I thought I'd post an update...
I've been running DD-WRT on a Linksys WRT3200ACM for a number of weeks now, and I'm very happy with it. The configuration looks like this:
(Internet) ----(DSL)---- PACE 5268AC ----(Ethernet)---- WRT3200ACM -- (WiFi)
The 5268AC is configured for DMZ+ to avoid a double NAT setup.
The buffer bloat was eliminated by enabling QoS on the WRT3200ACM and limiting its upstream bandwidth to around 90% of the 5268AC's DSL upstream bandwidth. This reduced the unexpected browser delays while a backup is running from a few minutes to a few seconds without any other special priority settings for specific protocols, etc.
I did end up doing a little more to further reduce the impact of backups and other large uploads after a few weeks (even the few seconds were starting to bother me). Rather than base it on specific protocols, though, I crafted a little Linux script for my home computers that runs a shell command, reclassifying the packets generated by that command to be low priority (by setting the packets' DSCP field to AF13). DD-WRT already had an appropriate class of service defined, so all I had to do was add a firewall rule to cause DD-WRT to use that class of service for the packets generated via my script.
If anyone's interested, I can provide more details and the script.
I still hope something can be done about more intelligent packet scheduling in the PACE 5268AC. I understand it's difficult for Sonic, due to the support arrangement with AT&T, but those few-minute (perceived) service interruptions are killers, and it's pretty clear that anyone doing large uploads is susceptible to this.
And one final comment about DD-WRT... DD-WRT is an open source project with fairly frequent releases. This is usually good (a fix for the KRACK WiFi vulnerability came quickly), but it does mean that it can be hard to figure out which versions are stable. I bought my WRT3200ACM locally and installed DD-WRT myself. That saved me ~$100 over buying a WRT3200ACM with DD-WRT preinstalled from FlashRouters.com, but it also cost me a good amount of time researching DD-WRT's issue tracking system (as well as angst while I was flashing the router, hoping I wouldn't end up with a brick). I would spend the extra $100 if I had it to do over.
I've been running DD-WRT on a Linksys WRT3200ACM for a number of weeks now, and I'm very happy with it. The configuration looks like this:
(Internet) ----(DSL)---- PACE 5268AC ----(Ethernet)---- WRT3200ACM -- (WiFi)
The 5268AC is configured for DMZ+ to avoid a double NAT setup.
The buffer bloat was eliminated by enabling QoS on the WRT3200ACM and limiting its upstream bandwidth to around 90% of the 5268AC's DSL upstream bandwidth. This reduced the unexpected browser delays while a backup is running from a few minutes to a few seconds without any other special priority settings for specific protocols, etc.
I did end up doing a little more to further reduce the impact of backups and other large uploads after a few weeks (even the few seconds were starting to bother me). Rather than base it on specific protocols, though, I crafted a little Linux script for my home computers that runs a shell command, reclassifying the packets generated by that command to be low priority (by setting the packets' DSCP field to AF13). DD-WRT already had an appropriate class of service defined, so all I had to do was add a firewall rule to cause DD-WRT to use that class of service for the packets generated via my script.
If anyone's interested, I can provide more details and the script.
I still hope something can be done about more intelligent packet scheduling in the PACE 5268AC. I understand it's difficult for Sonic, due to the support arrangement with AT&T, but those few-minute (perceived) service interruptions are killers, and it's pretty clear that anyone doing large uploads is susceptible to this.
And one final comment about DD-WRT... DD-WRT is an open source project with fairly frequent releases. This is usually good (a fix for the KRACK WiFi vulnerability came quickly), but it does mean that it can be hard to figure out which versions are stable. I bought my WRT3200ACM locally and installed DD-WRT myself. That saved me ~$100 over buying a WRT3200ACM with DD-WRT preinstalled from FlashRouters.com, but it also cost me a good amount of time researching DD-WRT's issue tracking system (as well as angst while I was flashing the router, hoping I wouldn't end up with a brick). I would spend the extra $100 if I had it to do over.
