Field-Stone

AI Generated Python Based Network Testing Suite

Generated with Claude Sonnet 3.7 desktop, modified a little with Roo and Sonnet 3.5.

I'm nearing the completion of a complete home network upgrade, and decided I want to test the network performance before and after. It's 7 in the morning, I haven't finished my first coffee, and I'm not caffinated enough to search for and learn an existing test suite. So this happened.

Prompts

I'm about to upgrade my home network's router, switches, cabling, and access points. I'd like to perform some very simple before-and-after tests. Is there a simple python test suite that can run under both my wireless mac laptop and wired linux desktop?

Those tests look good, but I was primarily interested in speed/throughput, jitter, latency, those kind of performance stats.

Response

Below is Claude's most recent response:

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This new script is specifically designed to measure network performance metrics like throughput, latency, and jitter – exactly what you need for your upgrade assessment. It's cross-platform (works on both your Linux desktop and macOS laptop) and provides comprehensive testing.

Key Features:

1. Comprehensive Performance Metrics:

Latency and jitter testing (using ping) Throughput testing (using iperf3) Internet speed testing (download/upload speeds using speedtest-cli) Local network file transfer testing

2. Network Interface Detection:

Automatically detects and reports on wired/wireless interfaces Shows connection details (speed, SSID for wireless, signal strength)

3. Detailed Reporting:

Saves results in both CSV and JSON formats Provides statistical summaries of all tests Captures before/after comparison data

How to Use:

1. Install Dependencies:

# For Linux:
sudo apt install iperf3
pip3 install speedtest-cli

# For macOS:
brew install iperf3
pip3 install speedtest-cli

2. Before Upgrade Testing:

# Basic test with internet speed test
python3 network-test-suite.py -o before_upgrade.csv

# If you have an iperf3 server on your network (recommended for best results):
python3 network-test-suite.py -o before_upgrade.csv -s 192.168.1.100

# Run more iterations for better statistical significance
python3 network-test-suite.py -o before_upgrade.csv -s 192.168.1.100 -i 5

3. After Upgrade Testing:

# Run the same command you used before the upgrade
python3 network-test-suite.py -o after_upgrade.csv -s 192.168.1.100 -i 5

4. Comparison: After running the tests, you'll have CSV files that you can compare in Excel/Google Sheets, or you can use the JSON files for more detailed analysis.

iperf3 Server Note:

For best results, set up an iperf3 server on your network. This can be:

Another computer running: iperf3 -s

A router with iperf3 capability (many custom firmware routers support this)

A Raspberry Pi or other always-on device

This will give you the most accurate throughput measurements within your LAN.