Limiting bandwidth

I'm looking into this now but here's what I want to achieve.

Scenario: Small office, 6 people, 1 workgroup. Windows 2000 server acts as DHCP and DNS server, also as a router to the internet. They have a 4mbps connection to the internet.

Problem: When someone starts a big download or downloads a big e-mail attachment they seem to take most of the 4mbps intrernet connection and everyone else crawls along. I can find no way of overcoming this....so far!

Solution? I really want to limit a users bandwidth so that everyone has a fair share. Is there any known way of doing this or software that can help do this by mac address for example?

Any suggestions welcomed...

Hit them on the back of the head with a ruler?

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Originally Posted by iceman

Hit them on the back of the head with a ruler?

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Can you please keep the padding **** in the lounge.

Really not padding, just some humor on a slow day!

Is a couple of options gazzak
http://www.softperfect.com/products/bandwidth/manual/
http://www.softpedia.com/public/cat/10/7/10-7-115.shtml

We've used this...I have no complaints about it.

http://www.bandwidthcontroller.com/features.html

And it has a free trial to see if you like it...

I was on IRC some time ago and heard of some H/W devices that do what you want gazzak, cant remember the names though.

would not happen to be Windows 2000 small business server edition would it? if so it would come with ISA server which would do this for you (besides firewalling)

You could use linux and a program that I believe is called shaper or bandwidth shaper or something like that

smoothwall in web proxy mode can set max upload and download limits.

alternatively, setting up QoS on the server would do it, and that wouldnt require buying anything new. thats the option i'd go for.

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Originally Posted by IT Len

We've used this...I have no complaints about it.

http://www.bandwidthcontroller.com/features.html

And it has a free trial to see if you like it...

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That software looks pretty good. Do you need to buy just one for the server or a copy for each computer? (can't find that out on their site?)

I've used this Netlimter before sucessfully (free trial available somewhere off that link ;)), but if you don't want to cripple a machine running this & controlling it (happens with all load balancing software to some extent or other with busy connections) then you want an appliance to do it - a load balancing router - random google by way of example or you can figure out how Network Load Balancing works in w2k with clusters but I think that's got to be done with a domain structure - not really my 'thing' so it'd be nice if one of the ' M$ network dudes' we have hanging about can 'expand' on this ? :thumbs:

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Originally Posted by techs

That software looks pretty good. Do you need to buy just one for the server or a copy for each computer? (can't find that out on their site?)

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Just one copy for the server...I believe it's around 50 bucks US$. BTW, processor overhead is negligible...if even noticeable. Three things about it we like most...the ability to throttle down different types of Inet activity[browsing, downloads, VOIP], set and really fine-tune standard bandwidth per user dependent on priority of user, and the interface is very handy.

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Originally Posted by IT Len

..BTW, processor overhead is negligible...if even noticeable. Three things about it we like most...

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Its not that I was on about (I was less than clear!) .. I'm on about the delay it has to create to validate whether all the different packets are within or without quota, if you've got lots of connections all this backs up to quite a size & can be a strain on any machine running it - but when I was typing I was thinking like 100+ concurrent connections ;) - here we have 6 ! :D

all these applications are at the end of the day is fancy front-ends for QoS. if you dont mind a little learning you can configure it yourself and save yourself the $50...