Inexpensive probes for automated bandwidth testing purposes
Greetings, NANOG. Happy Saturday to all. I am running a DOCSIS network that has a noisy cable plant. I want to be able to substantiate and quantify users' bandwidth issues. I would like a set of inexpensive probes that I could place at selected customer's homes/businesses that would on a scheduled basis perform bandwidth tests. Likely I would need to place a server in the head end or across the internet that would allow me to isolate and test certain network segments. I've looked into these in the past and was presented with some wonderfully expensive units that would duplicate my network problems into company financial problems as well. Any ideas? I know there are other ways to measure noise in the cable plant and I am working on those as well. I will soon be running other, non-DOCSIS networks and need to have the same capabilities to test available bandwidth on those networks. Thanks! Lorell Hathcock Sent from my iPad
Measure IP bandwidth? Could use a Mikrotik depending on the throughout expectations. Josh Luthman Office: 937-552-2340 Direct: 937-552-2343 1100 Wayne St Suite 1337 Troy, OH 45373 On Oct 3, 2015 6:27 PM, "Lorell Hathcock" <lorell@hathcock.org> wrote:
Greetings, NANOG. Happy Saturday to all.
I am running a DOCSIS network that has a noisy cable plant. I want to be able to substantiate and quantify users' bandwidth issues. I would like a set of inexpensive probes that I could place at selected customer's homes/businesses that would on a scheduled basis perform bandwidth tests.
Likely I would need to place a server in the head end or across the internet that would allow me to isolate and test certain network segments.
I've looked into these in the past and was presented with some wonderfully expensive units that would duplicate my network problems into company financial problems as well.
Any ideas? I know there are other ways to measure noise in the cable plant and I am working on those as well. I will soon be running other, non-DOCSIS networks and need to have the same capabilities to test available bandwidth on those networks.
Thanks!
Lorell Hathcock
Sent from my iPad
If you are going to roll your own something like a raspberry PI would work. You can also build your own measurements with a platform like ripe atlas. It all depends if you want to run iperf3 tests or simple smokeping type of stuff to correlate errors. Jared Mauch
On Oct 3, 2015, at 6:27 PM, Lorell Hathcock <lorell@hathcock.org> wrote:
Greetings, NANOG. Happy Saturday to all.
I am running a DOCSIS network that has a noisy cable plant. I want to be able to substantiate and quantify users' bandwidth issues. I would like a set of inexpensive probes that I could place at selected customer's homes/businesses that would on a scheduled basis perform bandwidth tests.
Likely I would need to place a server in the head end or across the internet that would allow me to isolate and test certain network segments.
I've looked into these in the past and was presented with some wonderfully expensive units that would duplicate my network problems into company financial problems as well.
Any ideas? I know there are other ways to measure noise in the cable plant and I am working on those as well. I will soon be running other, non-DOCSIS networks and need to have the same capabilities to test available bandwidth on those networks.
Thanks!
Lorell Hathcock
Sent from my iPad
In article <37DBA43E-EE76-4323-962C-30BB988D0C2E@hathcock.org> you write:
Greetings, NANOG. Happy Saturday to all.
I am running a DOCSIS network that has a noisy cable plant. I want to be able to substantiate and quantify users' bandwidth issues. I would like a set of inexpensive probes that I could place at selected customer's homes/businesses that would on a scheduled basis perform bandwidth tests.
The RIPE Atlas project uses TP-Link TL-MR3020 minirouters reprogramed to be network probes collecting data not unlike what you're interested in. They are $28 apiece at Amazon so I'd expect them to be under $20 in any quantity. RIPE gives away the source code here: https://atlas.ripe.net/get-involved/source-code/ R's, John
Hi, On Sun, Oct 4, 2015 at 1:56 AM, John Levine <johnl@iecc.com> wrote:
In article <37DBA43E-EE76-4323-962C-30BB988D0C2E@hathcock.org> you write:
Greetings, NANOG. Happy Saturday to all.
I am running a DOCSIS network that has a noisy cable plant. I want to be able to substantiate and quantify users' bandwidth issues. I would like a set of inexpensive probes that I could place at selected customer's homes/businesses that would on a scheduled basis perform bandwidth tests.
The RIPE Atlas project uses TP-Link TL-MR3020 minirouters reprogramed to be network probes collecting data not unlike what you're interested in. They are $28 apiece at Amazon so I'd expect them to be under $20 in any quantity.
RIPE gives away the source code here:
As well as the RIPE atlas (which is an excellent project), there is also the SamKnows whitebox; the device used by the FCC (Measuring Broadband America), CRTC, Ofcom and the EU Commission for their consumer broadband monitoring projects. They are also more than happy to work directly with ISPs if you want to buy a few boxes off them, and are currently working with some of the larger providers to embed their monitoring technology within consumer CPEs. Have a look at https://www.samknows.com/infrastructure. Alex
One of the small microPC solutions. Depending on what you want to test (eg bandwidth) you may find platforms like raspberrypi too limited. Intel NUC or LIVA platforms? https://www.perfsonar.net/deploy/hardware-selection/low-cost-hardware/ alan
On Sat, 3 Oct 2015, Lorell Hathcock wrote:
I am running a DOCSIS network that has a noisy cable plant. I want to be able to substantiate and quantify users' bandwidth issues. I would like a set of inexpensive probes that I could place at selected customer's homes/businesses that would on a scheduled basis perform bandwidth tests.
Check out Netbeez: https://netbeez.net/ Let me know if you'd like an introduction to them. -- Brandon Ross Yahoo & AIM: BrandonNRoss +1-404-635-6667 ICQ: 2269442 Skype: brandonross Schedule a meeting: http://www.doodle.com/bross
They introduced themselves via SPAM recently… They’ve been plonked as a result. Owen
On Oct 4, 2015, at 2:28 PM, Brandon Ross <bross@pobox.com> wrote:
On Sat, 3 Oct 2015, Lorell Hathcock wrote:
I am running a DOCSIS network that has a noisy cable plant. I want to be able to substantiate and quantify users' bandwidth issues. I would like a set of inexpensive probes that I could place at selected customer's homes/businesses that would on a scheduled basis perform bandwidth tests.
Check out Netbeez:
Let me know if you'd like an introduction to them.
-- Brandon Ross Yahoo & AIM: BrandonNRoss +1-404-635-6667 ICQ: 2269442 Skype: brandonross Schedule a meeting: http://www.doodle.com/bross
participants (8)
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Alan Buxey -
Alex Brooks -
Brandon Ross -
Jared Mauch -
John Levine -
Josh Luthman -
Lorell Hathcock -
Owen DeLong