Home network priority

[A. Smith]

I have 2 PCs and 1 laptop connected through a Linksys router. Both PCs are wired, and the laptop is wireless.

One of the PCs is my work (home office) PC, so I would like it to have the priority to connect to the internet. The other two are used by the kids, which is fine, but they don't need to go so fast just for their games .

We are all using a Westell DSL modem and Bellsouth as our DSL provider. Bellsouth is not really helpful in the matter.

TIA!

[brian.mark]

Unless you've got a high end router (Cisco comes to mind), prioritizing isn't normally supported. The "Homeowner" grade routers just allow you to share equally, or less than equally if the host on the other end has a better connection than the one that someone else is using.

Unless you care to get a pretty expensive upgrade, I think you're stuck.

Brian.

[ADAM Web Design]

What brian.mark said. Most routers are configured to handle traffic requests in the order in which they're received.

The only option that may help is, depending on your router, to limit access to certain websites at certain times (same thing with ports, as some games rely on different ports) so that you can work and your kids can find something else to do.

However, an option like this is router-specific, and I can't say if it's on your particular router. That's one of those RTM-type questions.

[jestep]

I third that.

Its rare that a home router would have the capabilities to limit bandwidth to certain computers.

I would limit the programs on those computers that have access to the internet. Internet browsing usually isn't terrible being shared between a few computers on a single DSL, but if any of the computers are using Pier 2 pier software, like napster, bearshare, or others you will get a lot of lag. Same thing goes with games that are played over the internet.

We had an employee that was using bearshare on their computer at the office. We started to have some really slow network connections, on multiple dedicated connections. After a lot of diagnostics we tracked it down to a single computer. He had so much outgoing bandwidth that he brought the entire network down to dial-up speed. Definitely watch for those types of programs.

[RegDCP]

You can install software like (http://netlimiter.com)
Netlimiter that allows you to set up and download speed maximums on the secondary computers.

This will keep the main computer's bandwidth at something close to optimal.

[DrTandem1]

I assume you are saying that your connection is too slow and you think that the kids are hogging your bandwidth. At home I have a DSL connection with four computers, VoIP, and a PS2. Even with all of them being used, I haven't noticed any slow-down.

By the way, it too is connected via a Westel modem to the WAN port of a 4 port router that also feeds the VoIP router that has three LAN ports besides the RJ11. They are all hard-wired with CAT 5 IW to Ethernet jacks.

By comparison, I visit my neighbor who has a cable modem and only two PCs connected to a LinkSys router with the remote computer being wireless, and theirs seems pretty slow for browsing the internet.

It may be a firewall on your computer causing the slow-down.

[Bluevoodu]

yeah.... you shouldn't have a problem at all.

I run a 3 computer network. In fact, I run a 3 layer security.... 2 firewall routers are included in that. I use the netgear FR114P, and the Linksys BEFSX41. For wireless I use the Linksys Wireless-G Access Point WAP54G (with the 7 dBi upgrade antennas).

I am soon going to get a 16 port Linksys 10/100/1000 Gigabit switch. This way, all computer hook into the switch and are gigabit to each other..... the other routers are fast enough for the Internet connections that this works good. Through 2 routers, I still get 700-800Kbps downloads with our cable service..... It is just nice.

You shouldn't need anything more than 1 router, and 1 wireless router to get you going on all your machines. I personally recommend the Linksys brand. They are solid and cheap.

BTW... my friend came to visit us for a couple weeks.... and we were playing Counter Strike Source (a VERY bandwidth intensive game), and we both played on this network with no problems.. and had ping times of 40-70... which is pretty good for those games.

Don't forget to secure your wireless router :) if you are only using a couple devices.... make your wireless device sort by Mac address (you have to add the macs in). But everything but the devices with those mac addresses are blocked.

The software that regDCPstated works pretty well.

You might know a lot of this information already... sorry if that is so. I'm just trying to help. :)

†B†V†

[DrTandem1]

Good point about securing the wireless. Maybe your neighbors are crashing your party!

[A. Smith]

Yes, it is just a home router, just a Linksys WRT54G (well, that is a division of Cisco ;)). I don't think it's the neighbors, as we are far from them, and most of them are not into technology. I have narrowed it down to a certain program that the kids play online (name escapes me right now). I don't think it's the firewall, but will check it too.

I will look into that netlimiter.com. I don't want to be a mean mom LOL and cut them off completely, if I can help it. I can do it with the router admin, from what I can tell.

Thank you everyone for your replies! You guys are great!