Iperf how to

[luke240778]

Can someone tell me how to setup iperf on pfsense so i can test throughput to my clients antennas?

I want the iperf server to be pfsense, and want to test thoughput to the clients antennas IP address.

Thanks in advance

[luke240778]

Ok.. so no one here uses or knows anything about iperf?

[Metu69salemi]

test it and let the rest of us know how to deal with it

[stephenw10]

You realise there is a package for iperf?
There is even some documentation for it: http://doc.pfsense.org/index.php/Iperf_package

I personally used TTCP when I was throughput testing a while back, mostly because I didn't realise iperf existed!

Steve

[Nachtfalke]

Install iperf on both pfsense.
start one as server and the other as client.
then enter IP address of "server-iperf" on the client-iperf and then the test will start.

[luke240778]

@stephenw10:

You realise there is a package for iperf?
There is even some documentation for it: http://doc.pfsense.org/index.php/Iperf_package

I personally used TTCP when I was throughput testing a while back, mostly because I didn't realise iperf existed!

Steve

Yes i realise and have read that. But it seems that you need iperf setup at both ends. Hence my question of how is it possible to test my server to a clients antenna?

[luke240778]

@Nachtfalke:

Install iperf on both pfsense.
start one as server and the other as client.
then enter IP address of "server-iperf" on the client-iperf and then the test will start.

Once again, my question was how to test from pfsense to client antenna.. i never mentioned having pfsense at each end.

[stephenw10]

Well you have to install iperf on a remote machine, presumably your cleint or a test box.
There are many tutorials for doing that. E.g. http://linhost.info/2010/02/iperf-on-windows/ (if it's a windows box).

Run iperf at both ends, one as server one as client, job done!

Steve

[johnpoz]

Install the iperf package on pfsense, and then run iperf on your client machine pointing to the ip of your pfsense box

you can grap iperf for window and or linux here.

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

If you don't want to install the package you can just use pkg_add -r

example
pkg_add -r ftp://ftp.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/i386/packages-8-stable/All/iperf-2.0.5.tbz
Fetching ftp://ftp.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/i386/packages-8-stable/All/iperf-2.0.5.tbz… Done.

now from my pfsense shell I can start iperf in server mode

[2.1-DEVELOPMENT][admin@pfsense.local.lan]/root(9): iperf -s
–----------------------------------------------------------
Server listening on TCP port 5001
TCP window size: 63.7 KByte (default)

Now from a my windows client

V:\iperf>iperf -c 192.168.1.253
------------------------------------------------------------
Client connecting to 192.168.1.253, TCP port 5001
TCP window size: 8.00 KByte (default)
------------------------------------------------------------
[108] local 192.168.1.4 port 18339 connected with 192.168.1.253 port 5001
[ ID] Interval       Transfer     Bandwidth
[108]  0.0-10.0 sec   107 MBytes  89.6 Mbits/sec

V:\iperf>iperf -c 192.168.1.253 -w 256k
------------------------------------------------------------
Client connecting to 192.168.1.253, TCP port 5001
TCP window size:  256 KByte
------------------------------------------------------------
[108] local 192.168.1.4 port 18340 connected with 192.168.1.253 port 5001
[ ID] Interval       Transfer     Bandwidth
[108]  0.0-10.0 sec   112 MBytes  93.6 Mbits/sec

V:\iperf>ver

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.0.6002]

Notice I changed the default window size there, once you have the iperf on your server (pfsense) and whatever client you want you can do whatever you want the tool.

And you can see on my server it reported the speeds as well

[2.1-DEVELOPMENT][admin@pfsense.local.lan]/root(9): iperf -s
------------------------------------------------------------
Server listening on TCP port 5001
TCP window size: 63.7 KByte (default)
------------------------------------------------------------
[  4] local 192.168.1.253 port 5001 connected with 192.168.1.4 port 18339
[ ID] Interval       Transfer     Bandwidth
[  4]  0.0-10.0 sec   107 MBytes  89.7 Mbits/sec
[  5] local 192.168.1.253 port 5001 connected with 192.168.1.4 port 18340
[  5]  0.0-10.0 sec   112 MBytes  93.6 Mbits/sec

192.168.1.253 is the IP address of my pfsense lan interface, and 192.168.1.4 is a windows client on my network.

you can use iperf -help for the different options you can use.

[stephenw10]

Can't argue with that for comprehensive instructions. Nice.

Steve

[luke240778]

Excellent thanks for the instructions. I guess i am seeing that what i want to do is not at all possible. shame.

