Dual WAN - QoS for gaming?

ThaLunatik · ‎07-23-2010

I have two internet connections: Broadstripe cable (WAN1), which has high throughput (15mbps) but unpredictable and at times unacceptable (for gaming) latency, and Speakeasy DSL (WAN2), which has low throughput (1.5mbps) but reliable and stable latency.

What I'd like to accomplish is basically QoS for my gaming, using my Cisco RV042 Dual WAN router. In this case I've established the protocol bindings necessary for WoW to communicate via WAN2, while putting HTTP (port 80) and Vuze (which I've assigned to use port 50500) on WAN1. I assumed this would have the effect of using only WAN1 for port 80 and port 50500 traffic, while using only WAN2 for WoW (at the ports it utilizes).

WoW properly uses only the Speakeasy DSL on WAN2. Additionally, browsing the Internet must occur on WAN1 since whatismyip.com reports my IP to be the one assigned for my Broadstripe cable. The problem is if I initiate a multi-threaded HTTP download (for example using a download accelerator) or torrent download my latency in WoW shoots through the roof. Since WoW exists only on the Speakeasy DSL line at WAN2, wouldn't this mean the download traffic (that is protocol bound to WAN1) is making its way to WAN2?

This occurs regardless of the speed of the download -- it can be doing 50KB/sec or 1.3MB/sec and it will still happen. The increased latency is more pronounced when downloading with torrents as many more ports are opened and connections established due to the nature of that network. I can be downloading several items at a combined total of 600KB/sec via torrents and it will cause much higher latency in WoW than if I download a file via HTTP at 1.4MB/sec, though in either case there is an impact on my latency that I wouldn't expect given the protocol bindings.

I would appreciate any pointers someone might have. I'm new to Dual WAN and load balancing so perhaps I just have a misguided perception of how it should work.

paolo bevilacqua · ‎07-26-2010

QoS on the internet is pointless and practically impossible - ISP don't care if you are playing or what else.

This said, in these days of BB and Fast Internet, everything works with no problems in most cases.

ThaLunatik · ‎07-27-2010

In my situation I don't require QoS from anywhere outside my network. I had assumed this Cisco RV042 could provide the local QoS I require. I set up protocol binding to route my games through my low latency Speakeasy DSL, while web browsing, HTTP, NNTP, and torrent downloads route through Broadstripe. This works fine and dandy and I can see the traffic being routed through the proper connections.

The problem is that if I'm downloading stuff via Broadstripe it causes my games, which are communicating via Speakeasy, to experience high latency. Since the inbound and outbound download traffic is via Broadstripe and the game is via Speakeasy, and the router is the one directing the traffic inside my network, I can only assume the router can't properly handle the load.

For now I've resigned myself to not downloading while playing games, just as I have in the past. The benefit I have with this router is that I can at least play games with good pings and perform web browsing and downloads with high speeds since I have both connections to handle their forte, but unfortunately I cannot do both at the same time as I hoped.

syed.raza · ‎07-28-2010

when u intitiate mutliple download using torrents it communicates to multiple diffrent location to start donwloading. and since you do not know all destination ip addresses which torrent will use to download, these packets start to use your other internet connection as well.

And i assume the even for WOW the destination address chnages dynamically.

so there is no way you can dictate the router to route on WOW on one ISP and rest on the other. becuase it doesnot differentiate between the tcp session from downlaod and wow.

seems like you will have to use 2 PCs one for wow and other for downloading.

Regards

syed

ThaLunatik · ‎07-29-2010

WoW uses a fixed port, which is how I am able to use protocol binding to route it only through my DSL. I have verified this by unplugging WAN2 while logged into the game, and I can see that it disconnects me from the game server. I also have HTTP and torrent traffic routed through WAN1 using protocol binding, and if my cable internet connection goes down (which happens from time to time) I must restart the cable modem before downloads can resume.

The computer next to me experiences the same latency issues when a download is occurring even though the download is on my computer. I know the traffic is connecting via the right connections that I have told them to, I just don't see why WoW experiences latency from traffic traveling over the other connection.

At least having access to both without unplugging and plugging cables is convenient. Certainly much more so than a standard single-WAN router.

syed.raza · ‎07-29-2010

There is no reason wow must face latency if you download is using the other connection. I believe your download eats up the bandwidth on the wow internet connection OR WOW somehow uses the download internet connection. you need to be really sure these application are binded correctly to the internet connection. Try a few more test to be 100 % sure. I am sure you will find your answer there. Try using wireshark capture. or you can sniff packet on the WOW Internet connection wire and see whats going on.

i think sniiffing would be a good idea. run wow and downloads together and when u get latency on wow sniff the wow internet connection & downloads internet connection. you might need to introduce a hub on the internet connection lines to do that. But it will exactly tell you what is going on. Share the packet capture and i can tell you whats inside.

Hope this helps.

Regards

Syed

ThaLunatik · ‎07-30-2010

I will try to run additional tests. I have tested WoW and know it to run on the proper WAN port, since if I disbale the WAN port I've bound its port to the game will reliably disconnect. It uses only a couple of ports. My torrents I am pretty sure also use the proper connection because Vuze shows the connection being used when it is connected, and it properly displays Broadstripe. Also, with HTTP traffic directed through the Broadstripe WAN, I've found that if the cable internet is down (which happens occasionally) the downloads will not even begin. Oddly enough, if the cable goes down my browsers will fail over and use the Speakeasy connection (whereas straight up HTTP downloads will just sit at "connecting"... ? )

The latency issue is most noticeable when using torrents. I know torrents open a lot of ports and have a lot of incoming and outgoing connections. HTTP downloads don't cause the latency as much, and last night upon downloading via HTTP I did not experience any lag. I will continue to test. Perhaps Vuze is initiating outbound connections on the Speakeasy line, despite me telling it to use a single particular port and directing that port through Vuze.

I have not delved in packet sniffing before, but I will put your recommendation to use and give it a try.

Thank you for your continued help!