I have the RT-AC68U with tomato and qos on. I have a 250mb/s connection. But when i have qos on i only get 150mb/s i think this has to do with CTF but my cpu usage when doing a speed test is only 45%. Is there anything I can do to get faster download with qos. I have not seen any% for bandwidth in tomato QoS basic setting that extends beyond 100%. In which case / parameter u r observing this value. QoS can be configured via CLI using nvram commands. The parameters that can be set are qosack, qosburste, qosorates etc. Just run a nvram show comaand on the board's console and search. QoS settings for Tomato router If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. DD-WRT Forum » Discussions / General » Tomato QOS vs. DD-WRT Started by: cgallery Date: 12 Mar 2012 20:11 Number of posts: 14 RSS: New posts.
There we go , this will be my second part of how to configure QoS for Tomato Firmware (Yeah – it took a long time for me to write this article) . You may want to read my first part before proceeding to the second part here. Anyway , I’ve explained couple of things last time , which includes the basics of Qos and how to configure the bandwidth allocation and stuff like that. Once again I recommend you to read the first part before proceeding to the second part. If you’re feeling a bit adventurous (or if you’re lazy to read the whole guide) , then continue on to read. Anyway let us get started shall we (Click on read more to get started)
First and foremost , make sure you have configured the basic QoS Configuration as suggested in my first part of the QoS Guide. Once you have done that , make sure that QoS is disabled. This is important as we do not wish to intrerput our Internet connection while configuring the whole thing (Trust me , if you enable Qos while your room mates/family members are surfing the Internet or playing on line games – You’ll feel remorse and they’ll get on your nerves). Anyway , take look at the screenshot that I’ve posted below
If you notice that I have left the default configuration as it is , we don’t really want to mess with the basic settings. Leave it as it is , however you may want to delete the last rule which is Bulk Traffic rule. This is where we will configure it manually. Anyhow , before I teach the tricks of trade on how to configure your router. Lets take a look at the terminology , I’m sure you are interested to know what is Layer 7. Here we go :-
Layer 7– “L7-filter is a classifier for Linux’s Netfilter that identifies packets based on application layer data. It can classify packets as Kazaa, HTTP, Jabber, Citrix, Bittorrent, FTP, Gnucleus, eDonkey2000, etc., regardless of port. It complements existing classifiers that match on IP address, port numbers and so on.”. In other words it can automatically classify packets regardless of port. this is much more efficent way of blocking p2p traffic and/or controlling other applications such as games. However there is a catch , Layer 7 is very CPU-intensive and slow. This may stress your router and may cause slow-downs – Just keep that in mind
IPP2P – “IPP2P uses suitable search patterns to identify P2P traffic thus allowing the reliable identifcation of traffic belonging to many P2P networks. Once identified one may handle P2P traffic in different ways – dropping such traffic, putting into low priority classes or shaping to a given bandwidth limit is possible. Reducing costs, freeing network ressources and therefore improving network performance is often the result of using IPP2P”. In other words its a filters p2p traffic and it identifies. This is how some ISPs throttle P2P , although its not efficient as p2p clients these days have encryption , it can still throttle most of the p2p connections , which is still great ! – But it isn’t that great and once again this isn’t the best solution as bit torrent clients can easily bypass these filters by turning on Packet encryption !
TCP/UDP and other forms of Protocol – You wouldn’t want to mess with the rest of the protocols that they are there unless you know what you’re doing. Usually you’ll use this kind of filter to play or prioritise gaming packets or VOIP applications. Just specify which port it requires and you’ll have its data prioritised or reduced (depending on how you set it). This isn’t our primary concern and there is no further explanation for this , unless you want to study how TCP/UDP works – which is again way too complicated for me to explain and for you to understand. For now , that should do the trick
Port Selection – This is the fun part , you can choose to throttle the data on all ports (source port or destination port). You can usaully set it to which port or better yet block any port when you’re using IPP2P Filter or Layer 7. This i will leave it up to you. However , keep in mind that you’re going to add some load to the router if your port selection is any port and you’re using Layer 7. Thats just my tip
Address – This is where you specify who gets what slice of the bread. Suppose if you want to throttle your room mates’ (its just an example aka figure of speech) Bit Torrent connection as he is hogging everything. You may just filter it via IP. However , if your room mate is smart , he can manually assign IP in his PC and bypass that filter. I know you’ll be yelling – but don’t worry you can classify traffic via MAC Address. Although its possible to change MAC Address , only those who know what they are doing will know how to bypass and edit it. At times for certain NIC and WNIC (Wireless/WiFi Cards) its not possible to change the MAC Address.
