Giorgia Moscato, Angelo Barbera, Alessandro Genova
This report presents a detailed analysis of Ethernet and Wi-Fi performance within a Local Area Network (LAN) environment. Using tools like iperf3 and Wireshark, we conducted a series of experiments to compare the goodput over TCP and UDP protocols in various network scenarios: direct Ethernet connections, Wi-Fi connections, and a hybrid Ethernet-WiFi setup.
The primary objective of this lab was to quantify and compare the performance of Ethernet and Wi-Fi connections in a LAN setting. While the general superiority of Ethernet over Wi-Fi is well-known, our goal was to provide specific, measurable data on the performance differences in our particular setup. This analysis aims to offer practical insights for network design and optimization in real-world scenarios.
- Tools and Theory
- Detailed explanation of iperf3 and Wireshark usage
- Methodology for goodput estimation
- Lab Setup and Scenarios
- Comprehensive hardware specifications
- Network configurations
- Description of test scenarios
- Results
- Detailed TCP and UDP test results
- In-depth performance analysis for each scenario
- Visual representations of data (graphs, charts)
- Conclusion
- Synthesis of experimental results
- Practical implications for LAN setups
- Appendix
- Python scripts used for test automation
- Quantitative comparison of Ethernet vs Wi-Fi performance in our specific setup
- Analysis of factors affecting Wi-Fi performance (e.g., interference, protocol overhead)
- Evaluation of mixed Ethernet-WiFi setups and their practical applications
- Insights into the behavior of TCP vs UDP in different network environments
This report serves as a case study in network performance analysis. It provides a methodology for conducting similar experiments and offers data-driven insights that can be valuable for:
- Understanding the practical limitations of Wi-Fi in various scenarios
- Making informed decisions in network design and troubleshooting
- Benchmarking network performance in similar setups