Peplink Performance in Crowded Networks?

General
1

Hi all,

I’m dealing with some performance issues on Peplink devices in a network with a lot of connected devices. Has anyone found good tweaks or settings that help in crowded environments?

Looking for advice on load balancing, QoS, or any other tips.

Thanks!

2

What do you mean- LAN, WAN? Fixed, wifi or cellular?

3

I’m dealing with a mix of connections:

  • LAN for internal devices
  • WAN for external internet access
  • Wi-Fi for wireless devices
  • Cellular for mobile connectivity

Additionally, I’m working with DCA (Dynamic Channel Assignment). The issues are affecting all these types, so I’m looking for general tips that apply to a range of setups. Any advice for optimizing performance across these different connection types, including TestInsights DCA Questions, would be really helpful!

4

This is a way too broad question to answer from the information you have given.

Which Peplink devices are you using and how many clients are using those Peplink devices? What do you call ‘crowded’ ? Are these clients connected wired or wireless?

Are you using Fixed WAN connections, which ISP’s, types and at what speeds?

If using Cellular what are the reception values per Cellular modem you get and which ISP’s are you using?

5

Thanks for the detailed questions! Here’s more info to clarify:

  • Peplink Devices: I’m using Peplink Balance 20X and MAX BR1 Mini.
  • Number of Clients: There are approximately 50 clients connected.
  • Crowded Environment: By “crowded,” I mean peak usage times with high data traffic and multiple simultaneous connections.
  • Connection Types:
    • Wired: 30 wired connections
    • Wireless: 20 wireless connections
  • WAN Connections:
    • Fixed WAN: Fiber 100 Mbps (ISP: SuperFastNet), DSL 20 Mbps (ISP: SpeedyConnect)
  • Cellular Connections:
    • Reception Values: -70 dBm on LTE modems
    • ISPs Used: MobileNet and 4GFast

Let me know if you need more details or if there are specific settings I should be focusing on!

6

Well the specified Peplink models are their lowest end models. Especially the BR1 Mini is very CPU limited, so with more heavy use you will earlier reach the limits of the device.

Are you using PepVPN or just the ‘bare’ connections?

Have you checked how the CPU usage looks during the peak moments? If it’s constantly above 50% you’ll need heavier models.

In ‘normal’ usage we see somewhere between 5-15% CPU usage, but when it’s hit with the full 1Gbps bandwidth it jumps to 50-100%. But that only happens in burst moments.

Any QoS or filtering you enable will lower your performance, as that’s very CPU heavy.

Our experience with the Balance 20X is that it operates fine with 1Gbps fixed WAN on networks of 50-75 clients, but it heavily differs on the users how heavy it’s being used.

Cellular connections have a lot of other factors that can cause lower performance, -70dBm doesn’t say much, apart from that the signal itself is strong.

7

Thanks for the in-depth response! I hadn’t considered the CPU limitations as much, especially with the BR1 Mini. I’ll check the CPU usage during peak times to see if that’s the bottleneck. I’ve mostly been using the ‘bare’ connections, but I’ll keep in mind the impact of QoS and filtering on performance.

I’m also working on a DCA (Docker Certified Associate) certification, and someone recommended using TestInsights DCA exam questions for preparation. Have you or anyone else here used TestInsights for this certification? Is it a good resource?

8

You’re linking to a different DCA than Dynamic Channel Assignment. I have no experience with TestInsights myself.

9

Ah, I see—thanks for pointing that out! I was referring to the ** Docker Certified Associate** aspect in my current setup. As for the DCA certification, it’s separate from that, but I appreciate the clarification.

I’ll keep looking into TestInsights for the certification prep. If anyone else has experience with it or can recommend alternative resources, I’d love to hear about it!

10

Sorry for the confusion—I was actually talking about the Docker Certified Associate (DCA) certification, not Dynamic Channel Assignment. My mistake!

If anyone has used TestInsights for Docker certification prep, I’d love to hear your thoughts on it.

Thanks for understanding!