SG-1100 Throughput Test

JInx-IT · Apr 10, 2019, 5:58 PM

I've read posts from people claiming to be running an old Dell desktop with a couple of gigabit cards, running pfSense 2.3.*, getting in the high 990 Mbps. I can plug my laptop straight into the modem and get the same. High 990 Mbps, no problem. When I put the Netgate SG-1100 between my laptop and the modem, my speeds go down to 250 Mbps or lower.

hbauer · Apr 10, 2019, 6:01 PM

@JInx-IT you installed 2.3 on a sg -1100?

johnpoz · Apr 10, 2019, 6:04 PM

@JInx-IT said in SG-1100 Throughput Test:

getting in the high 990 Mbps.

Nonsense - since not possible to get that on a gig interface... Do the math yourself..

JInx-IT · Apr 10, 2019, 6:05 PM

That's with no traffic shaping or anything. It's just the basic setup.

johnpoz · Apr 10, 2019, 6:09 PM

Dude you have been show simple out of the box the SG-1100 doing high 800's if your only seeing 250ish you got something wrong with your testing method or your hardware in the path of your test.

You have yet to show your test method. Sorry but you aint going to see 990s on any gig interface. your going to be in the 940's as max..

Duplicate the testing that hbauer did above.

JInx-IT · Apr 10, 2019, 6:14 PM

I never said I am running 2.3.*, I'm running what came on it, which is 2.4.4-p2. My question was, and still is, how to achieve Gigabit speeds with an SG-1100, when it looks like the hardware itself can't support anything more than 250 Mbps. I'm hoping I'm wrong, so I'm here looking for proof that I'm configuring something incorrectly. Why can my laptop to the modem get Gigabit speeds, but a basic config in the SG-1100 maxes out at 250 Mbps? The answer, I feel, is in looking at the differences between my configuration, and somebody's who has the correct config in their SG-1100, and by correct config, I mean somebody who is getting Gigabit speeds.

hbauer · Apr 10, 2019, 6:19 PM

@JInx-IT I am just a netgate customer and I can confirm the results posted above. The hardware can do it without any changes to the standard config. I suggest to open another topic with more details about your modem. I suspect that there is a need for some changes.

johnpoz · Apr 10, 2019, 6:21 PM

Dude out of the box it will do gig speeds... You have been shown this and confirmed by multiple people..

Benchmarks are listed here as well
https://www.netgate.com/blog/netgates-new-sg-1100-punches-way-above-its-weight.html

JInx-IT · Apr 10, 2019, 6:28 PM

The modem is setup the way we have had things setup for the last 4 years worth of using a pfSense router, which we traditionally ran off of a SuperMicro system. Pretty much all of our clients are running one, and they aren't going much past 200 Mbps. When we went up to over 400 Mbps, we noticed the router was bottlenecking the speeds, because bypassing the router and running a laptop straight to the modem produced the advertised speeds. The same is holding true with the SG-1100. Doing a speedtest from the router maxes out at 250 Mbps, but taking the router out, and plugging the laptop directly into the modem, the laptop gets Gigabit speeds. What we need, is a router we can suggest to our clients that will get Gigabit speeds. The issue is, it looks like we will have to use some cast off desktops to get that going, instead of using a professional hardware package. What I'm hoping for is that I'm missing something in the config settings that is impeding the throughput. I would love to offer this box as a Gigabit solution.

JInx-IT · Apr 10, 2019, 6:30 PM

@johnpoz So, are you saying that it's a defective SG-1100? Because, out of the box, it's not getting gig speeds. Not even close.

hbauer · Apr 10, 2019, 6:32 PM

@JInx-IT Do you have a change to try my setup with iperf connected to a switch? If this is better then you know its a configuration thing. if not open a ticket at netgate

johnpoz · Apr 10, 2019, 6:37 PM

@JInx-IT said in SG-1100 Throughput Test:

it's not getting gig speeds. Not even close.

And you have yet to show you can actually do a valid test... Lets see your test method and showing that your client and server can actually talk doing gig, etc.

hbauer gave exacting details of testing done showing 880's

If after showing valid test methods and default config - then yeah open a support ticket.

Doing a speed test to some internet site with some client behind pfsense is NOT a valid test method.

JInx-IT · Apr 10, 2019, 8:04 PM

What I use for speedtest from pfSense and any other Linux based platform is speedtest-cli. If that's not accurate enough, I am certainly open to new methods.

chrismacmahon · Apr 10, 2019, 8:33 PM

@JInx-IT If you are testing it from the firewall, that is not accurate. You need to test from a device behind the firewall to a public device on the other side.

JInx-IT · Apr 10, 2019, 8:36 PM

I get close to she same results whetherI'm running it from the firewall or the laptop behind the firewall, where the big jump comes is if I remove the firewall and configure the laptop to run straight off the modem. What do you recommend I run instead of speedtest-cli?

chrismacmahon · Apr 10, 2019, 8:42 PM

You could try using iperf/iperf3 to test from local to remote. As noted your speeds are less then anticipated for the device; more than likely the configuration/testing methods are not right.

The more information use can share the better someone can assist you in resolving your problems.

Grimson · Apr 10, 2019, 8:45 PM

@JInx-IT
Connect one device to WAN, and run iperf in server mode on it. Connect one device to LAN and let it run an iperf test to the server you just setup on the WAN device.

Also make sure there are no limiters/traffic shaping configured, especially if you restored a config backup from a previous device. Make sure you are not testing over a VPN connection, that will reduce throughput considerably.

Also if your Internet connection is using PPPoE that might be a limiting factor too.

JInx-IT · Apr 10, 2019, 8:56 PM

@hbauer said in SG-1100 Throughput Test:

iperf3

I'll look into iperf again. I skimmed over it and moved on because the closest servers it listed were on the other side of the country from me. I didn't see, or think of, an option to create your own test server on the WAN. I'll probably set that up tomorrow. I wasn't able to restore from backup to the sg-1100, so that's not a factor and I'm not using a VPN or PPPoE for any of this. I'll post my results after I get everything set up and run it both ways.

johnpoz · Apr 12, 2019, 6:41 PM

so did you test this? What were your results... I maintain a windows copy I compile myself for iperf3 if you want the latest and greatest version 3.6

testgate · Oct 28, 2019, 9:44 PM

I understand some time has passed on this thread, but I also see the slower speeds mentioned for this firewall.

Using iperf3 client-to-server through a cheap 1G switch I consistently get about 930 Mbits/sec. Using the same cables, client, and server through the SG-1100 LAN-to-WAN I consistently get about 445 Mbits/sec. The results are slightly slower if I use the built-in iperf3 package within pfSense as the server with the client on the LAN link. The netgate is running 2.4.4_3.

To specify the lab: a laptop is configured with a static IP in the WAN IP scope, is directly attached to the WAN port with a Cat6 cable, and listens with iperf3 as server. A laptop is configured via DHCP in the LAN IP scope, is attached to the LAN port with a Cat6 cable, and runs iperf3 as a client. Outside (WAN) laptop command is “iperf3 -p 5001 -s”. Inside (LAN) laptop command is “iperf3 -p 5001 -c <static IP of the WAN connected laptop>”.

This is a fresh install of pfSense with no special sauce. The LAN→WAN firewall rule is an IPv4* any any.

Now the really crazy part happens when I run the netgate built-in iperf3 package as a client. Running the same laptop as server on the LAN link, the netgate consistently gets about 865 Mbits/sec! Reverse this with the built-in iperf3 as server and the same laptop as client on the LAN link, back to mid 445 Mbits/sec. Huh?!?