Network Classifier Performance

Here you are my today doubt:

setting up a traffic shaper with a linux box is very easy and after this you have in your hands a powerful toy. Of course, due the great flexibility of linux networking system there are many ways to achieve your goal. In particular, which is the boost you gain if you classify your network traffic throught hash tables instead marking the traffic with iptables (or ipchains) and later using the fw classifier?
I'm asking this since marking traffice with iptables is much more easier and takes less time, while using u32 filter is more complex and requires more knowledge. It's true u32 is much much more powerful..but it's a matter of trade off.

Cristian Prevedello, Consulente presso Ascensit srl
[email protected], http://www.ascensit.com/