Rate limiting streaming services recommendations

[kbreit]

I am interested in using rate limiting to lower the quality of streaming to certain devices from HD to SD.

First, is there any guidance on what download speed I should enforce to get it to SD but not degrade the performance outside of the HD->SD downstep? Second, I would want this to be time based. Is that possible without custom automation? Finally, is it possible to do this using layer 7 information instead of the layer 3/4 methods?

Thank you.

[Seimus]

As far as I know we do not have a rate-limiter on OPNsense, we have a Shaper.

A. You cant rate limit, you can only limit BW
B. This can be done by IP, DSCP or TOS etc., but not by L7 information (OPN is a L3/L4 FW)
C. Current shaper features doesn't allow you to set shaper rules based on time in the GUI

First, is there any guidance on what download speed I should enforce to get it to SD but not degrade the performance outside of the HD->SD downstep?
I would say depends on the codec & application and the Throughput it uses during SD. Keep in mind if you shape a specific host for example with a specific port, if the user will not set the stream to SD and retain HD it will do a lot of buffering and stagger.


Regards,
S.

[kbreit]

Great information. So to confirm, the streams normally won't downgrade from HD to SD when it needs to? It just chokes?

[Seimus]

Lets for example take youtube as an application for video stream.

Youtube support several quality levels of stream such as:
4k
1440p
1080p
etc

Additionally it provides an auto mode.


If you restrict BW for Youtube, and lets say a user sets his video to be streamed at 1080p it will choke. If he will set it at auto, the quality of the stream will adjust accordingly.

Basically answer to your question is if the application streaming the video can use auto mode >
A. If it has auto, it should adjust
B. If it does not have auto, it will choke

Regards,
S.