Verify Your Router Address
Before you can limit bandwidth on your router, you’ll need to know the Internet Protocol address of your home router. This address is called the default gateway. Each router has its own menu system, but the general principle remains the same. Use the IP address or MAC address of each device to control the maximum bandwidth it can use. In most routers, this feature is called Quality of Service. The location of that feature is different depending on router you have.
How to Limit Bandwidth on a Linksys Router
Linksys routers support Quality of Service. Use the gateway IP you noted above to log into your home router as administrator. Once you’re logged in, follow the steps below to limit bandwidth on that router for specific devices in your network. Once you’ve configured all of your devices, you should see a significant improvement in your internet speed on the devices you’ve configured with a High priority. The smart approach is to configure all of the devices in your home with varying priorities, depending how they are used.
Set your work laptop (where you need the fastest internet connection) to high priority. Set streaming devices like Chromecast or Roku with a high priority. Set children’s laptops used mostly for casual online gaming with a normal priority. Set any smart home devices that rarely access the internet with a normal or low priority.
After you’ve organized all of the device priorities in this way, you should see a tremendous improvement in your overall internet access quality.
How to Limit Bandwidth on Other Routers
There are many router brands and models on the market, and finding the QoS feature on them will vary from one to another. The instructions below will help you find the QoS menu on the most popular routers.
Limit Bandwidth on a Netgear Router
Connect to your Netgear router using the same IP address you’ve noted in the previous section for your Gateway IP. After you’re connected as administrator, limit bandwidth on devices on the network as follows:
Limit Bandwidth on a TP-Link Router
TP-Link routers use more specific bandwidth settings than other routers. Instead of a high-to-low setting, define the bandwidth ranges. Check your total upload and download bandwidth by performing an online speed test with your computer.
Limit Bandwidth on a D-Link Router
D-Link routers also use specific IP rather than MAC address for devices. You get see your computer’s IP address using the same ipconfig /all command as earlier in this article. To limit bandwidth on devices on your network:
