Slow browsing due to HotSpot?

RouterOS Beginner Basics
1

Hi, is it possible that sometimes HotSpot “slows down” web browsing to clients with no particular reason?

Long version of my question:
I have a RouterOS 3.9 on x86 HotSpot running with around 50 active users most of the time.
I’ve detected that users browse the web slower when going through the HotSpot… and sometimes it’s VERY slow!
At first I thought it was something missconfigured, so here’s what I tried to learn about this problem:

I configured from scratch a basic gateway: 1 ether to the Internet, 1 ether to my LAN, both with static IPs. Set default route, DNS, masquerading, DHCP Server on LAN.
Plug a client PC, DHCP Client, surfed a while, ran a few speed tests, got a feel of available bandwidth…

Add hotspot (IP → HotSpot → HotSpot Setup, leave everything as default), add a user, no bandwidth limit.
Try to browse with client PC, log in to HotSpot… and now every site I browse loads slower, bandwidth tests run slower, and the “browsing experience” feels slower. And in some pages by slower I mean half bandwidth or less!

Hotspot never uses more than 2 or 3% of CPU, and has tons of free memory… yet, browsing through it is slow.

As I have a third available ether interface, I set up another subnet in it. Unplug client PC from HotSpot Interface, move it to this third Interface, get new DHCP Address and start to browse again… and it feels faster again!

If I add bandwidth control (simple queue, say at 512Kbps), I can still feel the difference.


Am I doing something wrong?
Has anyone else detected this issue?

Chofex

2

Hi. Found that when enable proxy cash to hard disk, after time some users stop having access to internet. As far as I know in OS 3 proxy is automatically used. Maybe there is problem with proxy. Don’t know. Just possibility?

3

Thanks Egate!

My web cache is disabled, so I don’t think this problem comes from it…

I’ll keep searching! Thanks for your help.

Chofex

4

HotSpot will use the proxy even if it is disabled (it is not actually disabled for the HotSpot):

  • walled garden uses ir regardless of the configuration;
  • if advertisement is enabled, then it is also used;
  • universal proxy feature catches all user requests if proxy configuration is detected for the user;
  • user profile can define unconditional transparent proxying
5

Thanks again lastguru! (seen you in another post… )

My Hotspot:

  • walled garden uses ir regardless of the configuration;
  • Doesn’t use walled garden
  • if advertisement is enabled, then it is also used;
  • Has no advertisements

    \
  • universal proxy feature catches all user requests if proxy configuration is detected for the user;
  • I think rule is disabled (you cought me in this one!)
  • user profile can define unconditional transparent proxying
  • All user profiles have proxy disabled


    Despite being disabled, web proxy shows uptime ticking… but it registers no hits nor requests in its counters…
6

I have the same problem, default hotspot settings with OS 3 and my users browse very slow.
Some sites open, others do not. Even the ones that you could previously browse are unavailabe and so on.
Timeouts all over the place.

Any of you have successfully used an older firmware for the hotspot setup?

Please let me know as my users will be using the trial setup on the Hotspot and I want to limit them to 2 hours per day.

Regards,
Teo

7

Check your DNS settings. Insure your primary dns server is the best of the two.

ADD: I have used the hotspot setup with V2.9.49 and newer with good results.

8

I fixed the problem with the help of Mikrotik support.
The problem was that in my routes I had my Gateway set correctly but my Interface was pointing to my phisical connection.
After I removed the Gateway interface everything worked like a charm.

Hope this can help others with this problem.

Regards,
Teo

9

What do you mean your interface was pointing to your phusical connection?The hotspot interface?The ether1 interface connected to your default gateway?
I have a default route (0.0.0.0) to an adsl modem/router with local ip 192.168.1.1.

Same problem here.

10

Teo,
Can u please clarify on the above statement ? I am a newbie … and don’t understand it well ..
I am having the same issue … everything else is working fine .. except slow browsing.
Thx
AJ

11

I am having the same problem, can you explain what you did to fix it?

12

is somebody fix this issue ?