# Networking issue regarding bandwidth priority



## EastCoasthandle (Jun 15, 2010)

It appears that one particular network of PCs (all share the same router) have some sort of bandwidth priority.  Example:
1 PC starts downloading from the internet.
2nd PC then starts downloading and gets a higher download speed then the 1st PC which started 1st.

Another example:
That same PC starts web-browsing, and looking at a streaming video
2nd PC starts doing the same thing cause the 1st PC to pause/stutter while streaming. While the 2nd PC streams without issue.

There are other examples but the end results is that the 1st PC (same one) will always have internet trouble while the others run just fine.  And I'm not talking about completely maxing out bandwidth either.  The 1st PC can use 1/2 the bandwidth and the other PC can use only 1/3 and still cause pausing/stuttering problems for the 1st PC. 

What's going on?  Is there some sort of OS feature that determines who gets priority? All the PCs use either Vista/Win7 so I'm not sure what the heck is going on or why that's happening.  The cable's are fine, the router doesn't show anyone having any special priority.  I'm not sure what's going on.


Edit:
I think I found what I was looking for and it's called Metrics.  I only wish I could see what was assigned to each PC when set to automatic.


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## Hybrid_theory (Jun 15, 2010)

Interesting, i havent looked at metrics for OS before. For a router though a metric usually means the quickest route to another router. I guess this alters that field to provide QoS control from a client user standpoint.


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## Easy Rhino (Jun 15, 2010)

sounds like QoS settings to me...


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## digibucc (Jun 15, 2010)

a gateway or adapter metric will determine which outgoing connection a machine will use - but it doesn't alot bandwidth or split loads between individual machines...

I have noticed what you are talking about.... and am curious as to what causes it (not QoS settings - at least none visible in dd-wrt) but i don't see how gateway or adapter metrics would.


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## EastCoasthandle (Jun 15, 2010)

I'll have to look into this a bit by tomorrow to see if things improve or not.


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## Easy Rhino (Jun 16, 2010)

your second machine is getting packet priority most likely. that is generally a QoS setting.


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## W1zzard (Jun 16, 2010)

can you switch the machines at their physical locations to eliminate any cable problems?


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## Urlyin (Jun 16, 2010)

I thought metrics was for the same machine as in multiple nic cards?


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## Easy Rhino (Jun 16, 2010)

have you figured it out yet. the issue has to be in the router (which you have not named the model # for us yet). unless you installed some special throttling software on your PCs, they simply do not manage traffic. your router receives the packets and prioritizes them and sends them on their way. if you have a crappy router than it does a terrible job at it and just throttles the first PC back reserving bandwidth for the 2nd PC.


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## Hybrid_theory (Jun 16, 2010)

Rhino that was my thought too. But EastCoast said the router is not giving anyone special priority. Its possible the router is broken. But if this metric is set to packets differently by the clients, the router most certainly can treat one over the other; the same as QoS.


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## slyfox2151 (Jun 16, 2010)

from my understanding of metric,


it dosnt change the network packet, only witch nic it would use inside the pc. i might be wrong tho. (or what order the packets would be sent from the pc)


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## Easy Rhino (Jun 16, 2010)

Hybrid_theory said:


> Rhino that was my thought too. But EastCoast said the router is not giving anyone special priority. Its possible the router is broken. But if this metric is set to packets differently by the clients, the router most certainly can treat one over the other; the same as QoS.



yes, but he would need special software installed on his computers for that to be true. sounds like to me these are just generic windows systems.


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## digibucc (Jun 16, 2010)

Easy Rhino said:


> yes, but he would need special software installed on his computers for that to be true. sounds like to me these are just generic windows systems.



and they very well could be.  

I don't see it being the router or any extra software, I just see it being the way windows works and never looked further.

but i can confirm and guarantee that "A" computer on my network will take priority over others.  it can change after a reinstall, restart, or change of location.  but it's simply as he is describing:

I can have my main pc, PC A, downloading something maxxing out it's connection, full 10M.  then i start a download on my server , and the server slowly speeds up, overtakes PC  A, and then uses 90% of the bandwidth.

i have found any software that makes multiple connections will increase that computers speed. duh.  but even using basic firefox downloads to measure it will still happen.


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## Easy Rhino (Jun 16, 2010)

digibucc said:


> and they very well could be.
> 
> I don't see it being the router or any extra software, I just see it being the way windows works and never looked further.
> 
> ...



right, but what we need to know is if he can switch the PCs on the ethernet and duplicate what is happening. 

also, it almost has to be QoS because windows does not have any way to balance load of other systems it cannot control.


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## EastCoasthandle (Jun 16, 2010)

Easy Rhino said:


> your second machine is getting packet priority most likely. that is generally a QoS setting.


I wish that was the case but I see no QoS settings give priority in the router & modem




W1zzard said:


> can you switch the machines at their physical locations to eliminate any cable problems?


Same thing.  A Laptop using wireless in particular appears to get the greatest priority.  I did read that some routers do this for wireless by default.  If the DGL 4300 is doing this I don't have any command/option to turn it off.  




Hybrid_theory said:


> Rhino that was my thought too. But EastCoast said the router is not giving anyone special priority. Its possible the router is broken. But if this metric is set to packets differently by the clients, the router most certainly can treat one over the other; the same as QoS.


Yeah, I've look through the modem and router and can't find anything giving anyone special priority.


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## Easy Rhino (Jun 16, 2010)

EastCoasthandle said:


> I wish that was the case but I see no QoS settings give priority in the router & modem
> 
> 
> 
> ...



You may in fact HAVE to set QoS on your router if you want bandwidth to be used equally across your network. When you disable QoS on some routers it simply grants packet priority to whoever last demanded it. 

An easy way to find out is to setup 3 hardwired PCs. begin downloading a massive file on the first, then start the second and then start the third. if the third PC is given almost all of the bandwidth then your router has QoS off.


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## EastCoasthandle (Jun 16, 2010)

Yeah, I did that and it turns out it's the wireless laptop doing it.


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