How to limit bandwidth?

[BondExtreme]

So I have a family member in the household who is getting a bit irritating with how much bandwidth he uses on the network. I know of a friend who told me awhile back that it's possible to limit bandwidth on certain computers on the same network. The problem with him is he is always illegally torrenting and uploading. I want to turn his bandwidth allocation to around 50kbps on his computer. He is running off of a wireless connection if that helps. Thank you!

 

[ktr]

What wireless router do you have? Are there any QoS options?

 

[theonedub]

Fabricate a genuine looking letter from Comcast advising to stop his illegal torrenting and other activities or risk termination of service and legal action. The fear stops your bandwidth problem and you are doing everyone a favor of making sure you don't get one of those letters for real.

 

[BondExtreme]

It's a Netgear WNR2000. I believe currently I am using WPA2 security.

 

[twilyth]

What wireless router do you have? Are there any QoS options?

This is the way to go. Set whatever protocol torrenting uses as low priority. Everything else should default to normal. To be safe, set the protocol and port for web browsing (TCP, port 80???) to high.

useful links

edit: Don't set html to high if you have VOIP or other real time apps running on the network.

 

[BondExtreme]

I myself use torrenting though but it's perfectly legal on my end. An example is I go to OC remix to download music through the torrent protocol. I just don't use a crap load of bandwidth as he does..

Whatever you just said though, I just need to know where to actually set it up.

 

[twilyth]

I myself use torrenting though but it's perfectly legal on my end. An example is I go to OC remix to download music through the torrent protocol. I just don't use a crap load of bandwidth as he does..

Whatever you just said though, I just need to know where to actually set it up.

It depends on the router software. If you look at the links, some talk about aftermarket products that let you control individual users.

but for regular off-the-shelf routers, it also depends. On mine, the Qos settings are in a tab under Lan config. It might have the most common types of traffic (eg, web browsing) already listed and you just set the priority. On mine, only a couple things are listed so I would have to research what protocol and port to put in for controlling torrents.

 

[IndigoGoose]

Thanks i was going to ask this question at some point. My mum just downloads so much shit cause we don't get english TV so i will limit her bandwidth to 100 or 150Kps. She slows down network that when we are just surfing the web its real slow

 

[qubit]

I believe my post in thread What routers are people using? applies here:

@hat: rolling your own firewall by using a PC is pretty cool, I must say.

Two great free products are:

www.astaro.com (get the home use licence. Fully featured, with only a few restrictions)

www.ipcop.org (fully open source and free)

www.smoothwall.org (the original freebie and IPCop was based on it)

Note that all the firewall software above is based on Linux and takes over the PC. Astaro has quite a lot of proprietary components in it and is by far the most professional of them. I still have a soft spot for IPCop though: it served me fantastically well for years and whenever I had a network problem it was never, ever IPCop that caused it. Astaro had a few little bugs in it, but they may have patched those out now, I don't know.

EDIT: I have to confess that out of laziness, I'm currently just using the firewall that's built into my HomeHub.

If you can roll your own Astaro firewall, then you will have unprecedented control over every little aspect of the network and especially those pesky bandwidth controls fine tuned to each protocol. You can also turn on the proxy and see everything he's accessing. Awesome.

 

[W1zzard]

have you considered talking to the leecher? maybe you could figure out limits that work well for both of you ? maybe unlimited during the night ?

 

[Mike0409]

Block his MAC address and say the ISP caught on to his illegal activities and banned his life from the internet.

+1 to QoS

 

[Brandenburg]

hmm.. 1st.. Who pays the bill.

If it is you .. Then you can tell that person, that him/her activities are detrimental to the overall smooth running and health of the network and to please put a CAP!! on your downloads/uploads via the torrent client or I will do it for you permanently.."This is not a Request".. Simple as that....

All ya's solutions..:shadedshu

In my house.. I tell EVERYONE.. This is not a democracy but a Dictatorship, and i'm the head dick.. LOL.. Ill only repeat myself ONCE on a given topic.. just to make sure there is no misunderstanding..

 

[qubit]

hmm.. 1st.. Who pays the bill.

If it is you .. Then you can tell that person, that him/her activities are detrimental to the overall smooth running and health of the network and to please put a CAP!! on your downloads/uploads via the torrent client or I will do it for you permanently.."This is not a Request".. Simple as that....

All ya's solutions..:shadedshu

In my house.. I tell EVERYONE.. This is not a democracy but a Dictatorship, and i'm the head dick.. LOL.. Ill only repeat myself ONCE on a given topic.. just to make sure there is no misunderstanding..

Awesome. and as it should be.

 

[Frick]

Dick for sure.

 

[Brandenburg]

Dick for sure.

You gotta be dude.. OR you will get walked over... I Got tired of the shoe prints.. No one fucks with me now because they know.. im as kool as can be but just dont push it or Ill go into the land of "Don't give a Fuck"..

All about respect with a touch of fear...You find the perfect balance and life IS GOOD

EDIT: Is it wrong to ask your kids or the cat to "worship me as a living god"..? That's usually followed by a "Real pimpin going on"... Just messing with them of course.. My daughter who is 18 .. just looks at me and says.. "Na I'm good".. Cat looks up from her sleep and says.. "What the hell is your malfunction and did you feed me yet bitch".. My son just looks at me and thinks.. "Damn hear he goes again":shadedshu

 

[BondExtreme]

Let's stay on topic. Thank you.

One thing I do know is he uses the same protocol as I do, utorrent. I have actually gone onto his laptop before when he was in the restroom and set the program to limit his upload bandwidth to what I wanted but I think he found out because he is taking up insane amounts of bandwidth again.
(Why did I teach him the ways of utorrent..:shadedshu)

On how to limit his computer specifically, can't I just go in the cmd console and type whatever I need to in there?

 

[qubit]

Seriously, set up a firewall like I described and get QoS to limit his bandwidth depending on PC name OR MAC address ie either one will trigger the throttle. This way he'll find it difficult to circumvent. This is in addition to protocol checks.

You can also set the firewall to only allow full bandwidth to named computers, ie a whitelist.

Shit, if I had someone that was such a pain and as uncooperative, I might throw him off my network altogether.

 

[Brandenburg]

Let's stay on topic. Thank you.

One thing I do know is he uses the same protocol as I do, utorrent. I have actually gone onto his laptop before when he was in the restroom and set the program to limit his upload bandwidth to what I wanted but I think he found out because he is taking up insane amounts of bandwidth again.
(Why did I teach him the ways of utorrent..:shadedshu)

On how to limit his computer specifically, can't I just go in the cmd console and type whatever I need to in there?

hmm.. Again.. Do you pay the internet bill...? If so.. I don't see the problem...Its all about who pays the bill to me...If you do.. one warning to limit his UL/DL rate to an acceptable limit, then if he doesn't comply.. BLOCK his mac in the router..problem solved

Perhaps you don't like conflict.. Sometimes you gotta be an asshole though..I know I hate conflict but there are times when you are left with little alternative

If you dont pay the bill or the bill is split between parties... Talking and compromise is your only solution..Sounds like time for a house meeting Don't people talk anymore? What you are trying to do is underhanded.. Your reasoning for doing so is valid.. but your method arn't... Ends don't justify the means..going on someones computer w/o consent is unkool BTW....IMO.



and sry for going OT.. just having some fun

 

[ktr]

It's a Netgear WNR2000. I believe currently I am using WPA2 security.

I have a similar router. Login to the router > QoS Setup > Setup QoS rule > Add Priority Rule

Priority Category: MAC Address
<select the computer in question from the list>
Priority: Low

 

[BondExtreme]

Thank you for replying everyone.
The situation is that doesn't understand computers too much and I tell him he is taking my bandwidth. He tells me he doesn't care.. I just say in my head, oh no you didn't.. xD Honestly, he probably won't even notice the bandwidth drop if I ever get this done. If he sees his torrents up rate at 30kbps, he will just think it's that low on seeders.

@qubit, How is that firewall setup in terms of ease? Tbh, I don't believe I have worked with the Qos rules before.

