How to use iPerf to test the speed between the EAP and the wireless client

Knowledgebase

FAQ

07-23-2024

Usually, people may want to use Speedtest^® to measure the speed of the wireless connection when they encounter the problem that the wireless device connected behind the EAP has a slower rate or its speed is much slower than the ISP bandwidth.

But the result of Speedtest^® may be affected by the ISP and network delay, so we recommend you use the iPerf tool to test. This tool is a little software, and it is convenient to operate. Besides when using iPerf, the host can connect to the server directly, eliminating the effects of the ISP and network congestion, and can measure the most accurate speed, reducing the network influence to the lowest.

This FAQ will guide you on how to use iPerf to measure the link speed between your TP-Link EAP and your wireless device. Before speed measurement, you need to prepare your wireless device（mobile phone or laptop） for testing. You may also need a PC to manage the EAP and configure the iperf server.

In this topic, we use EAP660 HD as an example, and the network topology as shown below.

Step 1. Install iPerf on the wireless device for speed test

Before having a test, you may need to install iPerf on your wireless device. iPerf can be installed either on a laptop, an iPhone or an Android phone. Here we use a Windows-based laptop and an iPhone as examples respectively.

Windows

Use Laptop B to go to the official website of IPerf: https://iPerf.fr/iPerf-download.php#windows. Choose one version of iPerf 2.0.9 according to your computer system (either 64 bits or 32 bits). Here as we are using 64 bits system, so we download the 64 bits version iPerf.

Note: TP-Link EAPs use iPerf2 and iPerf3 is not backwards compatible with iPerf2, so please ensure that you download iPerf2.

After downloading, you will get a zip file, extract the zip file, there will be 5 files like the picture below. Copy all these files to the path “C:\\Windows\System32”. The installation is complete.

iPhone

Search “HE.NET” in the App Store, from the result get the “HE.NET Network Tools” shown in the picture below.

Step 2. Install PuTTY on the computer that using for configuring the EAP

PuTTY is a little software, it can help you to configure your EAP as an iPerf server through your computer, which is necessary for the speed test.

Use PC A to go to the official website of PuTTY: https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/latest.html. Also we need to choose version according to your computer system (either 64 bits or 32 bits). Here as we are using 64 bits system, so we download the 64 bits version.

Double click the downloaded .msi file to start the installation. Follow the wizard to setup the PuTTY. No extra configuration is required so you can set all the parameter by default during the wizard.

Step 3. Set the iPerf Server on your EAP

Use PC A Open the management page of Omada Controller. Go to Settings -> Site and find the Device Account part. Click the eye button to display the password. Please remember the Username and Password here which will be used later.

Go to the Device page and find the IP address of your EAP. Also please remember this address.

Go to Settings -> Services -> SSH page. Enable SSH Login and ensure the SSH Server Port is 22. Don’t forget to apply your setting.

Open the PuTTY you just installed. Double click “putty.exe” then the following page shows up. Log in to the EAP with the parameters as Host Name (the IP address of the EAP), Port (22) and Connection type (SSH). Just like the figure below. Then click Open.

A DOS page will pop out with a security alert. Please click yes. Then in the DOS page type the Username you just remembered before in the Omada Controller. Then it will ask you the password, please enter the same password shown in the Omada Controller. Please notice that the password you enter is invisible, so make sure the password is correct. If log in successfully, the DOS page will be shown like the figure below.

Run the command “iperf –s” in the DOS page, then the EAP will work in the iPerf server mode.

Step 4. Test the speed between the EAP and your wireless client.

Windows

Connect your Laptop B wirelessly to the wireless network of the EAP.
On your laptop, press windows key + R, put CMD in the Open bar can click OK. In the CMD dialog box, in the next step you need the IP address of your EAP. For example, here the IP address of the EAP is 192.168.0.91, so we input the command “iperf –c 192.168.0.91” and the speed test will start. The result will show in the CMD dialog box.