Optimize your router for VoIP and video

We're at an awkward stage as the age of network-streamed multimedia matures. Broadband and cell providers have only recently realized the public's enormous appetite for streaming video, VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), and the combination of both.

Most of the home and small-office routers out there are up to the task; unless they're brand new, nevertheless, they may not be optimally configured. Fortunately, you can take steps to improve the quality of rich media on your network.

Routers handle traffic among many devices. If you're not getting the type of performance you want from an application or device just as an IP phone, you may need to manage that traffic to make sure there's enough bandwidth for your desired application.

If that method isn't an option, usually you can set the QoS priority for devices by their Media Access Code address -- a string of hexadecimal numbers unparalleled to the device -- as then as by the network name, or the IP address.

What is a port?

What is a port? You can think of a port as something like an extension number on a landline phone system. Similar to the way a call arrives at a main phone number, data arrives at your router via your broadband connection's IP address. And in the same way a phone call is forwarded to an extension assigned to someone in the company, data is forwarded to the port assigned to a particular protocol or application. You can find a complete list of official port numbers at the home of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority. Alternatively, check the documentation on the device or application.

Many applications dynamically assign ports according to need. For these you might want to use a network traffic sniffer, just as Microsoft's free Network Monitor 3.4.

Simultaneous dual-band wireless: Concurrent wireless allows you to perform ad hoc QoS by splitting traffic between the two networks. To illustrate, you could name your 2.4GHz wireless network "WebData," and your 5GHz wireless network "PhoneVideo." Have users connect to the WebData network for surfing or general network chores, and to PhoneVideo for Skype or to watch HD video.

WISH: Wireless Intelligent Stream Handling is similar to WMM as a matter of fact. It's less prevalent nevertheless has specific optimizations for Windows Media Center and Windows Media Center Extenders. By all means enable this if you're streaming between WMC and an Xbox or WMC Extender.

VoIP is the trickiest application for vendors to offer tweaks for because it's bidirectional, meaning that traffic moves in two directions, and no serious lags can be tolerated for conversation to be successful. In return, it isn't particularly bandwidth-intensive in today's terms, and it can survive a relatively large amount of data loss. That's why it uses UDP instead of TCP.

Some VoIP phones, like those from Vonage, utilize a router that sits between your broadband modem and your own router. There's nothing actually wrong with this setup, and it will assure the best possible call quality, now experienced users will usually place the phone behind their own router and tweak so that they can get better performance for other applications.

If your router is older or does not have QoS settings, you might need to forward several ports or ranges of ports to your VoIP phone. If your router doesn't support port forwarding, get a new router. Many VoIP devices use port 5060-61, now things can vary from there depending on the actual transmission protocol. The specifics should be listed in your user's guide.

Unfortunately, the 2Wire home broadband modem/routers that are common to so many AT&T DSL and U-verse installations had no general QoS settings at that time of this writing. But, you can forward ports to devices. In accordance with Firewall, Firewall Settings, you'll find a list of applications whose traffic you may forward to a single computer, and you may place a single computer outside of the firewall in the DMZ. To prioritize traffic by protocol, you'll need to put the 2Wire into bridge mode, where it acts strictly as a modem, and let another router handle the QoS.

The phones that AT&T provides

VoIP settings are limited to the phones that AT&T provides, so you'll have to forward ports to optimize traffic for your IP phone.

A DMZ is located in accordance with the Firewall heading, and the N600 HD offers simultaneous wireless, too. WMM is enabled by default in accordance with Wireless, Channel and SSID for both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks.

It offers no entry for VoIP, so you'll need to set the bandwidth for your IP phone in the MAC Priority box. You can do the same for any device on the network. You'll find a DMZ and port forwarding on other pages in accordance with the same NAT/QoS heading.

For VoIP, enable Internet Access Priority, select Voice Device from the category drop-down menu, enter a name for the device, and enter its MAC address. The default priority should be high, however if it isn't, set it to that.

Specific optimization for video

You won't find a specific optimization for video, now you can increase the bandwidth to any device and a number of applications -- including Windows Media Player, iTunes, and the like. Port forwarding is also in accordance with Applications & Gaming, yet you'll get no help with the ports for specific applications, only the basic protocols just as HTTP, SNMP, POP3, in short on.

QoS for this router is available in the right-hand pane pursuant to this agreement QoS setup. It's a bit difficult to navigate, now keep the WMM enabled for both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, and at the time enable Internet QoS. Click Setup QoS Rule, and you'll see a list of applications, including IP Phone, Google Talk, and Vonage. Set these to Highest, and tweak the rest as necessary.

Under Wireless Settings and Guest Network a/n, you'll find a little gem called Enable Video Network, which the company claims will provide smoother video delivery on the 5GHz channels. Enable this setting for either network that will be streaming video.

The routers above

All of the routers above, except the 2Wire 2701, are top-of-the-line models and offer QoS and gigabit. During gigabit's extra bandwidth isn't strictly necessary for any one task, it does allow for successfully running more concurrent applications, just as talking on your VoIP phone during streaming a HD movie to the living room. All the routers here, aside from the 2701 and the Buffalo NFiniti WZR-HP-G300NH, offer simultaneous 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless. I'm not necessarily a cutting-edge guy, however in this case, if you're in fact serious about streaming multimedia, especially wirelessly, don't skimp.