Routing UDP vs TCP.

[vash]

Here's the scenario:

1. I have a DSL line that has good upstream and is very clean, great for gaming.
2. I have a cable modem, which downloads really fast at all times, but ping spikes during peak hours.

I want to basically have a box (*nix, or a router), that would route all UDP based traffic (games) through the DSL line and all TCP based traffic (web surfing) through the cable modem. This has to be doable with some piece of hardware and software combo. I'm thinking this would be the best of both worlds (at least in my area), since I could use the DSL's upstream to host a LAN party for games and the downstream for the additional clients on my network could downloads 'till their hearts content.

Sure, getting a faster DSL line would do, but getting faster DSL would cost more than $60/month versus the $40/month for cable. I'm thinking this situation could easily apply if you wante to combine 2x DSL lines, 2x cable modems, or at a business with a leased line and a xDSL line, etc.

vash

 

[Carceri]

You could probably use the netfilter package in Linux 2.4.x kernel to mark all IP packets carrying UDP traffic and then do routing based on that mark.

The problem would probably be that your TCP traffic will have one IP address, and your UDP traffic another IP address. Hence a server which utilize both (most gameservers use TCP to get a list of games, etc) would probably not work correctly.

I have not really looked into what packets you can actually mark with netfilter, but it seems to be almost anything you want. If the package has some information in it, you can use it for routing with netfilter it seems

You will need a kernel with support for all the netfiler stuff, and you'll need the programs: iptables, iproute2

 

[vash]

Thanks for the response, Carceri.

I figure there may be some games that would have problems with the routing between TCP and UDP as such, but its something that could have a workaround. Also, the games that start with the TCP may do it just to authenticate a cdkey and may not necessarily care about where it came from.

Anyone else have more information on this?

vash

 

[Carceri]

Some reading for the interested:

Linux Advanced Routing and Traffic Control HOWTO
The Netfilter Framework in Linux 2.4

They should provide a very hands on approach to get it working.

 

[vash]

<< Some reading for the interested:

Linux Advanced Routing and Traffic Control HOWTO
The Netfilter Framework in Linux 2.4

They should provide a very hands on approach to get it working. >>

This is exactly what I was looking for. Its tough to ask this specific question, since it can be seen in so many different ways. I'll read up on this and see if it fits into what I would like.

vash

 

[nealr]

Maybe you could do it with 2 routers, and have 2ip's on your machine, and have your games use one and the other stuff use the other?