2x2 AC Access Point Roundup - Part 2

[Jim Salter]

When, I'm trying to featch 1GB data file through netburn after some time, I see the below error.
"Out of memory". Have you ever faced the same issue please confirm?

Not surprising. If you use a 1GB file, netburn has to fit the entire 1GB file in RAM. (Multiple times, if you're using concurrency.) Netburn is not really a very sensible tool for use with files that large.

2. I have limited my network speed to 58 Mbps and initialized netburn to fetch the data using default data rate.
Surprisingly, my throughput is shown as 85 Mbps in netburn stats. Is this an expected behavior?

Yes, because individual files are fetched at full rate. The rate limiting works by sleeping in between fetches, so that the overall rate over the length of the test meets the specification.

I'm not sure what you're trying to accomplish, so it's hard to say whether netburn isn't the best tool for your particular task, or whether you'd be better off using it differently.

 

[Narmad]

Hello Jim,
I'm trying to test end user router performance using netburn.
Could you please suggest me, am i using the correct tool to accomplish my task?

Thanks,
Narmad

 

[Jim Salter]

If you're looking for a single, simple test to run to get an idea of how well one router works vs another, using a single client device, I'd recommend:

netburn -u http://yourserver/128K.bin -c 16 -t 300

This simulates downloading webpages as fast as possible for 5 minutes, with no rate limiting.

There's no point in using a 1G file on the back end.

 

[Narmad]

Hello Jim,
Thanks for your valued response!
If i need to test multi-client scenario, can you suggest the best possible ways using net-hydra.

Thanks,
Narmad

 

[Narmad]

Hi Jim,

$4kstream = netburn -u http://127.0.0.1/1M.bin -r 25 -t 300
$download = netburn -u http://127.0.0.1/1M.bin -t 300
$browsing = netburn -u http://127.0.0.1/128K.bin -r 8 -t 300 -c 16
$voipcall = netburn -u http://127.0.0.1/16K.bin -r 1 -t 300

in the above commands, is the 4k stream, download, browsing, voip call bin files , are they created by using the same dd command you shared earlier ? (i.e. dd if=/dev/urandom bs=1M count=1 of=1M.bin)

Thanks,
Narmad

 

[CrystalLattice]

Jim Salter takes another run at our collection of 2x2 AC APs, this time testing multi-client load handling in open air, with roaming too!

Read on SmallNetBuilder

somebody's ap list: https://www.comms-express.com/blog/review-to-the-10-best-wireless-access-points/

 

[Narmad]

Hi Jim,

What is meant by Fetch length maximum deviation in netburn O/P?
Thanks a lot for your support and help!

Thanks,
Narmad

 

[Peter Folk]

Jim,

This is one of the best tests of APs I've seen. I would love to see a refresh with more recent hardware, specifically the Wave 2 stuff. If you do it in the future I would be happy to supply some Ubiquiti APs, if you have trouble getting review samples from Ubiquiti (that's what I care most about testing since we use them most). I'd also be interested in seeing the performance change with interference (set up a client and a router with wide channels a ways away from your tested APs, and run a constant test between them to generate noise), and with clients hitting multiple APs (what is the total throughput if you have two clients on each of two APs vs four clients on one?).

Love to help if you decide to update this test next year,
Peter

 

[Will1593]

This is still a great go to article. Thanks. Needed to replace an Asus RT-N66U running in AP mode, so used the details here to go to two TP-Link EAP225v3. Still working on best location for the second AP.

Your testing suite is a useful resource. Is the "script that goes Bing" available anywhere? The script you use for roaming tests. I couldn't identify it quickly in the above repo. Not sure how lazy I'm being in not writing my own.

 

[thiggins]

Your testing suite is a useful resource. Is the "script that goes Bing" available anywhere? The script you use for roaming tests. I couldn't identify it quickly in the above repo. Not sure how lazy I'm being in not writing my own.

Probably better to ask Jim Salter directly. jim.salter@arstechnica.com

 

[coxhaus]

This is still a great go to article. Thanks. Needed to replace an Asus RT-N66U running in AP mode, so used the details here to go to two TP-Link EAP225v3. Still working on best location for the second AP.

Your testing suite is a useful resource. Is the "script that goes Bing" available anywhere? The script you use for roaming tests. I couldn't identify it quickly in the above repo. Not sure how lazy I'm being in not writing my own.

Why would it be so hard for the second location if you already had been running a second AP? Wouldn't you already have figured this out?

 

[Will1593]

Why would it be so hard for the second location if you already had been running a second AP? Wouldn't you already have figured this out?

The Asus was the only AP in the previous set up. Wired only router (LRT214) in the basement with the Asus in a better location for an AP.

 

[dlbzone]

Great article! It would be great to have an update as there are a number of other competitors now and lots of different ap options from each.

 

[Tucu]

Great article! It would be great to have an update as there are a number of other competitors now and lots of different ap options from each.

Jim Salter wrote a guide on Arstechnica about AP/Mesh placement a couple of weeks ago: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/202...ntific-guide-to-wi-fi-access-point-placement/

 

[L&LD]

@Tucu that is from 2020 (a year ago).

 

[Tucu]

@Tucu that is from 2020 (a year ago).

You are right. I found the article recently and misread the date.