[johnpoz]

What exactly are you wanting to accomplish? There is really no way to test bandwidth between devices without some method of actually move data between the devices.

So normally you need some service running on the other system.  Be it a web server, ftp, samba, or something like iperf where it listens for connections on one device, and then you create the connection from the other device and move data between them so you can check the speed of that move of data.

If you want to check speed between your client and the pfsense interface you need a way to move data so you can measure the speed.  It does not have to be iperf, could be any method of moving data so you could measure.  ICMP could be use in a crude way if you increase the packet size.

So you could use for example bwping, which you can install on pfsense – don't need anything on the other device your testing other than the ability to answer a ping.  So for example here is test from my pfsense box to that same windows client

[2.1-DEVELOPMENT][admin@pfsense.local.lan]/root(24): bwping -b 100000 -s 1472 -v 100000000 192.168.1.4
Target: 192.168.1.4 (192.168.1.4), transfer speed: 100000 kbps, packet size: 1472 bytes, traffic volume: 100000000 bytes
Total: pkts sent/rcvd: 67935/66692, volume rcvd: 98170624 bytes, time: 9 sec, speed: 87262 kbps, rtt min/max/average: 1/76/1 ms

So looks to me I am seeing 87.262 Mbps to that client – now again this is CRUDE and RUFF estimate to be sure.. Your going to want to use something like iperf or even ftp to get a feel for testing the real abilities of the network.

[luke240778]

Thanks for that info. I will take a look at that.  I can't see bwping as a package at all, so how would i install that?

What i want to accomplish is for example, if i have a client complaining that his connection is slow or something, i want to be able to test the throughput to his antenna, so i can see what is going on.

[johnpoz]

you would add bwping the same way you can add iperf with the pkg_add -r command and url

Its a freebsd package, not pfsense package.

ftp://ftp.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/i386/packages-8-stable/All/bwping-1.4.tbz

Looking at my past post, it looks like the url gets managled with http:// added?  So I put it in a code box.

Again this is RUFF information sort of thing, not something I would use for performance testing.  Also you keep saying their antenna?  These are wireless clients?  Is your pfsense box acting as the AP?  You have a wireless interface on it?

I would really not use the pfsense box it self as a test bed for wireless connection issues?

[luke240778]

Hi there, i have my pfsense box connected to a switch which connects up to my AP (i am a small WiSP.. so all my clients are via antenna/CPE's)

I am just at a point where i need someway of testing the connection to the antennas as i am getting so many of them complaining about speed, but everything in the office works perfectly.. so i need to see what the issue is.  I figured if i sell them a 2mbps connection, and i can somehow test the throughput and see that they are getting at least 2, then i can sort of prove that they are full of crap..

[luke240778]

i just tried what you said but it seems to not have worked..

at the shell i typed: pkg_add -r ftp://ftp.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/i386/packages-8-stable/All/bwping-1.4.tbz

then i tried to run bwping and it says package not found.. what did i miss?

I see i also have that strange http:// issue.. but i dont know how to insert a code box sorry.. so you will understand what i mean anyways.

[stephenw10]

You have to either restart or:

rehash

In order to for pfSense to know what's installed where.
Or you can call the executable with the complete path.

Steve

[wallabybob]

@luke240778:

i am getting so many of them complaining about speed,

If I recall correctly, you have stated elsewhere that bandwidth is expensive for you. Therefore I suspect that when customers complain about speed they might not be complaining about speed from your ISP but speed from somewhere far upstream of you (e.g. "streaming videos from Utube are very jerky".) The first problem can probably be solved relatively easily and cheaply. The second problem will be far more challenging UNLESS the issue is solely speed from the ISP.

I don't recall if you have many pfSense wireless APs. If so, the Status -> Wireless page may be of interest since it reports the channel speed to associated clients. I suspect at least some other wireless APs will have similar reporting capability.

@luke240778:

i dont know how to insert a code box sorry.. so you will understand what i mean anyways.

When composing a post click on the icon containing "#" immediately above emoticons immediately above the editing box. This will insert "code" tags in the editing box at the current cursor position. Then type the contents of the code box between the tags. Alternatively, add the contents of the code box to the text, select it, then click the icon containing "#" and the code tags will be added around the selected text. A bit of experimentation using the preview button below the editing box will give you idea. The icons above the editing box have "mouseover" hints: if you keep the mouse pointer on them for a little while they will display, in white text on a black background, hints of what they do.