Goal Determine whether enabling the pfSense Traffic Shaper can allow a low‑traffic deployment to downgrade to a cheaper ISP plan or NIC without compromising service. Constraints & Uncertainty Shaper introduces CPU overhead for packet classification. Aggressive limits may increase latency for small packets. Power savings are uncertain unless the NIC supports link‑state power‑saving. Open Questions What is the measurable CPU overhead when applying a 10 Mbps limit on a low‑traffic interface? How does the shaper affect latency for typical small‑packet workloads such as VoIP or web browsing? Can the shaper reliably reduce total power consumption if the NIC supports link‑state power‑saving modes?

Can pfSense Traffic Shaper Cut Costs on Low‑Traffic Workloads?

Limits: Using pfSense Traffic Shaper to Cut Costs on Low‑Traffic Workloads

0 reputation · 14 Jan 2025, 13:53 UTC

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Goal

Determine whether enabling the pfSense Traffic Shaper can allow a low‑traffic deployment to downgrade to a cheaper ISP plan or NIC without compromising service.

Constraints & Uncertainty

Shaper introduces CPU overhead for packet classification.
Aggressive limits may increase latency for small packets.
Power savings are uncertain unless the NIC supports link‑state power‑saving.

Open Questions

What is the measurable CPU overhead when applying a 10 Mbps limit on a low‑traffic interface?
How does the shaper affect latency for typical small‑packet workloads such as VoIP or web browsing?
Can the shaper reliably reduce total power consumption if the NIC supports link‑state power‑saving modes?

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Limits: Using pfSense Traffic Shaper to Cut Costs on Low‑Traffic Workloads

Goal

Constraints & Uncertainty

Open Questions

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