avena-speedtest

Speed test scripts for network benchmarking, with results sent to an avena pipeline

Iperf3

What is it?

Iperf3 is a tool used to measure network performance between two devices. It allows you to test how much data can be transmitted across a data link. Iperf3 operates using a client/server model where one device operates as the server and a second device operates as a client.

Test Types

TCP

TCP tests measure reliable throughput, where all packets must be acknowledged (Sent and Received). This test shows how much data can be transferred consistently without any error.

UDP

UDP tests measure maximum achievable throughput, where Iperf3 tries to push as much data as it can without any reliability gurantees. This test allows you to observe packet loss, jitter, and latency variation, which is important for time-sensitive applications (eg. operating a robot with live video feed remotely).

Requirements

Software

• A Linux environment such as Fedora Server
• Podman for container deployment

Procedures

Background

Two devices are used for testing with Iperf3.

Installation

1. Flash Fedora Server 43 via USB network install
2. Install Podman:

   sudo dnf install -y podman

Network Roles

Server: Device 1 running the iperf3 server Client: Device 2 running the test script to measure connection to Device 1

Running Tests

On Device 1 (Server)

Start the iperf3 server:

iperf3 -s -p 5201

On Device 2 (Client)

Pull and run the pre-built container: TCP Test:

podman run --network host \
  -e SERVER_IP=<device-1-ip> \
  -e PORT=5201 \
  -e DURATION=8 \
  -e OUTPUT_DIR=/results \
  -e TEST_COUNT=1 \
  -e PROTOCOL=tcp \
  -e BANDWIDTH=0 \
  -v ./results:/results \
  ghcr.io/oats-center/avena-speedtest:main

UDP Test:

podman run --network host \
  -e SERVER_IP=<device-1-ip> \
  -e PORT=5201 \
  -e DURATION=8 \
  -e OUTPUT_DIR=/results \
  -e TEST_COUNT=1 \
  -e PROTOCOL=udp \
  -e BANDWIDTH=100M \
  -v ./results:/results \
  ghcr.io/oats-center/avena-speedtest:main

Environment Variables:

• SERVER_IP: IP address of Device 1 (server)
• PORT: Port number (default: 5201)
• DURATION: Test duration in seconds
• OUTPUT_DIR: Where to save results inside container
• TEST_COUNT: Test iteration number
• PROTOCOL: tcp or udp
• BANDWIDTH: Target bandwidth for UDP tests (100M, 1G, 500M, 10M)