Deliberately lowering a connection’s peak speed can improve video calls when downloads or uploads are making the home network lag. Smart Queue Management (SQM) shapes traffic below the connection’s real bottleneck and manages queues, trading some maximum throughput for lower latency under load. The mechanism is well established in OpenWrt’s guidance; the specific household result in the headline has not been independently verified.
Why calls can suffer even when internet speed looks sufficient
A speed test measures how much data a connection can move, but it does not by itself show how responsive the connection stays while busy. When someone starts a large download or upload, packets can wait in a queue. That delay—often discussed as bufferbloat—can make interactive traffic such as video chat feel sluggish even if the household has plenty of nominal bandwidth. OpenWrt notes that bufferbloat is most evident when a connection is heavily loaded with downloads or uploads (OpenWrt SQM documentation).
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
SQM aims to keep those queues under control by shaping traffic before it reaches the true bottleneck. Setting the shaping rate below the line’s actual capacity gives the router a chance to manage the queue instead of letting congestion build farther upstream. The trade-off is intentional: peak throughput may decrease while latency during busy periods improves.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →What the published example shows—and does not show
OpenWrt’s wiki describes one user’s DOCSIS cable connection with 500/35 Mbit service. In that individual example, the user selected CAKE at 90% of baseline speed-test values. The page reports download latency under load of +18 ms without SQM and +0 ms with it, and upload latency of +38 ms without SQM and +0 ms with it. Reported throughput changed from 532/37 Mbit to 495/28 Mbit (OpenWrt SQM documentation and example).
#1 Best Overall
- DUAL-BAND WIFI 6 ROUTER: Wi-Fi 6(802.11ax) technology achieves faster speeds, greater capacity and reduced network congestion compared to the previous gen. All WiFi routers require a separate modem. Dual-Band WiFi routers do not support the 6 GHz band.
- AX1800: Enjoy smoother and more stable streaming, gaming, downloading with 1.8 Gbps total bandwidth (up to 1200 Mbps on 5 GHz and up to 574 Mbps on 2.4 GHz). Performance varies by conditions, distance to devices, and obstacles such as walls.
- CONNECT MORE DEVICES: Wi-Fi 6 technology communicates more data to more devices simultaneously using revolutionary OFDMA technology
- EXTENSIVE COVERAGE: Achieve the strong, reliable WiFi coverage with Archer AX1800 as it focuses signal strength to your devices far away using Beamforming technology, 4 high-gain antennas and an advanced front-end module (FEM) chipset
- OUR CYBERSECURITY COMMITMENT: TP-Link is a signatory of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) Secure-by-Design pledge. This device is designed, built, and maintained, with advanced security as a core requirement.
Those figures illustrate a possible trade-off in one setup; they are not a guaranteed result or a typical household improvement. They also do not verify the particular home experience described in the headline. No router, connection type, shaping rates, or before-and-after call measurements for that household are established here.
How to try SQM without guessing at a permanent speed cap
- Measure with SQM disabled. Record download and upload rates using a consistent speed test. OpenWrt recommends establishing these baseline rates before configuring shaping (OpenWrt SQM setup guide).
- Set shaping rates below the measured rates. OpenWrt gives 90% of measured rates as an example starting point, not a universal optimum. The right values depend on the connection’s behavior and link-layer overhead.
- Choose a queue discipline. OpenWrt identifies CAKE and fq_codel as possible queue disciplines; its cited example uses CAKE.
- Retest under load. Compare download and upload throughput, then check latency during loaded download and upload tests. If latency under load returns, lower the relevant shaping rate; if it remains controlled, carefully raise rates and retest to find a useful balance.
- Check whether the router can sustain the target. If the CPU cannot keep up, a configured rate may not be achievable in practice.
OpenWrt’s setup instructions describe measuring with SQM off, entering lower shaping rates, and testing again; they also suggest raising rates until latency under load returns, then backing off slightly (OpenWrt SQM guide). Treat each adjustment as a test, not as a promise that one percentage will work for every ISP, access technology, or router.
Rank #2
- Dual-band Wi-Fi with 5 GHz speeds up to 867 Mbps and 2.4 GHz speeds up to 300 Mbps, delivering 1200 Mbps of total bandwidth¹. Dual-band routers do not support 6 GHz. Performance varies by conditions, distance to devices, and obstacles such as walls.
- Covers up to 1,000 sq. ft. with four external antennas for stable wireless connections and optimal coverage.
