Optimize pfsense for gaming

afern23 · Jul 16, 2014, 7:44 AM

Any ideas on how to optimize pfsense for gaming on ps4?

currently use traffic shaper and upnp for ps4. games like call of duty ghosts and battlefield are good but not great and can still experience latency here and there. any help would be nice. maybe upload some .xml backup configs so i can see how it works

KOM · Jul 16, 2014, 12:39 PM

If you've got a shaper in place and have your PS4 IP address traffic going into the top queue, there isn't much more you can do.

afern23 · Jul 16, 2014, 9:06 PM

i know this is going to sound ridiculous but can you explain how I would make sure my ps4 ip address traffic goes into qGames? also is there anyway think to do about the infamous buffer bloat

KOM · Jul 17, 2014, 3:03 AM

You use two floating rules via Firewall - Rules - Floating to direct incoming and outgoing TCP/UDP traffic into qGames. Are you using an HFSC or PRIQ queue?

afern23 · Jul 17, 2014, 3:30 AM

im using hfsc right now i believe. i used priq before and it was really good at first but then started to lag and show latency after a day

afern23 · Jul 17, 2014, 3:34 AM

also, how is the best way for setting up the bandwidth you enter for wan and lan queues. i currently have 16mbps for wan and lan is blank

KOM · Jul 17, 2014, 1:01 PM

HFSC is very difficult to setup properly. I would really recommend PRIQ. For any traffic shaper, the shaper must be the the point of congestion for it to manage the traffic, so you need to set your bandwidth for WAN upload/download speeds to 90-95% of your actual tested speed. PRIQ doesn't care about bandwidth, it just strictly prioritizes packets without regard to fair service. I've been using PRIQ to manage our traffic and it's rock solid. If you started to see lag and latency after a day, then it was likely your link and not congestion on your LAN or misconfiguration of the HFSC shaper. Traffic shaping will not fix an unstable Internet connection.

afern23 · Jul 17, 2014, 8:51 PM

i set everything up the way you said and its pretty good. i see almost all packets going to gaming when i am only on my playstation. what is weird is when I actually get into a game and start playing, for instance call of duty, the packets decrease on game and increase on default?

KOM · Jul 18, 2014, 12:44 AM

No idea. You could try a packet capture on the PS4 IP and see what's being sent or received. Maybe the SonyOnline network traffic is greater than the individual game traffic?

