Bufferbloat 101: Why Your Fast Internet Feels Slow

Have you ever been on a Zoom call and had it freeze the moment someone else in the house started a download? That's Bufferbloat.

Speed vs. Latency

ISPs sell you "speed" (bandwidth), but for a smooth experience, "latency" (ping) is more important. Bufferbloat happens when your router's buffers become overly full, causing packets to wait in line for a long time.

The Queue Problem

To avoid dropping packets, routers try to queue them. If the queue is too long, a simple DNS lookup or a gaming packet might be stuck behind a massive video chunk, resulting in spikes of 500ms+ latency.

How to Test and Fix It

• SQM (Smart Queue Management): Enable SQM on your router. Algorithms like fq_codel or Cake help prioritize small, time-sensitive packets over large downloads.