- Supports IGMP Proxy/Snooping, Bridge and Tag VLAN to optimize IPTV streaming
- Access Point Mode - Supports AP Mode to transform your wired connection into wireless network, an ideal wireless router for home
- Advanced Security with WPA3 - The latest Wi-Fi security protocol, WPA3, brings new capabilities to improve cybersecurity in personal networks
When the router becomes the bottleneck
SQM uses router CPU capacity. OpenWrt cautions that “slower devices may be unable to keep up with your full internet bandwidth” when SQM is performed on the CPU (OpenWrt SQM documentation). If shaping cannot sustain the intended rate, the limiting factor may be the router rather than the internet plan.
Recommended Free Tools
Consider different hardware only if existing equipment cannot run SQM adequately. Verify that the exact router supports OpenWrt and that its CPU can sustain the desired rate; no specific model is established as tested here. When evaluating a configuration or device, look at throughput and latency during both loaded downloads and uploads, along with CPU headroom at the intended rate.
Rank #3
- NIGHTHAWK WIFI 6 ROUTER FOR YOUR WHOLE HOME: Delivers fast, reliable WiFi across every room of your apartment or small home for streaming, gaming, video calls, and smart home devices, all running at the same time without slowing each other down.
- WORKS WITH YOUR EXISTING INTERNET SERVICE: Pairs with your existing modem or gateway via ethernet. Compatible with most cable, fiber, DSL, and satellite providers. Some gateways and modem router combos may require bridge mode. No coax needed.
- SET UP AND MANAGE YOUR NETWORK WITH THE NIGHTHAWK APP: Download the free Nighthawk app on iOS or Android for guided setup. Manage WiFi, run speed tests, pause devices, and set up guest networks from anywhere. Active internet required.
- READY FOR THE DEVICES YOU ALREADY OWN: Your phones, laptops, and TVs work right out of the box. WiFi 6 delivers speeds up to 1.8 Gbps across 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. Backward compatible with WiFi 5 and earlier.
- COVERAGE IN EVERY ROOM: Covers up to 1,500 sq. ft. for up to 20 connected devices. Walls, floors, and interference can reduce range. Larger or multi-story homes may benefit from a NETGEAR Orbi mesh WiFi system.
How to tell whether this is the problem in your home
- Notice whether call quality worsens when someone is uploading or downloading, rather than being consistently poor.
- Compare latency when the connection is idle with latency during a loaded download and a loaded upload.
- After enabling and tuning SQM, check whether loaded latency improves without sacrificing more throughput than necessary.
- Account for your access technology, link-layer overhead, and router performance; results depend on the connection and configuration.
If calls remain poor when the network is not busy, this evidence does not establish that bufferbloat is the cause. SQM specifically addresses queueing under load; it is not proof that every video-call problem comes from the router.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Dual band router upgrades to 1200 Mbps high speed internet (300mbps for 2.4GHz plus 900Mbps for 5GHz), reducing buffering and ideal for 4K stream
- Full Gigabit Ports - Gigabit Router with 4 Gigabit LAN ports, ideal for any internet plan and allow you to directly connect your wired devices
- Boosted Coverage - Four external antennas equipped with Beamforming technology extend and concentrate the Wi-Fi signals
- MU-MIMO technology - (5GHz band) allows high speeds for multiple devices simultaneously
- Access Point Mode - Supports AP Mode to transform your wired connection into wireless network, an ideal wireless router for home
Rank #4
- 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞-𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐖𝐢-𝐅𝐢 𝟕 - Designed with the latest Wi-Fi 7 technology, featuring Multi-Link Operation (MLO), Multi-RUs, and 4K-QAM. Achieve optimized performance on latest WiFi 7 laptops and devices, like the iPhone 16 Pro, and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
- 𝟔-𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦, 𝐃𝐮𝐚𝐥-𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐢-𝐅𝐢 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝟔.𝟓 𝐆𝐛𝐩𝐬 𝐓𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐰𝐢𝐝𝐭𝐡 - Achieve full speeds of up to 5764 Mbps on the 5GHz band and 688 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band with 6 streams. Enjoy seamless 4K/8K streaming, AR/VR gaming, and incredibly fast downloads/uploads.
- 𝐖𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 - Get up to 2,400 sq. ft. max coverage for up to 90 devices at a time. 6x high performance antennas and Beamforming technology, ensures reliable connections for remote workers, gamers, students, and more.
- 𝐔𝐥𝐭𝐫𝐚-𝐅𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝟐.𝟓 𝐆𝐛𝐩𝐬 𝐖𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 - 1x 2.5 Gbps WAN/LAN port, 1x 2.5 Gbps LAN port and 3x 1 Gbps LAN ports offer high-speed data transmissions.³ Integrate with a multi-gig modem for gigplus internet.
- 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐲𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 - TP-Link is a signatory of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) Secure-by-Design pledge. This device is designed, built, and maintained, with advanced security as a core requirement.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
