Home Cache Server questions/discussion

[xxaviarxx]

As the title suggests I would like to know more about what a Cache Server does, how it can benefit a home with multiple devices, how to make one that's compatible with wifi and ethernet connections, what it takes to build a decent one and anything else that may pop into your head that may help in this learning process.

[RuLeZ]

I think that it was only usefull long time ago, unless you still have a pretty slow internet.

[xxaviarxx]

After 4 years of waiting my ISP is just now allowing my area 6mb/s internet. Yeah it's an old but still a great way to increase you internet speed from what I have been reading/watching.

[mikat]

After 4 years of waiting my ISP is just now allowing my area 6mb/s internet. Yeah it's an old but still a great way to increase you internet speed from what I have been reading/watching.

it ony helps if you are downloading the same stuff over and over again, like on a big lan party you would cache steam downloads, but for normal people its not really that handy

[xxaviarxx]

it ony helps if you are downloading the same stuff over and over again, like on a big lan party you would cache steam downloads, but for normal people its not really that handy

 

What would help improve the overall performance of a home network that's being used constantly by 6+ devices?

[mikat]

What would help improve the overall performance of a home network that's being used constantly by 6+ devices?

depends on what you are doing, if you are all downloading the same files over and over again it would help, otherwise it wouldn't

[xxaviarxx]

The computers all run the same OS so it would help there. Other than a Cache server what other things could help the overall performance of an otherwise slow ISP company?

[Fhait]

Honestly I agree with the general tone of most of these responses that adding a cache server is of little value to you as a residential user.

 

So much web server data is generated dynamically now, that you won't see a noticeable benefit in your browsing. In fact, in my experience as a network operator, adding a cache server to a network can actually have a negative user experience. (even while having a positive bandwidth usage impact)

 

I would look at possibly getting a QoS capable switch or router/firewall software where you can set bandwidth caps on certain kinds of traffic. For example, if you have 6megs of traffic, try setting up Netflix to only consume 5, or many software downloaders like Steam/Origin/etc have bandwidth limits you can set within the software itself.

 

= K

[Flytezero]

You can use Squid as a proxy with cache, this is also in the pfsense firewall. You can also use your own dns server.

[xxaviarxx]

@Fhait

 

This is my router's QoS setup. Should I get a new DSL Router? If so what should I get?

 

The main problem I am facing with QoS is I have no idea how to make it work at all.

 

 

Edit :: Fixed the sizes

[unijab]

Squid

[Fhait]

@Fhait

 

This is my router's QoS setup. Should I get a new DSL Router? If so what should I get?

 

The main problem I am facing with QoS is I have no idea how to make it work at all.

 

 

 

There's good news and bad news. 

 

It looks like your router has the proper support to classify/police your traffic. Good news.

 

Bad news. It's using DSCP technology to do to. This is not a slam against DSCP. It is excellent technology (especially when it first started appearing in devices about 15years ago). The configuration interface, as you can see is quite overwhelming and assumes a higher level of understanding that I suspect may make it unwieldy in your case.

 

Do you feel comfortable with the idea of taking a small, perhaps currently unused system and making it into a home router ? I think I saw a recommendation of pfSense a few posts ago which not only has an excellent traffic shaper/bandwidth control interface, but you can plug a 'squid' web cache into it (via software) if this is something you would also like to explore as per your initial query. Since you had asked about setting up a cache, perhaps you have a candidate system already ?

 

TL/DR . Yes, your router can do what we've discussed, but be prepared for an exciting 'journey' to get it set up

 

= F

[xxaviarxx]

-snip-

 

I have some old computers one with an intel celeron D 2.93ghz/256/533 which i could use to build a router if that would actually benefit me in anyway its windows xp home 32bit. I have a couple ethernet cards and some wifi cards as well that will work on xp based systems idk what else they will run on. If pfSense is a good option to increase speeds of just about everything then I'd more than happy to learn how to use that just on an extreme noob level >.>.

[Fhait]

I have some old computers one with an intel celeron D 2.93ghz/256/533 which i could use to build a router if that would actually benefit me in anyway its windows xp home 32bit. I have a couple ethernet cards and some wifi cards as well that will work on xp based systems idk what else they will run on. If pfSense is a good option to increase speeds of just about everything then I'd more than happy to learn how to use that just on an extreme noob level >.>.

 

pfSense is not a software package that runs under a modern operating system. It is a standalone product that you can boot off of cdrom or even USB flashdrive. So the existing WinXP OS on the hard drives can either be saved (just run off the cdrom/flash) or you can install pfSense to the hard drive if you want which will trash WinXP. I would recommend at least 2 ethernet ports, and a wireless NIC so that you can use the machine as an access-point for your wireless devices as well.

 

My recommendation to you at this point would be to download the pfSense ISO from their website and experiment with it in a virtual machine. That way you aren't lugging an old system out of the boneyard and commissioning it before you even know whether or not you are going to like it or want to implement it. You can duplicate your exact desired configuration in the virtual machine for testing (multiple NIC cards, etc) You can even implement pfSense and actually deploy it as a virtual machine but now we are really digressing.

 

There are a number of freeware virtual-machine packages out there for windows. Microsoft Virtual PC which I honestly can't recall if I've ever used, or Oracle VirtualBox which I have used and is pretty great.

 

= F