Classification – As have been thought in Lesson I , this is where you apply it. You classify it to your own class which one to do you think it is priroity traffic , bulk traffic , etc. Just select the propriate class for the propriate program !
Here are some tips , make sure VOIP Applications (such as Skype) or demanding applications (Counter Strike and FPS games , and even World of Warcraft/Warcraft III (DOTA) ), gets the highest pirority traffic otherwise your your calls will cut or the quality will be degraded. Make sure critical applications do get the highest priority of traffic
You’ll have to do some trial and errors before you’re able to get full control of your traffic. QoS does take a look of effort , especially when you’re new. You’ll have to keep changing profiles till you get the shape of the traffic that you want (yeah , its just like losing weight and looking hawt). Dont forget to put a check on Re-classify all packets when changing settings , which can be found under Basic Settings (QoS), This is important especially when you’re testing your rules and other things. Plus , Its very hard to say on how efficent is your QoS. You’ll have to test it by stimulating traffic and monitoring it. It takes a bit of pratice and once you get the hang of it , it will be a easy as a pie ! – In my next lesson , we will be doing more in-depth analysis on certain cases , and how to counter attack certain cases and what are the disadvantages of QoS and of course ways to overcome it !
First and foremost , make sure you have configured the basic QoS Configuration as suggested in my first part of the QoS Guide. Once you have done that , make sure that QoS is disabled. This is important as we do not wish to intrerput our Internet connection while configuring the whole thing (Trust me , if you enable Qos while your room mates/family members are surfing the Internet or playing on line games – You’ll feel remorse and they’ll get on your nerves). Anyway , take look at the screenshot that I’ve posted below
If you notice that I have left the default configuration as it is , we don’t really want to mess with the basic settings. Leave it as it is , however you may want to delete the last rule which is Bulk Traffic rule. This is where we will configure it manually. Anyhow , before I teach the tricks of trade on how to configure your router. Lets take a look at the terminology , I’m sure you are interested to know what is Layer 7. Here we go :-
Layer 7– “L7-filter is a classifier for Linux’s Netfilter that identifies packets based on application layer data. It can classify packets as Kazaa, HTTP, Jabber, Citrix, Bittorrent, FTP, Gnucleus, eDonkey2000, etc., regardless of port. It complements existing classifiers that match on IP address, port numbers and so on.”. In other words it can automatically classify packets regardless of port. this is much more efficent way of blocking p2p traffic and/or controlling other applications such as games. However there is a catch , Layer 7 is very CPU-intensive and slow. This may stress your router and may cause slow-downs – Just keep that in mind
IPP2P – “IPP2P uses suitable search patterns to identify P2P traffic thus allowing the reliable identifcation of traffic belonging to many P2P networks. Once identified one may handle P2P traffic in different ways – dropping such traffic, putting into low priority classes or shaping to a given bandwidth limit is possible. Reducing costs, freeing network ressources and therefore improving network performance is often the result of using IPP2P”. In other words its a filters p2p traffic and it identifies. This is how some ISPs throttle P2P , although its not efficient as p2p clients these days have encryption , it can still throttle most of the p2p connections , which is still great ! – But it isn’t that great and once again this isn’t the best solution as bit torrent clients can easily bypass these filters by turning on Packet encryption !
TCP/UDP and other forms of Protocol – You wouldn’t want to mess with the rest of the protocols that they are there unless you know what you’re doing. Usually you’ll use this kind of filter to play or prioritise gaming packets or VOIP applications. Just specify which port it requires and you’ll have its data prioritised or reduced (depending on how you set it). This isn’t our primary concern and there is no further explanation for this , unless you want to study how TCP/UDP works – which is again way too complicated for me to explain and for you to understand. For now , that should do the trick
Port Selection – This is the fun part , you can choose to throttle the data on all ports (source port or destination port). You can usaully set it to which port or better yet block any port when you’re using IPP2P Filter or Layer 7. This i will leave it up to you. However , keep in mind that you’re going to add some load to the router if your port selection is any port and you’re using Layer 7. Thats just my tip
Address – This is where you specify who gets what slice of the bread. Suppose if you want to throttle your room mates’ (its just an example aka figure of speech) Bit Torrent connection as he is hogging everything. You may just filter it via IP. However , if your room mate is smart , he can manually assign IP in his PC and bypass that filter. I know you’ll be yelling – but don’t worry you can classify traffic via MAC Address. Although its possible to change MAC Address , only those who know what they are doing will know how to bypass and edit it. At times for certain NIC and WNIC (Wireless/WiFi Cards) its not possible to change the MAC Address.
