will stop transmission of a large packet and fit a small high priority packet into the middle of the large packet.

IMO you have 2 options.
1) Get a Mikrotik, limit you upload bandwidth to 512k down, 256k up and hope for the best. It will stop web browsing/email to interfere with his games. It will do nothing for torrents etc.
2) Much better option even if I have to say so myself. Tell him to stop making his problem your problem, F off and get his own adsl line. Sorry, I'm not good with taking crap from people, even told a client that after they tried making some of their bull my problem.

I use QoS for VoIP mostly, but its not that different for games I believe. Small, time critical packets. If you want I can help with the configs on Mikrotik/Cisco, the setup will take 5 min.

Maybe also have a look at IPcop/Untangle, they maybe also have an option fir limiting bandwidth up/down. Never used them though.

Hmmm, started rambling, guess it way past bedtime.

Any decent ADSL router should be able to do QoS on a port IP or protocol

Our network guy recommended this when asked:
http://www.draytek.co.uk/products/vigor3100.html

Not sure if it's available in SA
Also not sure why you cant just tell your brother to fark off and get his own internet.
I'd download Linux ISO's during his peak gaming times just to mess with him.

He's unemployed.
He's a whiny byatch that will complain the second I try and assert myself, and he whines the way that you just want to agree so that he shuts up.
It's my mother's house (even though she doesn't live there), so I actually have no say in whether he stays or not.

I've tried using NetLimiter to half my download speeds, and he still notices when Steam goes at it (Even though there's a good 40KB/s on the line for him, plus a good 24+ KB/s upstream, even though that shouldn't be affected).

I did some brainstorming, and I reckon it will reach the stage where I'll simply say: "Right, this is MY internet I'm paying for. If you want me to stop my downloads for the night, you put R50 into my hand. Then you have free reign for the night."

I give it two days before he runs to mommy and complains. (In which case I then ask for the fees I paid the the net back, in full. Plus my rent I pay. Because, if he can freeload, so can I).

I think the best method at this stage is to try and split the bandwidth 50/50. Have the server split it between our IP addresses.

Yeah, NetLimiter wont work because that just limits bandwidth, if Steam or BT is making hundreds of connections behind the scenes latency will still degrade.
You'll need either get a spine or QoS to resolve this
And since you already have a spine I wouldn't bother with QoS

If he complains tell him surfing job websites require much less resources he might invest some time in that while you are using the internet

I had a similar problem couple of years ago. Here's what I did: Take the oldest 486 PC you have and load windows server, preferably something like small business server which is bloated with junk and thus extra slow. Install the two slowest network cards that you can find manufactured in the early 1990s. Set this server as a bridge between the switch and the perpetrator's PC. Throw in a few old switches for maximum slowness. Create an automated task on the server to restart it every couple of hours. Hide everything in the ceiling so as not to arouse suspicion. Now sit back and listen to more whining