Linux — How to Measure Network Performance

We all know that the Linux network stack is based on the TCP/IP model. The TCP/IP model consists of five layers:

• Application layer
• Transport layer
• Network layer
• Datalink layer
• Physical layer

When an application sends a data packet through the socket interface, it must be processed layer by layer in the network protocol stack from top to bottom, and then finally sent to the network card for sending; and when receiving a data packet, it must first go through the network stack from the bottom It is processed layer by layer and finally sent to the application.

So how do you measure network performance? What tool or command should you use? Let’s take a look at useful tools and metrics for Linux network performance.

Network Performance Indicators

We usually measure network performance with indicators such as bandwidth, throughput, latency and packet per second (PPS).

• Bandwidth, indicating the maximum transmission rate of the link, usually in b/s (bits per second) unit.
• Throughput, indicating the amount of data successfully transmitted per unit time, also in b/s unit, or B/s . Throughput is limited by…