A TWAMP test setup can use many types of test points at the far end including a portable device, a small form pluggable, or even a software-based test agent. The Two-Way Active Measurement Protocol (TWAMP) is another standards-based test method ( RFC 5357) used to actively monitor Ethernet circuit performance. Co-authored by VIAVI, the RFC 6349 protocol measures outputs that directly impact the user’s web browsing experience. Transmission efficiency is determined based on factors including retransmission percentage and buffer delay. It provides a reliable and repeatable method for testing end-to-end transfer performance. RFC 6349 is a new methodology to measure Layer 4 transmission control protocol (TCP) traffic. These same standard tests can be used to troubleshoot post-activation issues. Y.1564 and RFC 2544 test protocols have been developed to validate network service level agreements (SLAs) and quantify key performance indicators including throughput, latency, frame loss, and back-to-back frames (buffer operation) during Ethernet circuit characterization and service activation.
Although it is useful to understand what is happening at the higher network layers, Ethernet testing targets the verification of lower layer performance. This technology has continued to evolve as top Ethernet speeds have gradually increased from 2.94 Mbps to 800 Gbps (800G).Įthernet test practices focus on layers 2 and 3 of the network stack, as defined by the Open System Interconnect (OSI) model. The IEEE 802.3 standard defines the packet-based transfer mode of Ethernet. Some of the other additional features, such as the support of simultaneous multiple streams and continuous mode or the option to bypass write caching, are perhaps more interesting.Ethernet is a family of computer networking technologies used to connect local area networks (LAN), wide area networks (WAN), and metropolitan area networks (MAN) over twisted-pair or fiber optic cabling. The Lite version also supports the entry of an IP address however, if LST Server is not running on the server side, you will get a corresponding error message. This allows you to enter the IP address of the server instead of the network share name.
One difference with the paid edition is that you have to install LST Server on your server. This comparison table lists the additional features. LAN Speed Test is also available as a commercial version, but the price of $6 is hardly worth mentioning. Thus, whenever you have issues with network shares (for example, when a large user profile takes ages to download), you can quickly rule out or confirm that bandwidth issues caused the problem.
The advantage of LAN Speed Test Lite is that it is free and portable. Of course, quite a few more sophisticated network performance test tools exist. Other factors, such as CPU load or memory shortage, can affect your performance test as well. Most storage technologies can read faster than they can write.
If you assume that no other applications claimed bandwidth during the test, your storage system was most likely responsible for the differences. If you test in a LAN with symmetric transfer speeds, the difference in network performance indicates that other factors play a role in the measurement.
You will notice that the upload and download speed will vary. If you enable Log Window, LAN Speed Test Lite will show the test results in a text format that you can copy to the clipboard and forward to a colleague or store for future reference. The tool will then display the time it took to complete the task, the bits per seconds, the bytes per second, and the Mbps.