Is there a way to measure backhaul speed?

[orbi-fan]

Is there a way to measure the backhaul speed of my system?  when looking at the devices on the router, is a backhaul speed of "Good" the best there is?  Is is there a "Best" or "Optimal" level?

[CrimpOn]

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@orbi-fan wrote:

Is there a way to measure the backhaul speed of my system?  when looking at the devices on the router, is a backhaul speed of "Good" the best there is?  Is is there a "Best" or "Optimal" level?

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Yes, (a) there are ways to measure backhaul speed and (b) Orbi reports status only as "Good", "Poor", or disconnected. (not very helpful)

The Orbi telnet interface provides access to a command which reports the transmit and receive rates and signal strength, satelliteinfo  wifi

For example, I recorded this from my Orbi system (one is an RBS50, the other an RBS40V):

root@RBR50:/# satelliteinfo wifi
[
{
"mac address" : "A0:04:60:xx:xx:xx",
"hop" : "1",
"bridge mac" : "A0:04:xx:xx:xx:xx",
"backhaul conntype" : "5GHz",
"backhaul rssi" : "-68",
"backhaul macaddress" : "A0:04:60:xx:xx:xx",
"backhaul phytxrate" : "780",
"backhaul phyrxrate" : "780",
"backhaul parentmac" : "A0:04:60:xx:xx:xx"
},
{
"mac address" : "14:59:C0:xx:xx:xx",
"hop" : "1",
"bridge mac" : "14:59:C0:xx:xx:xx",
"backhaul conntype" : "5GHz",
"backhaul rssi" : "-59",
"backhaul macaddress" : "",
"backhaul phytxrate" : "866",
"backhaul phyrxrate" : "650",
"backhaul parentmac" : "A0:04:60:xx:xx:xx"
}

Another method would be to see how much data can be "pushed" across the backhaul link.  For this, I use a program called iPerf3, installed on computers with the backhaul link between them. (iPerf3 is available for almost every platform, Window, Apple, Linux, Android and is free).

For example, running iPerf3 between two Windows desktops connected to the Orbi router with ethernet cables, the result is about 942mb/sec.  (An ethernet link is 1,000mb/sec.)  Right this second, it would be a chore to haul a laptop downstairs, connect to the satellite, and repeat the test across the backhaul link.

The point is that moving the satellite within 2-5 feet of the router will product the highest possible backhaul speed.  Record the results there and then in the place where the satellite is typically located.  Both test should show the same thing: as the satellite gets farther away, the backhaul link will drop.

[CrimpOn]

I should point out that ethernet is inherently "full duplex"  Data can flow in both directions at the same time.  WiFi is "half duplex". When one radio broadcasts, all of the other radios on the same channel have to stop.  This means the backhaul link speed will "top out" if traffic is going in one direction from one Orbi to another. (This is typically the case.)

Hope this is helpful.

[CrimpOn]

Well, I did experiment with a Lenovo laptop.

HP Desktop connected to the Orbi router over ethernet with iPerf3 in "server" mode (listening).

Laptop Connected to the Orbi router over ethernet, the results were as expected: 949mb/sec sending and 949mb/sec receiving. (Full Duplex over gigabit link).

Connected to the RBS50 satellite over ethernet across the WiFi backhaul to the Orbi router and then over ethernet  to the desktop.

Results much less: 273mb/sec sending and 273mb/sec receiving. The backhaul link passed a total of 273mb/sec in each direction compared to the ethernet link's 949. (about 29%).  If the Orbi satellite had been next to the router, the results would have been higher.  Farther away, worse.

Real world usage is mostly in one direction, of course. (Wish I had a tool to measure that.)  And real world usage is not this intense.