afern23 · Jul 18, 2014, 6:46 AM

23:38:38.958072 IP 209.170.72.69.443 > 192.168.1.90.53519: tcp 1051
23:38:38.958585 IP 192.168.1.90.53519 > 209.170.72.69.443: tcp 0
23:38:38.970451 IP 192.168.1.90.53520 > 54.219.181.244.443: tcp 326
23:38:38.981229 IP 192.168.1.90.53519 > 209.170.72.69.443: tcp 310
23:38:39.016896 IP 54.219.181.244.443 > 192.168.1.90.53520: tcp 59
23:38:39.017603 IP 192.168.1.90.53520 > 54.219.181.244.443: tcp 901
23:38:39.046819 IP 209.170.72.69.443 > 192.168.1.90.53519: tcp 0
23:38:39.049272 IP 209.170.72.69.443 > 192.168.1.90.53519: tcp 43
23:38:39.049930 IP 192.168.1.90.53519 > 209.170.72.69.443: tcp 211
23:38:39.049951 IP 192.168.1.90.53519 > 209.170.72.69.443: tcp 1146
23:38:39.102669 IP 54.219.181.244.443 > 192.168.1.90.53520: tcp 0
23:38:39.116645 IP 209.170.72.69.443 > 192.168.1.90.53519: tcp 0
23:38:39.116694 IP 209.170.72.69.443 > 192.168.1.90.53519: tcp 0
23:38:39.120520 IP 209.170.72.69.443 > 192.168.1.90.53519: tcp 609
23:38:39.120534 IP 209.170.72.69.443 > 192.168.1.90.53519: tcp 23
23:38:39.121013 IP 192.168.1.90.53519 > 209.170.72.69.443: tcp 0
23:38:39.121176 IP 192.168.1.90.53519 > 209.170.72.69.443: tcp 23
23:38:39.121191 IP 192.168.1.90.53519 > 209.170.72.69.443: tcp 0
23:38:39.124246 IP 192.168.1.90.62566 > 192.168.1.1.53: UDP, length 53
23:38:39.133498 IP 192.168.1.1.53 > 192.168.1.90.62566: UDP, length 69
23:38:39.137636 IP 192.168.1.90.53521 > 209.170.72.74.3074: tcp 0
23:38:39.186851 IP 209.170.72.69.443 > 192.168.1.90.53519: tcp 0
23:38:39.186897 IP 209.170.72.69.443 > 192.168.1.90.53519: tcp 0
23:38:39.203632 IP 209.170.72.74.3074 > 192.168.1.90.53521: tcp 0
23:38:39.204127 IP 192.168.1.90.53521 > 209.170.72.74.3074: tcp 0
23:38:39.221588 IP 192.168.1.90.53521 > 209.170.72.74.3074: tcp 8
23:38:39.288416 IP 209.170.72.74.3074 > 192.168.1.90.53521: tcp 0
23:38:39.288942 IP 192.168.1.90.53521 > 209.170.72.74.3074: tcp 144
23:38:39.289415 IP 209.170.72.74.3074 > 192.168.1.90.53521: tcp 15
23:38:39.301085 IP 54.219.181.244.443 > 192.168.1.90.53520: tcp 485
23:38:39.301101 IP 54.219.181.244.443 > 192.168.1.90.53520: tcp 37
23:38:39.301655 IP 192.168.1.90.53520 > 54.219.181.244.443: tcp 0
23:38:39.302128 IP 192.168.1.90.53520 > 54.219.181.244.443: tcp 37
23:38:39.303030 IP 192.168.1.90.53520 > 54.219.181.244.443: tcp 0
23:38:39.308538 IP 192.168.1.90.60853 > 192.168.1.1.53: UDP, length 49
23:38:39.317333 IP 192.168.1.1.53 > 192.168.1.90.60853: UDP, length 147
23:38:39.317983 IP 192.168.1.90.53522 > 23.33.57.101.443: tcp 0
23:38:39.346893 IP 54.219.181.244.443 > 192.168.1.90.53520: tcp 0
23:38:39.346938 IP 54.219.181.244.443 > 192.168.1.90.53520: tcp 0
23:38:39.347447 IP 192.168.1.90.53520 > 54.219.181.244.443: tcp 0
23:38:39.351968 IP 23.33.57.101.443 > 192.168.1.90.53522: tcp 0
23:38:39.352407 IP 192.168.1.90.53522 > 23.33.57.101.443: tcp 0
23:38:39.358299 IP 192.168.1.90.53522 > 23.33.57.101.443: tcp 87
23:38:39.389225 IP 192.168.1.90.53521 > 209.170.72.74.3074: tcp 560
23:38:39.392207 IP 23.33.57.101.443 > 192.168.1.90.53522: tcp 0
23:38:39.393355 IP 23.33.57.101.443 > 192.168.1.90.53522: tcp 1208
23:38:39.394132 IP 209.170.72.74.3074 > 192.168.1.90.53521: tcp 0
23:38:39.405370 IP 192.168.1.90.53522 > 23.33.57.101.443: tcp 342
23:38:39.444015 IP 23.33.57.101.443 > 192.168.1.90.53522: tcp 75
23:38:39.444822 IP 192.168.1.90.53522 > 23.33.57.101.443: tcp 293
23:38:39.455967 IP 209.170.72.74.3074 > 192.168.1.90.53521: tcp 73
23:38:39.481805 IP 23.33.57.101.443 > 192.168.1.90.53522: tcp 1285
23:38:39.481820 IP 23.33.57.101.443 > 192.168.1.90.53522: tcp 53
23:38:39.481849 IP 23.33.57.101.443 > 192.168.1.90.53522: tcp 0
23:38:39.482365 IP 192.168.1.90.53522 > 23.33.57.101.443: tcp 0
23:38:39.482380 IP 192.168.1.90.53522 > 23.33.57.101.443: tcp 0
23:38:39.483284 IP 192.168.1.90.53522 > 23.33.57.101.443: tcp 53
23:38:39.483424 IP 192.168.1.90.53522 > 23.33.57.101.443: tcp 0
