Why Is Netgear QoS Not Working? Quick Fix

Netgear QoS not working is one of the common problems Netgear users face. If you have this problem, you came to the right place.

Netgear Quality of Service (QoS) is a router feature that enables users to prioritize upstream traffic, downstream traffic, or both. It is a very reliable feature, but at times, it fails to work as intended.

If QoS is not working on Netgear, maybe the feature is not enabled. The problem can also be caused by incorrect priority or connection speed settings, router freeze, bridge mode, outdated firmware, or bufferbloat.

In this Netgear troubleshooting guide, we have explained the common reasons why Netgear QoS is not working, and importantly, how to fix the problem.

Netgear QoS Not Working: Causes and Fixes

If your Netgear router’s QoS is not working, the troubleshooting guide below shares some common reasons behind the problem and solutions.

1. QoS Is Not Enabled

If QoS is not working, you probably haven’t enabled the feature. Enable the Upstream QoS in gaming and Downstream QoS when streaming.

How to Enable Downstream QoS

Step 1: Connect your PC to the router and open the browser.

Step 2: Log in to any of the below web addresses using your username and password.

• http://www.routerlogin.net
• http://www.routerlogin.com
• http://192.168.1.1
• http://192.168.0.1
• http://10.0.0.1

Step 3: Go to ADVANCED > Setup > QoS Setup.

Step 4: Select the Downstream QoS tab and tick the Enable Downstream QoS (Improved Video Streaming) check box.

Step 5: To execute the changes, click Apply.

How to Enable Upstream QoS

Step 1: Connect the PC to the router and open the browser.

Step 2: Log in to any of the below web addresses.

• http://www.routerlogin.net
• http://www.routerlogin.com
• http://192.168.1.1
• http://192.168.0.1
• http://10.0.0.1

Step 3: Go to ADVANCED > Setup > QoS Setup.

Step 4: Select the Upstream QoS tab and tick the Enable Upstream QoS (Optimized for Gaming) check box.

Step 5: To execute the changes, click Apply.

2. Set the QoS Priorities

Another reason Netgear QoS is not working is wrong priorities. You need to add priority rules to devices for this feature to work, be it a PC, streaming device, or gaming console.

Below is a step-by-step guide for setting Netgear QoS priorities.

Step 1: Connect the PC to the router and open the browser.

Step 2: Log in to any of the below web addresses using your username and password.

• http://www.routerlogin.net
• http://www.routerlogin.com
• http://192.168.1.1
• http://192.168.0.1
• http://10.0.0.1

Step 3: Once you are in, navigate to the ADVANCED option, then click Set up.

Step 4: Go to QoS setup.

Step 5: Click the Set up QoS Rule and then Add Priority Rule.

Step 6: To finish the setup, click Apply.

Note: You can set up the priority for an app, game, LAN port, or a specific PC via its MAC address. The rule can be set to Highest, High, Normal, or Low.

3. Router is on Bridge Mode

If you have enabled QoS, the priorities are set, but still, QoS is not working, you could be on bridge mode.

Bridge mode is a networking configuration that disables the modem’s Network Address Translation (NAT) feature and allows the router to function as a DHCP server without conflicting with the IP address.

When on bridge mode, you lose access to several router features, including QoS. That said, you will have to contact your ISP to have the router removed from bridge mode.

4. Bufferbloat

QoS not working on Netgear can also be a problem associated with bufferbloat. For starters, bufferbloat is caused by excessive buffering of packets.

It consequently leads to high latency. Use DSLReports Speed Test to check if you have a bufferbloat.

If you have a bufferbloat, you will have to prevent connected devices from using more data than what your current bandwidth can offer.

5. Incorrect Bandwidth Settings

When setting up your QoS on Netgear, you need to specify the correct bandwidth of your internet connection.

Setting up QoS with incorrect upload and download speed can lead to QoS malfunction.

When setting up QoS, don’t use the bandwidth information advertised by your ISP. Instead, test the connection yourself using speed tools such as speedtest.net to ensure that you input the correct speeds.

Note: Before testing your internet speed, first stop any downloading, streaming, or browsing. 

Running any activity when testing your connection speed will give you incorrect results and that’s going to be a problem.

6. Frozen Router

Netgear routers, just like any other router, can freeze at times. When they freeze, QoS will not function as it should be.

If none of the above methods have worked for you, the problem of QoS not working could be a frozen router.

In this case, the solution will be restarting or resetting the router.

How to Restart Netgear Router

Restarting a Netgear router is a pretty straightforward process. Below is the step-by-step guide.

Step 1: Unplug the router’s power cord.

Step 2: Wait for 10-20 seconds.

Step 3: Plug in the router’s power cord and wait for the router to restart.

Now, check if QoS is working. If this doesn’t solve the problem, then rebooting the router could be the solution.

How to Reboot Netgear Router

Rebooting the router is also a simple process. Below is a step-by-step guide.

Step 1: Locate the reset button of the router.

Step 2: Use a pin to hold down the reset button for 5-10 seconds.

Step 3: Reconfigure the router.

Once you have reconfigured the router, check if QoS is working.

7. Outdated Firmware

Outdated firmware could also be the reason Netgear QoS is not working. There could be a bug related to the QoS GUI or the QoS database.

You will have to factory reset the router and update it to the latest firmware to solve the problem. But then, don’t update the QoS database.

Further Troubleshooting

The above are some of the reasons why QoS is not working. If none of the fixes work for you, then consider contacting Netgear to have the problem fixed.

Your router could have a hardware problem that is causing the QoS malfunction. Below are some of the channels you can use to troubleshoot your router’s QoS failure further.

• Live chat
• Phone support
• Netgear community

If Netgear QoS is not working, the issue could be that QoS is not enabled, wrong priority settings, wrong bandwidth, bridge mode, bufferbloat, or outdated firmware. The good thing is that you can fix the problem yourself.

Read Next: Can a Wi-Fi Router Get a Virus?

Wrapping Up

That’s the end of this Netgear QoS not working troubleshooting guide.

If you are struggling with a malfunctioning QoS on your Netgear router, applying the above fixes should solve the problem so that you can get back to enjoying smooth 4K streaming and seamless gaming.