Limit Airport Access (speed)

[Soundburst]

Hey!

So my sister and mother both got iPads for Christmas. The problem is that the iPad HOARDS every sap of internet it can from the airport router. . .so when both are on - NO ONE else can even open a webpage without a 5 minute wait.

We have 20mb broadband so there's more than enough to go around. . .but with them just doing that standard useless keck - I'd limited them to about 1MB each if I could.

Is there a way to ensure they don't get over 50% of the bandwidth available?

Thanks for any help 🙂

 

[mmomega]

20Mbps connection is only 2.5MB so limiting them to 1MB each would leave you with 500KBs 😀 but I understand what you're saying.

It's also very weird that the iPad would be slowing your service that drastically.

Have you tried disabling and re-enabling wifi on the iPad? I'm sure it is up to date latest iOS software for the device?

The only bandwidth allocation services I can see on Airport Utility is to restrict by time of day but not by how much.

However I have read (though I have not tested) that if you enabled the Guest Network that it was only allowed 15-20% of max bandwidth.

Actually I am assuming you are using an Airport Router, are you?

 

[Soundburst]

20Mbps connection is only 2.5MB so limiting them to 1MB each would leave you with 500KBs 😀 but I understand what you're saying.

It's also very weird that the iPad would be slowing your service that drastically.

Have you tried disabling and re-enabling wifi on the iPad? I'm sure it is up to date latest iOS software for the device?

The only bandwidth allocation services I can see on Airport Utility is to restrict by time of day but not by how much.

However I have read (though I have not tested) that if you enabled the Guest Network that it was only allowed 15-20% of max bandwidth.

Actually I am assuming you are using an Airport Router, are you?

Yes I"m using an airport express! I might do that guest thing!!!! How can I do that? I'll switch her to guest. . . .when she downloads something on the pad. . .or even browses the web (even though I'm on the net first on my MacBook) my macbook will crawl to a halt. . .and the iPad will get preference!!

 

[mmomega]

Yes I"m using an airport express! I might do that guest thing!!!! How can I do that? I'll switch her to guest. . . .when she downloads something on the pad. . .or even browses the web (even though I'm on the net first on my MacBook) my macbook will crawl to a halt. . .and the iPad will get preference!!

Should be able to open Airport Utility -> Wireless Tab -> Then Enable Guest Network.

Check to enable, name the network what you want, choose the security, etc then save/update to take effect.

I'd be interested in knowing if this helps and if it does in fact only use a percentage of the bandwidth.

 

[Weaselboy]

Should be able to open Airport Utility -> Wireless Tab -> Then Enable Guest Network.

Check to enable, name the network what you want, choose the security, etc then save/update to take effect.

I'd be interested in knowing if this helps and if it does in fact only use a percentage of the bandwidth.

I had never heard that the Guest account is limited. I have let visitors use my Time Capsule guest account and they don't seem to be limited.

OP>> What you are going to need is a router that supports quality of service (QOS) management. You can tell the router to watch for the MAC address of the iPads and give them a lower priority. QOS is built in to many fairly inexpensive routers, but unfortunately not Apple's routers.

 

[GenesisST]

Also make sure you make the iPad "forget" your main Wifi, because it main choose to select it again in the future (reboot, etc).

 

[mmomega]

I had never heard that the Guest account is limited. I have let visitors use my Time Capsule guest account and they don't seem to be limited.

OP>> What you are going to need is a router that supports quality of service (QOS) management. You can tell the router to watch for the MAC address of the iPads and give them a lower priority. QOS is built in to many fairly inexpensive routers, but unfortunately not Apple's routers.

That is why in my 1st response I wrote "However I have read (though I have not tested) that if you enabled the Guest Network that it was only allowed 15-20% of max bandwidth."
I wish I would have bookmarked the main source I found.

There were as many reports of guest network throttling bandwidth as there were that it did nothing. I have not tested it but it is not something very difficult to try.

 

[Weaselboy]

That is why in my 1st response I wrote "However I have read (though I have not tested) that if you enabled the Guest Network that it was only allowed 15-20% of max bandwidth."
I wish I would have bookmarked the main source I found.

There were as many reports of guest network throttling bandwidth as there were that it did nothing. I have not tested it but it is not something very difficult to try.

I'm sorry... I did not mean to sound like I was questioning you. I just had never heard that before. 🙂

 

[mmomega]

I'm sorry... I did not mean to sound like I was questioning you. I just had never heard that before. 🙂

I haven't either but I remember one of the posts I found referenced back to Apple's Airport Extreme manual. Maybe there was a setting to change in the older versions of Airport Utility😕

I've never setup a guest network since I bought my 1st AEBS several years ago so it was news to me.