


Since network interfaces operate in a serial manner, interactive traffic will be waiting on the many packets ahead of it from big bulky traffic. QoS is then a network governor watching all packet flows and making good decision for everyone.

Even when individual applications and protocols are managing themselves well, they are not aware of the effect they are having on the rest of the network. Maybe you want to plan ahead knowing there will be congestion. This occurs most commonly because two or more applications are requesting enough data to exceed the interface. Generally speaking because there is network contention. The configuration presented here is suitable for small business, home, ip telephony, and gaming environments where a single device is providing QoS management. However, it is possible to achieve good - even fantastic results - by creating simple classifications and actions on the most common traffic flows. So, this short article will not attempt to explain all edge cases, compare the many algorithms, or provide deep context on packet prioritization. The following article is a high-level introduction to a QoS implementation using MikroTik RouterOS. Using RouterOS to QoS your network - 2020 Edition
