I have a network with several computers all on the same network and since I have very limited bandwidth I would like to prioritize traffic almost like a CPU scheduler prioritize processes.
Example: Computer A: Used for webstuff: YouTube, downloads, news, emails etc. Computer B: Transferring files over HTTP Computer C: Transferring files over ftp, rsync whatever
What I would like to do is to give A up to for example 90% of the available bandwidth IF A requires it. The leftovers (10%) is divided between B and C (5% each if both is busy) If A is not utilizing all bandwidth then of course B and C should share the full bandwidth (50% each as long as both are maxing out their bandwidth).
All computers are on the same network (192.168.1.0 – 192.168.1-10 for example).
Appreciate if anyone could shed some light on how I should set up my network to achieve this. To be honest I actually need a step by step guide on how I should set this up.
Network setup: (ADSL modem configured in bridge mode (1500kbps/300kbps))
[ADSL modem (bridge)]<->[pfsense2.0]<->[switch]<->[Computer A,B,C…etc]
Best Answer
The 780WL is very complex, but its QoS does not seem to do the job. Its firmware is encrypted and so protected against installation of a more evolved firmware such as DD-WRT or OpenWRT that can do priorities. Therefore the solution is not here.
On the other side, pfSense does seem to support QoS. It has the concept of Traffic Shaping, described in the Traffic Shaping Guide. This allows you to setup rules, called "limiters", that can guarantee bandwidth. Limiters are setup by creating them under "Firewall > Traffic Shaper", on the Limiters tab.
Limiter rules seem to be based principally on the source address or the destination address (IP). This will probably force you to discard the DHCP and assign static IP addresses to the computers, to be able to use these addresses in the rules.
Not having your environment, I cannot supply a step by step guide. However, the documentation seems useful and contains useful links at the end. For points that remain unclear you could either google or search in the pfSense Forums or post there your own questions.