Classification – As have been thought in Lesson I , this is where you apply it. You classify it to your own class which one to do you think it is priroity traffic , bulk traffic , etc. Just select the propriate class for the propriate program !
Here are some tips , make sure VOIP Applications (such as Skype) or demanding applications (Counter Strike and FPS games , and even World of Warcraft/Warcraft III (DOTA) ), gets the highest pirority traffic otherwise your your calls will cut or the quality will be degraded. Make sure critical applications do get the highest priority of traffic
You’ll have to do some trial and errors before you’re able to get full control of your traffic. QoS does take a look of effort , especially when you’re new. You’ll have to keep changing profiles till you get the shape of the traffic that you want (yeah , its just like losing weight and looking hawt). Dont forget to put a check on Re-classify all packets when changing settings , which can be found under Basic Settings (QoS), This is important especially when you’re testing your rules and other things. Plus , Its very hard to say on how efficent is your QoS. You’ll have to test it by stimulating traffic and monitoring it. It takes a bit of pratice and once you get the hang of it , it will be a easy as a pie ! – In my next lesson , we will be doing more in-depth analysis on certain cases , and how to counter attack certain cases and what are the disadvantages of QoS and of course ways to overcome it !
If you’re caught between the DD-WRT vs. Tomato firmware battle, and can’t decide which one to go with, well the confusion ends here and now.
Throughout this article, we aim to dissect both the firmware to their core, so by the end of this article, you’ll get a crystal clear picture of what each of these offer, and how they differ from each other individually.
I promise, this is “the” most detailed, transparent and in-depth Tomato vs. DD-WRT firmware comparison you’ll find anywhere on the web.
What is Third Party Firmware?
You might already know the answer to this, but let me just enlighten those (briefly) who might be new to this whole thing.
Third-party firmware is firmware you can add or install on your router in addition to the “stock” firmware (the firmware your router came pre-installed) with.
Why you might want that may have varied answers, but in general these third party firmware help you boost the performance of you otherwise rather “average” routers and make them the “best possible versions of themselves”.
Some of the most basic upgrades include wider range, better sensitivity, advanced networking modes, protection against manufacturer loopholes and backdoors (such as WPS), and addition to overall security.
This isn’t about just the two firmware we’ve been talking about, that’s DD-WRT vs. Tomato firmware, but all the other third-party firmware available to routers, meaning they all have the same core-functionality, i.e. to “upgrade” your routers and lift restrictions imposed by the stock firmware.
So now that you know what these firmware are, and what they offer, let’s get down to the original topic intended for this article, a comparison between DD-WRT vs. Tomato firmware.
What is DD-WRT Firmware?
For this DD-WRT vs. Tomato firmware battle, we will simply introduce you to what both these firmware are offering individually, and then will let you know how they differ from and compare to each other.
So, DD-WRT firmware is an open-source router firmware, and it was originally designed to run only on the Linksys WRT54G series, but as of now, it supports a wide array of routers available in the market. (Is the list longer or shorter than Tomato is a discussion for a later section).
Some of the primary features it gets us are:
- Brings in Telnet support.
- Provides SSH support.
- Gets us Milkfish SSP.
- Provides for remote network access.
- Supports IPv6.
- Brings in more connection protocol integrations like L2TP, PPTP, OpenVPN.
- Unique SSIDs when on multiple routers.
- DNS caching speeds up browsing speed.
- Wireless bridging support.
- Network Address Translation supported.
- Signal boost.
- CIFS clients and Samba file sharing support.
- Let’s you overclock your processor!
- Vitual Local Area network support enabled.
- QOS (Quality of Service) allocation let’s us allocate different bandwidth to different services.
And, these are just a fraction of what the DD-WRT router actually has in store for its users.
Now that you have a fair idea of DD-WRT’s strength’s for this DD-WRT vs. Tomato firmware comparison, let’s get you introduced to Tomato as well?
What is Tomato Firmware?
Despite its rather mediocre name, the Firmware has assured the world of its advanced functionalities and rather exceptional services.
It has been nearly 9 years in business, and several of its forks have gained popularity after its initial release in 2008, although “Tomato by Shibby” gained somewhat of a better response than the other forks.
Apart from some of the major differences between it and the DD-WRT (which we will discuss and compare in the next section), the basic functionality offered by Tomato is the same as any other router firmware.
Here’s a list which will help you get a better idea of who wins the battle of DD-WRT vs. Tomato firmware once you know what’s being offered by Tomato:
- Graphical Interface.
- DNS forwarding.
- 5 different wireless modes:
- Access Points
- Wireless Bridging
- Wireless repeating.
- Wireless client station.
- Wireless Ethernet bridge.