 

[Brandenburg]

sry for giving you my view on how to handle it as they are a bit extreme.. If he would of said.. "I dont care".. Would of said.. "Ok thats kool" and blocked his mac address...end if story

Its about common courtesy and respect to me.. Obviously.. This guy has neither. As you get older you will find out that respect is more and more important and your tolerance for people that don't have any gets less and less...trust me here

I dl stuff from time to time.. My boy comes to me and says.." Daddy.. Are you dl'ing stuff because the net is running slow".. I say "Yeah.. 1 sec and ill kill my dl's" I'm under no obligation to do this as I pay the bill.. But its the right thing to do..

I guess you doing it the transparent way would be better... just not my way

 

[douglatins]

Thank you for replying everyone.
The situation is that doesn't understand computers too much and I tell him he is taking my bandwidth. He tells me he doesn't care.. I just say in my head, oh no you didn't.. xD Honestly, he probably won't even notice the bandwidth drop if I ever get this done. If he sees his torrents up rate at 30kbps, he will just think it's that low on seeders.

@qubit, How is that firewall setup in terms of ease? Tbh, I don't believe I have worked with the Qos rules before.

I agree with the letter and MAC block if you pay the bill. Or inject a hosts file in his PC blocking most trackers

 

[Bundy]

I have a similar router. Login to the router > QoS Setup > Setup QoS rule > Add Priority Rule

Priority Category: MAC Address
<select the computer in question from the list>
Priority: Low

I also have a netgear router and this is the exact instructions needed to solve his problem (so long as the router has that option).

BondExtreme - you should also set a password on the router so your 'friend' cannot undo your changes.

 

[qubit]

Thank you for replying everyone.
The situation is that doesn't understand computers too much and I tell him he is taking my bandwidth. He tells me he doesn't care.. I just say in my head, oh no you didn't.. xD Honestly, he probably won't even notice the bandwidth drop if I ever get this done. If he sees his torrents up rate at 30kbps, he will just think it's that low on seeders.

@qubit, How is that firewall setup in terms of ease? Tbh, I don't believe I have worked with the Qos rules before.

You need some technical ability and knowledge to set up any firewall, even the simple ones that come with cheap home broadband routers. Roll-your-own ones that install on a PC require more technical knowledge, but it's not hugely difficult. Just make sure to read the documentation thoroughly before you start and remember that it will wipe clean the hard disc of the PC you're about to use.

Astaro is an advanced tool and you will have a learning curve, I'm not going to hide that from you, but it's not that hard and has a lovely web interface. However, it's well worth investing the time if you can. Their forum is here: www.astaro.org

Finally, if he doesn't care if he's taking your bandwidth, then he's just being a jerk. In this case, I'd be quite polite and say "Ok, you're gonna do what you want with my bandwidth, so what can I do about it? " putting on a lost, desperate look and let him feel smug for one minute flat. Then I'd cut him off completely and I'd have the smug look. I'd then let him fume as much as he wants and I wouldn't let him have it.

Whether I let him have access after that, depends on how things go and how much he's prepared to be reasonable with me. If not, he can stuff it.

sry for giving you my view on how to handle it as they are a bit extreme.. If he would of said.. "I dont care".. Would of said.. "Ok thats kool" and blocked his mac address...end if story

Its about common courtesy and respect to me.. Obviously.. This guy has neither. As you get older you will find out that respect is more and more important and your tolerance for people that don't have any gets less and less...trust me here

I dl stuff from time to time.. My boy comes to me and says.." Daddy.. Are you dl'ing stuff because the net is running slow".. I say "Yeah.. 1 sec and ill kill my dl's" I'm under no obligation to do this as I pay the bill.. But its the right thing to do..

I guess you doing it the transparent way would be better... just not my way

Absolutely! +1 and +1 again. I really hate being disrespected and will dish the dirt back with interest, as in my example above.

 

[BondExtreme]

Ok sorry for the long wait in my reply here. Just got back from a vacation in TN. ^_^

Ok guys. What I found out is that I do have the same setup you guys have with the Netgear router. I'm just a bit confused on what I exactly need to do here. So here is a picture of the QoS main interface. If you wouldn't mind, tell me everything that needs to be done at this screen.

Now I know I also need to click on Setup QoS rule. Now on this screen, for some reason his computer isn't showing up. There are a total of 3 computers on this network. Why aren't they showing up? Thank you!