Dropbox LAN sync - Save bandwidth and time with local dropbox LAN sync

If you are working in organization which uses Dropbox at the daily bases, you might came across with bandwidth issue especially when syncing large file across different computers. At normal the file should be uploaded to Dropbox servers and then downloaded to each individual computers where the file is shared and this is considerable large use of bandwidth and takes time especially if the file is large enough, but with Dropbox LAN syncing feature bandwidth can be saved and syncing time can be minimized.

What is Dropbox LAN sync?

Dropbox LAN Sync is a feature that allows you to download files from other computers on your network, saving time and bandwidth compared to downloading them from Dropbox servers.

The LAN Sync feature can speed up the syncing of files that exist on your local area network (shared folders and computers connected to the network). It allows Dropbox to check for new versions of a file on your network without having to download the copy of the latter from Dropbox servers.

What is Dropbox LAN sync prerequisites?

 If you want to force a LAN Sync, you’ll need two computers on the network with either the same account or a shared folder in common. Add a file to one of the computers, and the other computer should attempt a LAN Sync. The computers should be in the same LAN.

How to configure and enable LAN sync?

a. Install the Dropbox client on your PC: www.dropbox.com.

b. Allow Dropbox.exe in your firewall's settings: The LAN Sync feature requires access to port 17500 (TCP). Go to the Control Panel > Firewall > Allow app or feature through Windows Firewall.

c. Click on the Dropbox tray icon > Preferences. Go to the Bandwidth tab and tick the Enable LAN sync checkbox: Click on Apply > OK.


Enjoy!

Controlling user bandwidth by Firewall and Queues in Mikrotik Router

Heavy downloads and uploads has become problems in most of networks now days, as users are running different bandwidth hungry applications such as peer-to-peer, video downloads etc which lead to slow down of whole network because of only one single user or some few users who are doing heavy downloads/uploads.
This lab is going to show you how to limit all users to specific speed in three simple steps using firewall mangle rules and queues in mikrotik router, in this lab am going to limit all users at 1Mbps bandwidth speed, which means that will be maximum speed reached by each particular user in the network despite available bandwidth.

Below are steps

a.  Create a customized queue types with preferred speed for each individual user,

Command:

/queue types

add name="PCQ_Download" kind=pcq pcq-rate=1M pcq-limit=50 
     pcq-classifier=dst-address pcq-total-limit=2000 pcq-burst-rate=0 
     pcq-burst-threshold=0 pcq-burst-time=10s pcq-src-address-mask=32 
     pcq-dst-address-mask=32 pcq-src-address6-mask=64 pcq-dst-address6-mask=64 

add name="PCQ_Upload" kind=pcq pcq-rate=1M pcq-limit=50 
     pcq-classifier=dst-address pcq-total-limit=2000 pcq-burst-rate=0 
     pcq-burst-threshold=0 pcq-burst-time=10s pcq-src-address-mask=32 
     pcq-dst-address-mask=32 pcq-src-address6-mask=64 pcq-dst-address6-mask=6


By winbox or web config:

Go to Queues-Queue Types, and add , example below is for PCQ_Download

b. Mark all the packet, which is to be queued for specific speed

Command:

/ip firewall mangle
 add chain=prerouting action=mark-packet new-packet-mark=user_download 
     passthrough=yes in-interface=wlan1-gateway 

 add chain=prerouting action=mark-packet new-packet-mark=user_upload 
     passthrough=yes in-interface=ether1-local

Note am marking download packets from wan interface in which for my case is wireless interface because am using wireless radio as a router, also am marking upload from LAN interfaces in which from this lab is ether1-local

By winbox or web config:

Go to ip firewall mangle , and add, example below is for user dowload

c. Finally create a tree queue for limiting every individual user speed

Command:

/queue tree
  add name="UserDownload" parent=global packet-mark=user_download 
     limit-at=0 queue=PCQ_Download priority=8 max-limit=0 burst-limit=0 
     burst-threshold=0 burst-time=0s 

  add name="UserUpload" parent=global packet-mark=user_upload limit-at=0 
     queue=PCQ_Upload priority=8 max-limit=0 burst-limit=0 
     burst-threshold=0 burst-time=0

By winbox or web config:

Go to queue tree , and add, example below is for user dowload

You're done, below is the torch output before and after settings

Before:

Single user was able to reach 2.2Mbps

After:

All users are limited at 1Mbps as per our setting

Hope it help someone, drop me a comment, if you face difficulties implementing any of the step.

Cheers!