Open Source / Cheap Bandwidth Test Software

[txrandom]

My workplace has been trying to find an open source or cheap bandwidth test software.

I found Fancy Speed Test Text, but it suppose to be inaccurate at speeds over 10mbs. Unfortunately we are going to be testing optical lines and need something that can handle larger bandwidths.

Any ideas?

 

[Crusty]

http://sourceforge.net/projects/iperf/

 

[txrandom]

Originally posted by: Crusty
http://sourceforge.net/projects/iperf/

That's a cool tool, but were looking for something simpler because clients will be using it. I was hoping there was something like Fancy Speed Test that runs as a web application but with more accuracy.

Thanks for the link.

 

[Nuwave]

iperf is as accurate as anything else machine to machine. The machine will most likely be limiting throughput. If you are trying to actually test your switching equipment without Desktop hardware(cpu, nic, memory, etc.) interfering with the results you will have to get speciallized tools. Those will not be free of course and all in one tools like a fluke etherscope will cost thousands of dollars.

there is a version of iperf that has a gui, called jperf. It's a java front that calls iperf. You might want to give that a try.

You can also just copy a 100mb file over the network and time how long it takes.

 

[txrandom]

Hmm, I wonder if jperf can be used as an applet allowing it to be run from any browser? I will have to look into it.

 

[txrandom]

I found something else called NDT. The main problem I'm running into is finding out how to patch the kernel since web100. Usually you can get help using google, but now that I'm getting into more niche areas, information is becoming harder and harder to find.

 

[Crusty]

What's wrong with iperf? It's very easy to use, two simple commands to test from computer <-> computer.

You can just setup a listening server on your equipment and give the clients the command to execute to test against the server.

 

[txrandom]

Originally posted by: Crusty
What's wrong with iperf? It's very easy to use, two simple commands to test from computer <-> computer.

You can just setup a listening server on your equipment and give the clients the command to execute to test against the server.

The clients would have to install iperf. We are trying to find something web based where they don't need anything installed ahead of time (outside Java).