- IPtables with settings you can customize.
- More liberty with “Boot wait”.
- QOS control.
- Reboots reduced to the bare minimum.
- IP address static allocation – DHCP server.
- Control user access restrictions.
- Secure Easy Setup (SES).
- Journaling Flash File System version 2 Supported.
And again, this is not a complete features list, just an overview, because otherwise, this would turn into a review and not a comparisons between DD-WRT vs. Tomato firmware.
Anyway, I believe now you have a basic idea of the capabilities of both the firmware. Now let’s just compare them side by side, and see how each surpasses the other.
DD-WRT vs. Tomato Firmware Comparison
Before starting anything else, let’s just compare the general public interest for both the firmware over the past 12 months.
As you can see, the Internet has seen more searches for DD-WRT than Tomato in the last 12 months, and I actually changed the criteria to 7 days, 30days, and even 5 years, and the average graph remains the same.
Although we can only conclude that DD-WRT is more known to people than Tomato, this doesn’t necessarily mean that DD-WRT is a better firmware.
Features Which DD-WRT Flaunts and Tomato is Void of:
So now we’re down to the core section of this DD-WRT vs. Tomato firmware comparison, we’ve already talked about the features that each of these firmware present individually.
But now, let’s see how one compares to the other.
DD-WRT’s primary edge over Tomato is its wider range of compatibility. It supports Ralink and Atheros chipsets, which grant it compatibility with more devices than Tomato. Here’s a complete list of devices supported by DD-WRT.
Secondly, DD-WRT is without doubt more “feature-rich” than Tomato. But then again, this richness in features becomes a downside for DD-WRT as it results in a more cluttered and haphazard setup and configuration. Most of the features aren’t ever used by most users.
As far as hotspots go, DD-WRT will get you more features, such as Sputnik or WifiDog which you won’t find with Tomato.
DD-WRT also let’s us use repeaters on alternate subnets if we need the specific feature, while it’s limited to repeater bridge with Tomato.
Features which Tomato Boasts of and DD-WRT isn’t Equipped with:
For starters, Tomato is way easier to setup than DD-WRT. Its graphical interface makes it newbie friendly, which DD-WRT clearly lacks.
DGS (Dual Gateway Setup) also performs better on Tomato, as compared to DD-WRT.
Also, DD-WRT isn’t as stable, and is always in a “Beta” stage, while Tomato by Shibby has gained a lot of applause as one of the most stable and balanced Tomato forks of today.
Then again, Tomato has lesser “reboots” as compared to DD-WRT, so you’d save both a lot of time and efforts.
Finally, this might not be a dealmaker, but Bandwidth monitoring is way better facilitated on Tomato, than on DD-WRT.
Tomato let’s us monitor bandwidth usage on more frequent scales (daily/weekly/monthly) and even historic data (after the use has been terminated.) While, with DD-WRT you’re limited only to real-time monitoring.
Although DD-WRT can be made to record data for longer period of time, but you’d need external add-ons for that, which is an added hassle compared to the simplicity of the feature being inbuilt with Tomato.
One other feature worth a mention is Tomato’s compatibility with dual OpenVPN servers. In other words, let’s say you’ve a NordVPN secure IP from location X. In addition to this, you can also use a location Y from some other VPN.
Well yes, it’s not a feature most of you will need or use frequently, but it’s available with Tomato.
Tomato also has integrated TOR clients. Actually, BitTorrent clients are pre-included as well. This doesn’t mean DD-WRT doesn’t support TOR or Bittorrent. But, it just needs additional manual work.
Features Comparison
So far in this DD-WRT vs. Tomato firmware comparison we’ve seen the individual features of both the firmware, and the features which each own exclusively which the other lacks.
Now, let’s compare the features which both the firmware own, but maybe one performs better than the other?
1. Speed
Speed is a major factor, router or no router. So, here are the comparison results for speed for both the firmware, for not one, but 2 channels!
On the 2.4GHz channel, Tomato by Shibby gets us an average speed of 56mbps (compared between 3 tests), while DD-WRT slightly fell behind with 50mbps.
And on the 5GHz channel too, Tomato by Shibby gets us an average speed of over 100mbps, while compared to just 95mpbs on an average with DD-WRT.
Although note that it depends on a number of factors so don’t let this singularly be your decisive factor.
2. OverClocking
When are we ever satisfied with the default values? So, we tried to see if we could twist and turn our friends to get us some more juice out of them.
For those of you who’re new to the term, overclocking simply let’s you “push” your router to greater lengths, get you better speeds, or when you need to use application layer QOS rules.
