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Wireless Backhaul stopping other wireless traffic

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Wireless Backhaul stopping other wireless traffic

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Wireless Backhaul stopping other wireless traffic
Wireless Backhaul stopping other wireless traffic
2022-09-02 19:06:23 - last edited 2022-09-02 19:11:41
Tags: #Backhaul Method
Model: Deco X60  
Hardware Version:
Firmware Version: 1.5.1

I'm having issues with Wi-Fi backhaul seemingly blocking other traffic over WIFI.  Specifically, I have the X60 3 pack and it's setup with a typical setup, with one connected to my modem and the others using the wireless backhaul feature.  This setup generally works well.  However, I'm currently doing a cloud backup of my office computer (wired directly to one of the Deco x60 routers that is connected over wireless backhaul to the main one). This process has been ongoing for a couple weeks (I have a lot of data to backup and my upload speeds aren't amazing).

 

My ISP internet speed for uploading is around 12 MBps and I'm getting that backup speed on my office computer. I can see, in the Deco app, that my office x60 is showing around 12MBps upload and that the main Deco is also showing a similar upload speed when the backup software is running. However, while that upload is occuring, other devices connected only by WIFI, no matter which x60 they are connected to, can't seem to actually send/receive data over the network.  My office computer works without a hitch, but calls over WIFI through my cell phone are choppy and/or drop, all other computers in the house which are connected over WIFI to the main Deco simply won't load a webpage, Echos won't work, any gaming over WIFI won't work, etc.  These devices all show a connection to the router, it's just that things time out and are unusable.  I did some troubleshooting and if I stop the backup process on my office computer, everything returns to normal immediately.  I also got a very long ethernet cable and connected my office x60 to the main x60 by ethernet (ethernet backhaul) and, even with the backup process running, everything works normally.  Everything has been restarted multiple times.  I swapped out the actual x60 devices on the off chance one of them was having an issue, and that didn't solve anything.  So it's not my ISP, it's not the WIFI hardware in my devices, it's not the backup software. I think I've narrowed down the issue to the wireless backhaul.

 

This...doesn't seem normal.  12MBps shouldn't stress the x60 wireless backhaul to the exclusion of all other traffic.  That's nowhere near what these things are rated for.  I routinely play movies over my network with bitrates in the 60 to 90 MBps range over the wireless backhaul while other devices access the network without issue.  Is there some reason the cloud backup would cause this type of issue?  Is there a setting or something else that needs to be checked/unchecked?

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#1
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3 Reply
Re:Wireless Backhaul stopping other wireless traffic
2022-09-06 17:16:26

  @GoodTroll,

The only thing that I can think of is that because the backup is using the entire bandwidth of the WAN connection, your Decos may not be prioritizing the connection of devices across the network. I would recommend looking into the QoS settings for your devices as you may not be prioritizing using your entire bandwidth.

Also, the upload speed is different than your download speed, if your device is using the entire upload speed, there is little room for other devices to send their requests out of the network.

 

Is there a way to limit the upload rate of your backup to see if a 1 MB decrease in speed would create a more stable network and provide room for devices to upload basic information to the internet? 

 

I would always recommend using a wired backhaul or direct connection when performing a large backup such as what you are doing, as this provides the most stable connection to your services and will not affect the other devices, especially over long periods of time

 

 

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#2
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Re:Wireless Backhaul stopping other wireless traffic
2022-09-06 18:06:35

  @Riley_S  I appreciate your response. I'm not sure I understand everything you've said.  I'm using the entire bandwidth of the WAN connection (this is my ISP connection, right?) whether I use wired or wireless backhaul, correct?  Why would the choice of backhaul method matter in that context as my ISP's wireless upload speeds are significantly slower than the speeds between my mesh routers, whether using wireless or wired backhaul?  I haven't prioritized the QOS setting for my desktop.  There is no option to make it the lowest priority.  Are you suggesting making every other device "high priority" in the QOS settings of the Deco app?

 

The issue I'm seeing is only apparent when I am using a wireless backhaul.  If I switch to wired, it works fine.  Even backing up at full tilt with a wired backhaul has no impact on other devices functioning.  Wouldn't this indicate that it's specifically something with the implementation of the wireless backhaul causing issues with devices connecting and not QOS (which should not be dependent on the specific type of backhaul used) and using what should be plenty of bandwith here locally?  If I decrease the speed of my backup significantly, then other devices will function correctly.  I can't limit it precisely, but there are general controls that let me decrease speeds indirectly.  However, I need the backup to be functioning at full speed or very close thereto as I'm backing up a large amount of data and it will literally take years to backup that data at speeds that allow all my devices to function properly.

 

I'm able to connect with a wired backhaul for now but it is an eyesore and tripping hazard.  And since this is something that should "just work" it's frustrating. 

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#3
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Re:Wireless Backhaul stopping other wireless traffic
2022-09-06 18:54:58

  @GoodTroll,

You are correct in saying that this is an issue with the backhaul systems, I think however that the reason it is happening is that your decos are seeing the upload pipeline being full of traffic from your backup, and there is no more room in the data stream(upload bandwidth) for DNS requests to be sent outside of the network. It's not necessarily QoS but perhaps the router trying to be smart when it sees a full upload link.

I really do think that finding a way to limit the bandwidth either though your backup service, or network adapter settings to allow other devices a small amount of traffic on a reliable path by limiting the speed by a small amount.

 

Some things that would be worth testing:

 

What is your ISP and plan, and model of modem? I can see if there are existing notes for situations like this.

What is the backhaul speed listed on the satellite node?

Can you use the wireless network for local communications such as streaming a movie from a local media server? 

 

 

Also: you  may want to mention this to your ISP, as the upload bandwidth cap was implemented so that residential lines cannot be used for commercial purposes. Having a constantly full upload line, may throw some automatic red flags for your ISP and make you think you are running a business with that traffic

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#4
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