23:38:39.483890 IP 192.168.1.90.53523 > 68.142.79.70.80: tcp 0
23:38:39.511010 IP 68.142.79.70.80 > 192.168.1.90.53523: tcp 0
23:38:39.511556 IP 192.168.1.90.53523 > 68.142.79.70.80: tcp 0
23:38:39.511572 IP 192.168.1.90.53523 > 68.142.79.70.80: tcp 212
23:38:39.521860 IP 23.33.57.101.443 > 192.168.1.90.53522: tcp 0
23:38:39.521907 IP 23.33.57.101.443 > 192.168.1.90.53522: tcp 0
23:38:39.534639 IP 68.142.79.70.80 > 192.168.1.90.53523: tcp 0
23:38:39.537576 IP 68.142.79.70.80 > 192.168.1.90.53523: tcp 976
23:38:39.538390 IP 192.168.1.90.53523 > 68.142.79.70.80: tcp 0
23:38:39.538419 IP 68.142.79.70.80 > 192.168.1.90.53523: tcp 0
23:38:39.538926 IP 192.168.1.90.53523 > 68.142.79.70.80: tcp 0
23:38:39.556160 IP 192.168.1.90.53521 > 209.170.72.74.3074: tcp 0
23:38:39.560627 IP 68.142.79.70.80 > 192.168.1.90.53523: tcp 0
23:38:39.560677 IP 68.142.79.70.80 > 192.168.1.90.53523: tcp 0
23:38:39.561127 IP 192.168.1.90.53523 > 68.142.79.70.80: tcp 0
23:38:39.621722 IP 209.170.72.74.3074 > 192.168.1.90.53521: tcp 139
23:38:39.722221 IP 192.168.1.90.53521 > 209.170.72.74.3074: tcp 0
23:38:39.789524 IP 209.170.72.74.3074 > 192.168.1.90.53521: tcp 49
23:38:39.792615 IP 209.170.72.74.3074 > 192.168.1.90.53521: tcp 1360
23:38:39.792814 IP 209.170.72.74.3074 > 192.168.1.90.53521: tcp 1360
23:38:39.793180 IP 192.168.1.90.53521 > 209.170.72.74.3074: tcp 0
23:38:39.858470 IP 209.170.72.74.3074 > 192.168.1.90.53521: tcp 1360
23:38:39.858509 IP 209.170.72.74.3074 > 192.168.1.90.53521: tcp 377
23:38:39.859080 IP 192.168.1.90.53521 > 209.170.72.74.3074: tcp 0
23:38:39.891800 IP 192.168.1.90.53521 > 209.170.72.74.3074: tcp 33
23:38:39.966577 IP 209.170.72.74.3074 > 192.168.1.90.53521: tcp 41
23:38:39.967096 IP 192.168.1.90.53521 > 209.170.72.74.3074: tcp 25
23:38:40.071734 IP 209.170.72.74.3074 > 192.168.1.90.53521: tcp 0
23:38:40.156395 IP 209.170.72.74.3074 > 192.168.1.90.53521: tcp 41
23:38:40.256239 IP 192.168.1.90.53521 > 209.170.72.74.3074: tcp 0
23:38:40.306874 IP 192.168.1.90.53521 > 209.170.72.74.3074: tcp 33
23:38:40.371905 IP 209.170.72.74.3074 > 192.168.1.90.53521: tcp 0
23:38:40.372786 IP 192.168.1.90.53521 > 209.170.72.74.3074: tcp 49
23:38:40.384338 IP 209.170.72.74.3074 > 192.168.1.90.53521: tcp 41
23:38:40.477546 IP 209.170.72.74.3074 > 192.168.1.90.53521: tcp 0
23:38:40.484186 IP 192.168.1.90.53521 > 209.170.72.74.3074: tcp 0
23:38:40.645635 IP 209.170.72.74.3074 > 192.168.1.90.53521: tcp 113
23:38:40.745198 IP 192.168.1.90.53521 > 209.170.72.74.3074: tcp 0
23:38:40.814185 IP 209.170.72.74.3074 > 192.168.1.90.53521: tcp 41
23:38:40.885778 IP 192.168.1.90.53521 > 209.170.72.74.3074: tcp 33
23:38:40.951871 IP 209.170.72.74.3074 > 192.168.1.90.53521: tcp 49
23:38:41.052205 IP 192.168.1.90.53521 > 209.170.72.74.3074: tcp 0

thats practically what i got from using packet capture before i start the game and up until i finish the game. i have a rule for port 443 but the ports like 53521-53523 are new to me. can you explain what those ports are and how i could use this information to my advantage. im assuming i would create a rule for the port but how do i do that step by step? thank you for helping me KOM by the way even though i am being difficult. i am learning a lot from you though.

afern23 · Jul 18, 2014, 7:33 AM

i did another packet capture on a different lobby and the ports changed. how can i make sure all ports go through game queue for my ps4 only

KOM · Jul 18, 2014, 12:25 PM

You don't do it based on ports, you make your rules based on the IP address. That way you don't have to worry about ports. As long as you have all traffic to/from your PS4 going into qGames, that's all you need to do.

I did a lookup on one of the IP addresses in your list and it's an Amazon AWS address. A lot of game companies use AWS to distribute their stuff. Perhaps that traffic was the PS4 downloading an update to one of your existing games?