In most cases, you can overclock your DD-WRT to 632MHz in which case the speed does go up to the maximum.
Although the Tomato can be overclocked up to 663 MHz, and because it already was at maximum speed, there’s nothing to be improved there.
![Tomato Tomato](/uploads/1/2/6/6/126649148/450774614.jpg)
So as for this round of the DD-WRT vs. Tomato firmware battle as well, Tomato seems to emerge as the winner.
![Tomato Qos Tomato Qos](/uploads/1/2/6/6/126649148/595996429.jpg)
3. User-Interface
Simply being feature-rich isn’t enough, what if you can’t ever find all the options needed, or if the platform is too cluttered up with unnecessary features, making it hard even to reach the important ones?
Tomato Qos Settings
That’s where user-interface jumps in on the DD-WRT vs. Tomato firmware fight. Let me simply get you first-hand insights into how the interfaces of both the platforms look like.
Tomato:
DD-WRT:
From my personal perspective, Tomato is more modern, illustrated and easier to navigate, use and setup as compared to DD-WRT.
However, some of you might prefer the simplicity of DD-WRT which again will be your personal choice.
4. Support
Support is another major decisive factor while choosing a router framework, well because it’s not as simple as setting up a Facebook account, and at times, multiple times to be honest, you might need to Google your way up to answers.
The community support for DD-WRT far outweighs the support that Tomato has. This doesn’t mean that Tomato completely leaves you hanging out on your own, but when compared, DD-WRT’s support offers more easily available solutions and answers than Tomato.
All the other features such as connection protocols, security and VPN connectivity were the same for both the firmware and hence there wasn’t much to compare as far as this DD-WRT vs. Tomato firmware battle goes.
Is it Illegal to Flash Routers?
Short answer, No. But we understand why you may have asked the question. So when the FCC in vague words said that routers may not be flashed anymore, apparently the notice was misinterpreted.
So the original notice consisted of the following words:-
“Describe in detail how the software is protected against modifications”.
Most (including us, initially) interpreted the “modifications” referring to third-party/open-source firmware such as DD-WRT. We aren’t to blame though.
The same document later on had a more specific clause, which demanded an explanation on how the device was protected from being flashed. They even mentioned “DD-WRT” by name.
This resulted in an upheaval among the masses, a number of campaigns, notices and complaints were lodged. The world wasn’t ready to give up the security and feature-boost that came with these firmware.
Then an updated version of the notice came, “clearing the air”. This made it clear that Flashing your routers with third-party software/firmware isn’t “illegal”.
But the initial notice still has caused its damage. TP-Link is one of the first routers to block third-party firmware on its routers. Can the routers comply to FCC requirements without blocking third-party firmware entirely? Definitely. That was supposed to be the whole point of the new, updated notice.
However, it’s just easier for companies to block third-party modifications altogether rather than making multiple small changes to their routers. While many other companies may follow in TP-Link’s footsteps, there are those who don’t.
Fortunately, you can still get a pre-flashed router from Netgear, Asus, Linksys and many other companies. It’s best if you check our lists of the:
Where to get Tomato or DD-WRT routers?
Tomato Qos Xbox Live
Flashing a router isn’t exactly a walk in the park. Do it wrong and you risk losing your router forever.
Hence, we’ve compiled a number of posts which will help you get the best routers, pre-flashed and with premium support. Simply check our posts on:
- Best Pre-flashed routers for Small Businesses.
You’ll also find individual reviews to Linksys, Asus, Netgear and many other routers.
Final Verdict- DD-WRT vs. Tomato firmware which is Better?
So let’s wrap up this DD-WRT vs. Tomato firmware comparison? Which firmware is finally better than the other?
Tomato Qos Guide
To answer that, I’ll say to you that it totally depends on two primary factors:
- Your technical skills.
- Features you’re looking for.
If you’re slightly technically educated, you’d love the extensive features that DD-WRT comes bundled with, cause honestly, DD-WRT is more feature rich than Tomato, period.
But then again, it’s harder to setup and understand DD-WRT because of those same extravagant features, so for someone who isn’t as technically illuminated, it might be frustrating.
Moreover, when it comes to Tomato, it makes up with simplicity and ease, what it lacks with features. So in case you’re looking for the best router firmware and don’t wish to hassle yourself with the complexities of DD-WRT, Tomato is your answer.
Let me make this simpler and easier for you, “DD-WRT is more feature rich, but harder to setup, while Tomato is slightly less accommodating with features, but newbie friendly”.
Tomato Qos Rules
That’s the summary of this complete DD-WRT vs. Tomato firmware battle, and now it’s up to you to make your pick depending on your skills and requirements.