Inexpensive probes for automated bandwidth testing purposes

Sun Oct 4 13:44:43 UTC 2015

Hi,

On Sun, Oct 4, 2015 at 1:56 AM, John Levine <johnl at iecc.com> wrote:
> In article <37DBA43E-EE76-4323-962C-30BB988D0C2E at hathcock.org> you write:
>>Greetings, NANOG.  Happy Saturday to all.
>>
>>I am running a DOCSIS network that has a noisy cable plant.  I want to be able to substantiate and quantify users' bandwidth issues.  I would
>>like a set of inexpensive probes that I could place at selected customer's homes/businesses that would on a scheduled basis perform bandwidth
>>tests.
>
> The RIPE Atlas project uses TP-Link TL-MR3020 minirouters reprogramed
> to be network probes collecting data not unlike what you're interested
> in.  They are $28 apiece at Amazon so I'd expect them to be under $20
> in any quantity.
>
> RIPE gives away the source code here:
>
> https://atlas.ripe.net/get-involved/source-code/

As well as the RIPE atlas (which is an excellent project), there is
also the SamKnows whitebox; the device used by the FCC (Measuring
Broadband America), CRTC, Ofcom and the EU Commission for their
consumer broadband monitoring projects.  They are also more than happy
to work directly with ISPs if you want to buy a few boxes off them,
and are currently working with some of the larger providers to embed
their monitoring technology within consumer CPEs.  Have a look at
https://www.samknows.com/infrastructure.

Alex