[RT-AC68U] Restrict Bandwidth for Certain Websites
[RT-AC68U] Restrict Bandwidth for Certain Websites
Check the source video for guidance on device-specific throttling or alternative methods. If ASUS firmware lacks these features, consider OpenWRT as a potential solution.
These advanced behavior management tools are typically employed by big companies. It's possible there are options tailored for small businesses, though I’m not aware of them.
Network activity stays within the local area, making it immune to router-based restrictions. Blocking particular websites isn't feasible since most content originates from numerous external sources. Firewall settings typically apply filters at the IP level (unless deep packet inspection is used, which is demanding on router resources) and sharing an IP across multiple sites leads to inconsistent outcomes even after throttling. The best approach for site-specific control is employing a proxy server for targeted websites (I rely on Foxyproxy with Firefox for this purpose).
They mentioned it’s not feasible without costly equipment that regular users typically lack. Asus doesn’t separate internal and external traffic, but you can set their QoS rules individually for each port. This lets you limit speed on certain ports while letting others run at full capacity. If your internal and external traffic use different ports, you can effectively manage both by throttling the external side and keeping internal traffic unhindered. When using a switch between a router and all internal hosts on the same network, simply apply QoS settings as usual—this ensures internal traffic stays smooth and external traffic is slowed. It seems Asus’ QoS features won’t meet your needs, and tools like OpenWrt probably won’t either.
I recently moved to T-Mobile 5G home internet. It offers higher speed and lower cost compared to my old coax connection. Latency and ping performance are nearly the same for gaming. Until a device starts streaming TV via Sling.com... When it begins downloading video in chunks, it consumes all available bandwidth temporarily, leading to brief ping spikes during gameplay—usually every second. Once playback ends, the lag drops instantly. That’s why I want to restrict bandwidth for Sling. In Chrome I can use inspect element to identify the correct hostnames of content providers serving audio/video. I currently use an Eero mesh Wi-Fi setup with SQM enabled, but it may not work well due to fluctuating download/upload speeds typical of fixed wireless. Since I have a spare ASUS router nearby that functions as a switch, I thought it could help manage SQM or QoS manually.
I also use Sling, but I understand that inside the app you can set a specific streaming quality. This basically lets you save bandwidth while accepting a lower quality if your internet is slow. Sadly, SQM or QoS won’t help much when your WAN speeds change a lot. However, based on what I’ve seen, it really assists when many streaming services are vying for the same network connection.
Quality would decline noticeably. That’s why capping Sling’s peak performance around 20Mbps resolves the issue. Even at the minimum quality setting, it would still stream at full speed and might trigger lag spikes. I plan to test ASUS’s traffic management tool to restrict Sling devices to 20Mbps.
Adjusted all streaming connections to 8Mbps. The issue persists. Performance drops when Sling runs and then halts instantly once it stops. In Chrome tests on my desktop, lag spikes cease when I apply latency limits. For instance, adding a 1000ms throttle appears to resolve the problem. It looks like a more capable router isn’t feasible without further upgrades. I’m giving up. Fiber seems likely to arrive eventually, so I’ll hold off.